Marvin's 2016 road trip around England / Wales

[Marvin16x]

Morning everyone,

isn't it lovely when you write a long text on your phone, even save it by copying it to the cache, and the next minute your phone freezes and restarts automatically and all is lost.
Happened to me yesterday morning when I woke up in my car somewhere near Rye, down south, and spent 30 minutes telling you how I was on my third road trip around England and Wales and how lucky I am with the weather.

I will stop here for now and continue writing via the app (I couldn't figure out how to create a new thread there).

 

[Marvin16x]

Back on the app and I hope that bloody S5 won't let me down this time.

I arrived in Dover on Friday at around 23.30 after having spent the entire day driving up from Stuttgart via Cologne, Holland, Belgium and France. Always glad when I leave the latter two behind, haha.
I booked the ferry just a day before for €58 and was supposed to be on the one departing at 23.15 but since I was early the friendly lady put me on the 21.40 one. Sweet as! The weather was already nice then and turned out to be even better once I woke up in some car park in portal town (as I like to call it), where I spent most of my first day sorting out stuff and enjoying the sun while eating some custom salad and sipping at a bottle of Old Golden Hen (don't tell anyone it was only 11 am then) that I had bought at Morrison's just before.

In the afternoon I went back to my car and took it to a beach between New Romney and Rye on this little peninsula that looks a bit like a thorn. I wanted as little people around me as possible and that's what I got there. The sun felt so good when I lay there on the caramel coloured stones, between plants of sea kale that looked so misplaced

After that I went to Rye and Rye Harbour Village where I spent my second night in the car. When I woke up, it was foggy and cloudy and rather chilly. Luckily it wasn't raining at all so I left shortly after and found myself checking out Beachy Head a while after, where it was extremely foggy as well unfortunately. But still it was a nice experience, and so was the cheeseburger I had afterwards at the kiosk.
I then decided to go northbound to catch the A272 at Uckfield and followed it until Midhurst where I went south again because I wanted to see the sunset (by that time it was perfectly sunny again!) at West Wittering beach. Worked out perfectly fine but I certainly didn't expect that place to be sooo crowded. Luckily most of the people had already left.

Before nightfall I had found a nice spot at the entrance of some seemingly abandoned field to park the car and get everything set up for the night.

And before I forget: I'm on my own this time! Felix is still busy with uni and since I couldn't wait for him to finish next week (and he doesn't even have enough time anyway) I decided to just go for it and see how it is. If it wasn't fun I could easily go back any time I wanted, I said to myself. But so far it feels great and reminds me a lot of my time in New Zealand.

So here I am, alive and happy somewhere south of Chichester not knowing where to go next. Might spend some more time in the South or just leave for Wales now where I'm looking to spend the majority of the time (I still have like 2 weeks left).
But first, I need to lose some liquid and have some breakfast in the morning sun.
I'll add pics frequently.

Have a good week everyone,
Marvin

 

[mattc]

Weather supposed to be really nice next week. Are you here until then.

 

[Rayny]

I hope that you have another great road trip this year.
If it's of any help - I just fond out that they allow wild camping on parts of Dartmoor -if you have a tent then it could save you a little beer money.

 

[lisa110rry]

Ooo! I love road trip stories. I even did it myself once back in 1999 in my Rav 4 with a tent in the back - up to Scotland, around Loch Lomond and on to Skye! Back across Scotland and down the east side to Hull (don't ask me why!)

Keep it coming please...

 

[BTB 500]

Hey, we were at West Wittering beach yesterday! We went down to the far end (as we had 5 of the dogs with us) and it was pretty quiet there. Have a great trip!

PS my wife's village is not that far from Stuttgart (Rutesheim, near Leonberg).

 

[Marvin16x]

Heya everyone,

can't believe it's already my 5th day on the road ... time flies when the weather is great and you're enjoying yourself, eh?
I've made it to Corfe Castle yesterday where I spent the evening climbing hills and taking pictures of the castle at sunset. When it got dark I left quickly and was lucky enough to find a nice parking bay just 5 minutes out on the way to Studland with a nice view over the area and Poole / Bournemouth.
This morning the alarm threw me out of bed at 5 am. Of course, it was proper cold as well (around 10C maybe).
About half an hour later I arrived at the Old Harry Rocks - out of breath but warmed-up and happy. It was magnificent to watch the red sun rise behind the calm sea, with the cliffs and rocks and seagulls being right before me. I spent about 3 hours discovering the jurassic cliffs before I headed back to the car park. I knew it was open from 9 am so had to hurry up since I didn't get a ticket in the morning. Took a different (wrong) path back and ended up crossing fields and fences where cows and sheep dwell and even passed a dying sheep which shocked me for a moment. It lay there on the ground, moving its legs restlessly with foam in his mouth and blood coming out of its, well, rear. Sorry for the details but I'm curious to know what happened to that poor fella :-( An unnecessary encounter on an otherwise peaceful morning.

I'm now at Kimmeridge enjoying the sun and calming down. It's been four nights of sleeping in the car so tonight I think I'd like to get some proper sleep, a shower and electricity to recharge my powerbank (one of the best things I've ever bought).

edit 3 hours later: just got back from a great walk around Kimmeridge with fantastic views. Now off to Poole or Bournemouth to find a cheap hostel for tonight! I had better be quick now

Summary so far:
Day 1: Stuttgart to Dover
Day 2: Dover to Rye
Day 3: Rye to West Wittering
Day 4: West Wittering to Corfe Castle
Day 5: Corfe Castle to ... ?

Some nice pics soon. Need to figure out a way to get them small enough for the forum

edit 10 mins later: just booked a bed in a brand new hostel in Bournemouth for 22 quid. gotta love the internet for stuff like that. :bannana:

 

[Marvin16x]

# Where I slept in Rye Harbour Village



# Comfy, sort of


# foggy Eastbourne coast on day 3


# Watched this fella going for a swim at Lymington (where I considered taking the ferry to IOW but Jesus, those prices)


# Spooky stuff


# Morning at Old Harry Rocks


# same


# me this morning at said rocks


# this afternoon at Kimmeridge. loved it!!

Hope it works.. otherwise..

 

[lisa110rry]

Well, you're certainly looking well groomed for someone who has slept in a car for four nights! Hope you feel truly refreshed after your hostel stay.

Have you given any thought to visiting the area of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads on one of your visits? Or perhaps you've already "ticked that off the list"?

 

[Marvin16x]

Morning everyone,
I'm now back in Weymouth after a great evening and night on the Isle of Portland where I took sunset pictures of the lighthouse and Pulpit Rock. When doing so I got to meet a super friendly man from Yorkshire who's been on the island for a few days also sleeping in his car. When I got back to the car park at 21.30 we met again and he moved his car to mine so we could sit there, talk and have some beer together. A great experience.
After that I followed him across the isle to his overnight spot I left about an hour ago. He should be on his way home by now as well.

The day before yesterday, after having explored the coast around Kimmeridge, I went to Bournemouth to stay in that aforementioned hostel. Felt good to finally take a shower and sleep in a proper bed again.
I got to meet a lad from Poland there and we decided to go out later that night. I don't know why (we were far from drunk, I just don't know really) we ended up in a strip club - I mean we were but looking for a proper pub! So 20 quid were wasted on some private dance that lasted for like 2 minutes. Of course they tried to get us into spending more and more. Cheeky bast4rds!

The following day, so yesterday, was a rather lazy one as I just didn't get enough sleep.

And now it's my 7th day on the road and I'm about to leave for Cornwall, although I am not so sure if it really is a good idea (holidays, weekend, heat wave). I might just go as far as Exmouth and see if I'll do it or skip it again and head straight for the Cotswolds and Wales.

Now I'm hungry. Time for some Digestives for starters


One more shot from the cliffs at Old Harry Rocks. Love the morning light so much


The workhorse. Now at 303.207 km. Occasional ticking noise from inside the valve cover. Might be the hydrotappets?


Portland Bill Lighthouse. Shot on the phone

@Lisa: Well I don't have proper facial hair anyway so it ain't an issue for me really And of course I try to keep looking kind of like a human being. People don't need to know at first sight that I'm some dirty traveller

And no I haven't really thought about going there at all. I might though on my way back to Dover (the plan is to go via Oxford and London so it would fit in there as one final treat before getting back to portal town).

I have, if I wanted to, about 2 weeks left. Should be enough to see a few more spots.

Cheers
Marvin

 

[WDB124066]

Well if you do go to Wales...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc3mc0igHzU

 

[lisa110rry]

That first shot with the wild flowers in the foreground is just lovely! The car is nice, too of course.

I'm very much enjoying this thread.

If you do decide to go to Norfolk/Suffolk try to visit Beccles or perhaps Potter Heigham or Oulton Broad. Wroxham would be another place to visit but more difficult to park I think. Possibly visiting a quieter place like Chedgrave or Rockland would be your thing? All these places are on the Broads and there will be boats to photograph containing happy holidaymakers.

Hope you ave a lovely day today, it's raining up here but meant to clear this afternoon.

 

[Mike Walker]

Good to hear that you are back in the UK again Marvin. Keep the posts going.

 

[StuartK]

Worth visiting Clifton suspension bridge in the way up and cheddar gorge.

 

[Marvin16x]

Morning folks,

I have now reached Plymouth after having spent the night, as always, in the car next to some pond somewhere south of Dartmouth. It was very peaceful and quiet, just me and the stars that I was gazing at before I fell asleep.

Now on Thursday I made my way from Weymouth to Ladram Bay (Exeter area). I stopped twice, once at Chesil beach where I did some sun bathing and walking around for a few hours in the lovely sunshine and again in Lyme Regis to have some Fish&Chips at the seafront. Pretty relaxing, too. But crowded and that's not really what I'm looking for


Chesil beach near Abbotbury

I was actually looking to spend the evening in Exmouth, but was glad that I only filled up the car there and went to Ladram Bay (where we've been last year already) instead. I passed the huge holiday park and left my car next to a farm at the end of the road. About half an hour later I found myself taking pics of the area from the top of the nearby hill (it's actually just a huge cliff on its eastern end and looks like a hill with trees and cornfields from the other side). The sunset was so incredible I managed to flatten the batteries of both my phone and camera Pics taken with the latter are far better.
Went back to the car afterwards and took it into Otterton where I had a fantastic Tribute pale ale at The King's Arms. I spent the night next to the farm.



Yesterday I tried to get up at 5 to get some sunrise shots of those beautiful red cliffs and rocks but I just couldn't be bothered at all (went to sleep to late). So I slept until 7.30 and had some oats and fruits for breakfast and talked to the lady who owns the farm, who was surprised about me being there (nobody had seen me before) but didn't mind at all. Nice.

The rest of the day was kind of wasted on getting to Exeter (Morrison's - I dig those salad bars!) and beyond. I mean the drive along the coastline was mostly beautiful but I should've avoided Torquay. But oh well, at least I can say I've seen it now. It's a nice place indeed but way too crowded). The traffic got better after Totnes so I managed to get to Blackpool Sands south of Dartmouth before sunset. Spent the rest of the day there exploring the rocky end of the beach and looking for a remote place to overnight.



Until yesterday noon I just couldn't decide whether to go further into Devon and Cornwall or just skip it again and save it for a another trip and have a great (and less stressful) time in southern Wales instead. I'll try to do it all now :bannana:


Salcombe this morning

Cheers for the comments and suggestions. I knew about Cheddar Gorge but forgot to mark it on the map. Definitely a must-see.

Now it's noon and Plymouth's cowered in fog. Where's the heat wave that was promised?

Marvin

 

[Marvin16x]

Morning guys,

where was I? oh yeah, so on Sunday the sky above Plymouth cleared up and it was sunny and warm again. I did a walk around that little hill by the coastline and then got into my car again to head for Dartmoor. I wasn't really looking to go there I have to admit so I just drove down a few roads and stopped for (some nice) pictures. A very interesting place altough there ain't much to see. The golden light of the evening sun was magic and made for some nice shots as well.



I slept in the car somewhere near Widecombe in the Moor.



The next morning I got up at 6 and it was bloody cold. I quickly got my stuff together and left for a fantastic morning drive through the Moor when there was hardly anybody else around, just a few animals roaming the roads.



When I came around a tight corner I saw something on the ground. It was a purse that someone had lost. There was a fair amount of money in it that I took, but don't tell anyone! Nah, just kidding. I looked through it to find a phone number but there was none. However, fortunately, I found the address of this chap on his ID. Teignmouth it said... so I went there. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and since I had plenty of time I thought why not make their day and bring it to them personally? I did so and the lady clearly was utterly surprised about it. Her husband had forgot it on the roof of the car before it fell down, she told me.
She gave me the 10 quid that were in the purse and a few hugs. Everybody was happy now so I went off and took the west-east-route through Dartmoor from Ashburton to Tavistock. This drive was a pain in the buttt though because we had a super anxious female driver in her tiny Corsa leading our queue and she did not once think about getting off the road for just 20 seconds to let everybody else pass. I honestly dislike people of that sort a lot. And if you have to get some driving practice, why the hell on a Sunday morning at 11.30? It was already busy then. When finally on top of the moor, I let the 132 horses do their job and take me far away from that struggle (you know going uphill around bends at 5-10 mph and even slower was really demanding for my car's engine, clutch and gearbox. It just isn't fun at all then.

Anyway. After that I was in mighty Cornwall all of a sudden and took the coastal route along Whitsand Bay and ended up in Looe, a very nice seaside town, where I first had a lovely pizza and then enjoyed some fine ale at the beach.



Just before sunset I continued to Polperro and parked my car on some field that wasn't "closed". A while later a man drove by, stopped, reversed and got out of his car. He approached me so I went to him and we talked for a bit. His cousin was the owner of that field but he said it were alright for me to stay there for the night. I just needed to help him close those gates for there were sheep around and the gate had been forgotten earlier that day. So I slept there and got up before 6 the next morning to explore the small village of Polperro. The morning light was superb and made for some nice shots again.



After that I went to Polruan and went for the brilliant coast walk to Lantic Bay which is an absolutely beautiful place.



In the evening I got to a nice camping site near St Austell where I could finally have a shower again. I didn't want to sleep in the car again, but neither did I want to put up that tent (I haven't used it at all yet)... So I just slept next to the car under the clear sky full of stars In the distance you could hear bangs which were probably the fireworks of that festival in Plymouth.

The next day, so yesterday I managed to get a few of my devices recharged in the reception before I left at 11. Went to St Mawes and took the King Harry ferry for 6 pounds soon after. Near Falmouth I stopped at a Navy airfield to watch some Sea Kings and other helicopters land and depart. Was pretty awesome. When I sat there on the roof of my car I could even see a trainer jet take-off. Gotta love that sound!
After a little walk from Helford to Bosahan Cove I finally got to Lizard Point. Cooked some pasta there before I headed out to get some nice shots of the rocks and cliffs. 30 mins into taking pictures I met a German couple - both could have been my parents age-wise - whom I talked to for the rest of the eve whilst we sat on a big rock just by the cliff edge. That was extremely nice.
At 10 I finally got back to my car which was the only one left in the car park and took it to a field just outside of Lizard village. Easy.



Today I would like to see St Michael's Mount, Land's End and a few other nice bits around the western end. But right now it's overcast and windy so I might just have a lazy day and write postcards finally and charge up my phone somewhere.

I wrote that stuff this morning in the car.
Later that day I went to foggy Kynance Cove which is another incredible place.



Spent a few hours there, then went straight up to Helston to figure out where I was going to stay tonight and how I was supposed to get the batteries recharged. Glad I asked on the forum because soon after the lovely coupe man from Penzance told me to come over so I could have the stuff charged over night.

It then started to rain and I found myself on the Morrisons car park. About an hour later it had stopped so I left for the coast and was pleasantly suprised when I saw St Michael's Mount right before me. I finally had supper and once the castle was illuminated I could take some nice pics of it with the moon shining through the scattered night sky.

I'll now try to squeeze in between the lorries that are parked here so nobody's going to notice me hopefully

 

[Charles Morgan]

Wonderful, carry on enjoying your trip. If you are returning via the M25 you are welcome to pop in to Iver, phone charging, shower and bed available!

 

[Druk]

Good story with the purse Marvin, appreciate reading that.

Carry on young man; for some reason the pics are getting better to see. The early ones had a load of spam attached but these are great

 

[lisa110rry]

Just catching up on your travels Marvin, and very interesting they are! When you mentioned Ladram Bay I was sent back in time. My son took his first steps there...34 years ago!

 

[Druk]

Never mind all this England stuff Marv. Up here they're sleeping in the streets now. This today at the Edinburgh Festival. All you need is a camp bed or a deckchair. You just have to pray the greyhound has had a pee lately.

:bannana: