Non-French TidbitsCampgrounds in Great Britain

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

Found a place to camp on the grounds of a castle on the cliffs over looking Dover and the English Channel, then learned we can ride a ferry up the English Channel to Zeebrugge, Belgium rather than just straight across the channel to France. Will save driving time and miles, and the boat ride is a change. We bought an alarm clock so we can get up very, very early (at 4:30), to catch the boat. From the ferry we could see the pink cliffs of Dover shining in the dawns early light.

Few campsites in Great Britain have electricity, and we are at one of those few, in Littlehampton. Must find out how to find those with electricity, because it's too cold without the heater. We left the campsite at 8:30 and drove to Arundel. There's a castle on the hill and Emmy fed our stale bread to a lot of ducks and swans in the river. We've found that each fresh loaf of bread we buy generates two loaves of stale bread to feed the ducks, etc.

Not too far from the campsite near Bournemouth, we toured Lord Mountbatten's home in Romsey. All Emmy could say was, "My kitchen is better, my bathroom is better," etc., and so on. Her kitchen and bathrooms are hundreds of years newer, also. The Cathedral in nearby Glastonbury is one of the most interesting building ruins we have seen.

At the campsite in Bath, they had both electricity and a sign saying "Complete." Although it appeared there was plenty of room, the old sour-puss would not let us in. At a gas station near Bath, we asked about a campsite, and one of the customers knew of one. We followed him to an old farm house where there was camping space next to the barn, but we were not able to plug in the electricity. It hasn't been too cold lately.

Just north of Blackpool we found a campsite sign that said "Full Today," but no one was in the office and it didn't look full, so we just went in and parked. Sometime in the middle of the night, someone pounded on the outside of the camper telling us we were trespassing, and we were a fire hazard. Jim said we would pay in the morning, so he went away. In the morning he was agreeable and apologized for waking us. Said he was always having problems with the police for letting in too many people, and they often park too close each other. But he said we had parked properly, even the police would agree.

We went on to Salisbury and found the campsite outside the town, but there was no electricity, even for the office. The campsite in Salisbury was just an open field where someone had put up an office to collect the money, and some portable potties. But the Cathedral is splendid, with its magnificent spire, and nearby Stonehenge is unbelievably fascinating.

We located a campsite with electricity at Ripon, about 15 miles north of York. The man in the office asked if we were going into Ripon to see the "Wakeman," then explained that for 1,100 years, without missing one night, at 9:00 PM a man blows a horn to tell the town-folks, all is OK. The Wakeman was dressed in a three cornered hat, brown overcoat with brass buttons, and he blows an old animal horn. Very Interesting.

We found a campsite in Nottingham, right in Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest. The only robber we met that night, was the man who charged $9 for the campsite - out of season at that, but with electricity. However, we really enjoyed visiting the remaining ruins of the bombed-out Cathedral in nearby Coventry. At the top of the steeple, we met a college professor who knew Jim's Brother Johnny. Now that was amazing.

When we awoke in the campsite near Uncle Willie's home in Stratford upon Avon, there was a huge spider web connecting the camper to a nearby tree. Wish there was some way to keep that beautiful sculpture. Our campsite was excellent, and it had electricity. Visited the Royal Shakespearean Theater, and many other places in the town. The next morning we visited Leslie, the daughter of a friend, her husband who was stationed at the US Air Base near here, and their baby who was just a few weeks old. Talked to them by phone to get directions to the base.

Drove to Cambridge and visited the College. Beautiful buildings, and an appealing town. Went up the tower of the Holy Trinity Church to look over the city. Then drove to the campsite near Harwick, close to the dock where we will catch the ferryboat in the morning. We saw a beautiful rainbow, reaching the ground at both ends, and at times it was a double rainbow. The next morning we were the first vehicle on the ferryboat from England to Holland - cost $100, for a seven hour trip. Advanced our clocks again, arrived at 6:45 PM.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

French Video Immersion