It has been years since I wrote a blog about mine and Julie’s camping adventures but I am going to try and do a few a year to help give similar minded outdoor lovers ideas for new adventures.

Last week we fancied a weekend away with 2 main features. Number 1 – it must have a pub nearby as dry January was finally over, although we slipped up near the end anyway! Number 2 – It must have nice walks to do on the Saturday with a bit of a climb as we wanted to keep up some level of fitness gained in January.

After some research we came across a new couple on YouTube who had been to a campsite in Braithwaite called Braithwaite Village Campsite funnily enough and it looked perfect. It is also a Camping and Caravanning Club Site of which we are members and they have lodges to hire as well as the usual site pitches. The couple on YouTube (Professional Moochers) have recently been back and done a new video as below, so you can see for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf4bE6Ed8IU

The Camp-Site facilities:

Nipping clean, one of the nicest toilet blocks I have been in. I especially liked the shower unit design that was an L shape. This means you can comfortably get ready for your shower and dried off in a separate part away from the actual shower. Such a good feature as so many times on other campsites the shower units are small and the floor gets so wet it’s a major challenge getting your clothes on and keep your socks dry. The showers were perfect in both continuous pressure and temperature.

The site also has a family bathroom with a little baby bath which was such a good idea.

The Motorhome service point was again one of the best I have used as it was very easy to drive onto, the water filling point was very close to the Motorhome and powerful enough to fill up quickly. They also have the drive over waste water point in the same easy to access place so all very well thought out.

If you are having a longer stay the site also has a Laundry Room and this room also features the obligatory leaflet stand with ideas to fill your days, although I was happy with the nice walks in the area.

The pitches all look brand-new and the landscaping on the site is so neat and tidy you really can’t ask for anymore.

In the area:

The nearest pub is about 2 minutes’ walk from the campsite and we really enjoyed the food and drink in the Royal Oak and they have Wainwrights on draft which feels the most appropriate beverage in the lakes. It had a nice atmosphere and looked like a proper pub with oak beams and a cosy feel. They even had a solo singer and guitarist on for the Saturday night but I don’t know if this is a regular thing as he also worked behind the bar. Not unless all the staff can sing, a bit like the Corrs. I suppose if they can they could call themselves the Coors.

They also have a local shop where they have a good range of the things you want and need and also a few hand-made and local goodies. We opted for the gingerbread and the handmade fudge with freddo chocolate. I am sure they were diet caramel freddo bars and diet butter went into the fudge probably, so it was ok to eat the full bar with a coffee.

You can get the perfect start to your day as just 2 minutes’ walk from the campsite is a café called Jaspers and they will sort you out with a nice breakfast before you begin your day of walking. Excuse the nibbles, I only remembered to take this photo after the egg dipped toast hit my grumbling belly.

We passed a restaurant in the main village called Ivy House and took a photo of the menu but as we didn’t end up going I can’t give any further information on our experience of the place. It is however another option for food and drink in close proximity from where you are staying. I think there may also be another pub in the village but we didn’t come across this.

The walks

Very handily the site has provided information on 3 walks all of varying levels of difficulty that are easy to get to from the campsite. We decided to do the hardest one and it was perfect to get a bit of a sweat on and feel like you had done some exercise for the day. For experienced hikers all of these walks are probably fairly tame but I am sure more challenging walking is available in the area.

The walk did pass an old mine area which was one of the last to operate in the UK and was still going in the early 90s. Not many people know that I was a minor in the early 90’s….. well I was 8!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

If you can’t be bothered to plan your weekend because your life is so busy and you have a campervan or a motorhome here is my plan for you at Braithwaite Village Campsite:

Friday:

  • Arrive in the afternoon.
  • Have a polite chat with the friendly man who used to live in the North East who takes you to your pitch.
  • Get set up and have a coffee.
  • Walk around the camp-site commenting on how well kept and clean it is.
  • Force yourself to go to the toilet just so you can tell your wife that the lads toilets are ‘proper clean as well’
  • Go back to your van and freshen up enough to look presentable but not overly dressed for a couple of pints in the Royal Oak.
  • Go back to your van early and have a settling in night with wine.

Saturday:

  • Wake up at a reasonable hour so you can make the most of the day.
  • Go to Jaspers for a proper cooked breakfast
  • Go for a 3 hour walk as per the instructions on the leaflet you got from the campsite.
  • Go back to your van and have a coffee a picky tea and maybe a cuddle / accidently fall asleep for a bit.
  • Wake up put some music on and get properly ready for another night in the Royal Oak.
  • Eat, drink and be merry all night.

Sunday:

  • Have a bit more of a lie in but not too long as you need to be off the site by 12.
  • Head into Keswick which isn’t far away for some breakfast.
  • Head home and remind yourself that if you want treats like this you have to work for them.

That’s it for this blog, It really was a cracking weekend away and highly recommend this camp-site.

These blogs are just a bit of fun and a quick way to give you an idea on a place to visit. If you or anybody you know is looking for VW Wedding Transport that is what we do, so check out our web-site www.cannycampers.co.uk or our socials @cannycampers on Instagram and Facebook.