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North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 6:58 pm
by mjb666
I thought i'd do a short review of my four day break. It might give someone else a new place to visit.

I stayed fri/sat at this Lowood site

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/detai ... 31#maphere

£15 per night. 2 boxes of 4 EHU on opposite sides of the fairly flat field. 1 outside loo, no other facilities at all. Great base for cycling/walking with one very good Freehouse only a 15 minute walk.

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It's best approached via the A358. If coming from the B3224 it is Very narrow & requires patience when reversing if you meet people coming the other way!

Sun/mon was spent at Warren Farm

Campsite Warren Farm
General information
United Kingdom - England - Somerset - Watchet

£10 per night. No EHU. Basic showers, 50p ,pay Pam the owner when you see her. This site has everything you would need & relies totally on Honesty. Several fields to choose from & none of them are flat, gave up with my fridge!

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I picked a top corner, this doesn't show how steep the site is.

I had two reasons for picking these two sites, they were both within a three mile cycle ride to stations on the train line


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This was going to be my transport to & from this Steam Fayre on sat & sun

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For anyone who wanted a short break, i would Recommend investigating this area via the Heritage Steam line, get a day rover ticket & just hop on/off at each station. Great walks, stuf to look at, nice pubs & even a Brewery

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The Steam Fayre was Excellent too.

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If anyone wants to know more details, just pm me.

Mike

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 8:41 pm
by keeflester
Great trip report, thanks for sharing.

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 9:11 pm
by zildjian
Didn't know you liked steam as well Mike, that looks like fun weekend,



those steep sites make me nervous,
one we use has signs specifically saying 'park across(not facing downhill) field at top'

nobody does of course....

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 9:31 pm
by mjb666
Thanks Keith

I didn't want to put too many photos on, people might get bored of steam vehicles & pub's visited. It's the first time i've visited the area so went in a bit 'Blind' but now i've got a feel for it, i'm definitely going back. In fact it was due to a tip off on here that i actualy visited the area so felt obliged to post what i found out.

The second site really showed my lack of ability to cope with serious slopes as far as the fridge was concerned. I will be investigating solar & a compressor fridge to replace my ageing but working Electrolux RM212,F. This will pose several major problems as my DIY skills stop at wiring a plug!

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And if you've never tried Cider, this is the place to go to try it & they even let you eat locally caught fish with chips in the bar from the chippy next door. Watchet, Quality village, nice people, 1 in 4 hills but don't let that stop a visit.

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 9:41 pm
by mjb666
In fact writing that last post has reminded me. I got chatting to a bloke on the train, as you do, he drives one of the Monster trucks at Santa Pod at weekends & owns a fifth wheel that he purchased from Niche in Manby so knew about De-Mountables. He owns a Toyota Hilux but doesn't tow the fiver as it's 2 1/2 tonne's & returns 8 mpg. I gave him a DCG card & suggested he does a p/x & actually get's to visit a different place occasionally?

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 9:46 pm
by keeflester
mjb666 wrote:Thanks Keith

I didn't want to put too many photos on, people might get bored of steam vehicles & pub's visited. It's the first time i've visited the area so went in a bit 'Blind' but now i've got a feel for it, i'm definitely going back. In fact it was due to a tip off on here that i actualy visited the area so felt obliged to post what i found out.

The second site really showed my lack of ability to cope with serious slopes as far as the fridge was concerned. I will be investigating solar & a compressor fridge to replace my ageing but working Electrolux RM212,F. This will pose several major problems as my DIY skills stop at wiring a plug!

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And if you've never tried Cider, this is the place to go to try it & they even let you eat locally caught fish with chips in the bar from the chippy next door. Watchet, Quality village, nice people, 1 in 4 hills but don't let that stop a visit.
I was weaned on cider. Somerset cider is the best in the world, but I'm slightly biased. LOL

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 9:55 pm
by mjb666
Really nice bloke, 2 pints into his daily 4 of a local oak conditioned cider @ 8.5% & £2.90 a pint. I had a pint & that's probably the reason i pushed my bike up the 1 in 4 hill back to the campsite. Mind you, he did say he doesn't eat in the evening's, my sort of diet.

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 9th, 2016, 11:26 pm
by keeflester
I've been known to imbibe an excess of the juice, but I hardly ever see good cider these days, living among heathens. I must say in their defence that whisky is pretty good.

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 10th, 2016, 8:04 am
by Mike
Mike great that you enjoyed our somerset, being residents for 20 years now, we love the area and the Cider, we have a couple of very good makers with a couple of miles from us and regularly enjoy the fruits of their labours. Keith I have a thought, I'll send you cider you send me whisky!,
That steam line also every year runs a beer festival trip up the line from bishops Lydeard to Watchet I believe, with the beer festival on the station, my son went several times I always got the job of picking them back up! Seemed good fun though.

Re: North Somerset Mini Break

Posted: August 10th, 2016, 3:04 pm
by mjb666
Firstly, my Thanks to Rich (Madmountainman) for the original tip off for the Steam Fayre at Norton Fitzwarren.

and now

Secondly, my Thanks to Mike for the beer festival/steam train tip off.

http://www.somerset.camra.org.uk/images ... 1/8143.jpg

I have a feeling i will be back in Somerset sooner than i thought.