I have major post holiday blues so I’m looking forward to the prospect of a weekend away in the camper van on the bank holiday weekend.
Will anywhere be relatively quiet? Sounds like it might be like the moon on a stick. I live in Bristol so sadly Scotland is out of the question.
However, I have a meeting in Teesport on Tuesday 28th so Northumberland might be a good option. If we promise to be quiet can anyone recommend any nice spots? (We don’t have kids).
I would try mid Shropshire, around the much Wenlock area. We had a very quiet time there over bh camping a few years ago. Shropshire is generally off the tourist trails so most of it will be quiet I reckon.
anywhere more than 500m from a carpark, most of the UK are obese and lazy so will not walk too far for a sit down and an ice cream.
i went walking on the lizard peninsular and hardly met anyone on the coastal path, the cafes and carparks were rammed with waddlers though.
Warrington.
Upper Teesdale. As much emptiness as you crave.
Perfect for you.
All brilliant answers - thank you. Warrington it is!
Much as I love the Lizard (I grew up a few miles away), it’s the drive down there that puts me off. My mum is already complaining that “Cornwall is full”... 😬😄
Shropshire and Teesdale both great options - thank you.
Redcar. Will be handy for your meeting. Plenty of beach side parking for your van and lively local hostelries nearby.
Alternatively, North York Moors is one if the quietest NPs in my experience if you avoid the coastal hot spots.
😂
Warrington it is?! Have you ever been there?🤮
anywhere more than 500m from a carpark, most of the UK are obese and lazy so will not walk too far for a sit down and an ice cream.
i went walking on the lizard peninsular and hardly met anyone on the coastal path, the cafes and carparks were rammed with waddlers though.
If only that were true, I could walk up to Helvellyn via Striding edge on a bank holiday without it feeling like I'm queuing at the post office :-). To be fair, that is obviously a pinch point, but I basically don't bother going to anywhere remotely popular on a Bank holiday anymore.
Northumberland will not be as quiet as it use to be but relatively speaking it will be but it's shit.
Another vote for Redcar or Saltburn.
Your work meeting is over the Tees Estuary, 20’ish mins drive (might be longer on Tues Morn rush hour)
And you’ve got the NYMoors out of your rear view mirror.
Saltburn beach might be busy, but worth going becuse some great chip shops, leave Whitby alone it’ll be rammed. Redcar and visit Pacettos for a lemon top ice cream!!
Or on your way up head to Pately Bridge on the Yorkshire Dales (1/2hr from Harrogate)
Or come to the farm (Nr Harrogate) and clean our cattle shed out (about 4hrs work, hope you don’t mind cow shit)
The Gare is awesome, even better for that fact that the old steel works are decaying before your eyes.
If you want quiet & Northumberland ..head to Upper Coquetdale in The Cheviots ..Rothbury would be the closest village ..then from there head for Alwinton ( great pub ..Rose & Thistle ) ..then onwards following the river Coquet .
You won't be entirely people free ..but you won't see too many .
Drac - that poster is misleading. The sand washed away last winter.
The Gare is awesome, even better for that fact that the old steel works are decaying before your eyes.
Depends on your definition of 'awesome'. I took a busload of kids on a school trip to Redcar before the schools broke up & it was canny busy. (I parked up on the Gare)
Pateley could be ok, with good riding if you fancy.
Or you could park in our drive in Boroughbridge, giving easy access to the NYM, Dales, York, Harrogate etc.
The Redcar area isn't a bad call - although Redcar itself is a bit depressing. +1 for a Pacitto's Lemon Top.
Maybe head a bit further north towards Hartlepool. Again a depressing place, but stick south around the Seaton Carew area and there are some nice walks, etc along the beach.
Drac – that poster is misleading. The sand washed away last winter.
Naa, it's back, I saw some people spiced up on it last month.
Warrington it is?! Have you ever been there?
Yes - I was joking! 😂
Much as I love the Lizard (I grew up a few miles away), it’s the drive down there that puts me off. My mum is already complaining that “Cornwall is full”…
I was driving back from Cornwall, St Austell, Helston, The Lizard, etc, several times a week for most of the last two years, having been driven down there earlier in the day, and I much preferred it to driving up to Manchester, or driving back from Eastbourne or Wimbledon. It’s just parts of the M5 around W-s-M, Taunton and Exeter, where the migrating flocks of emmets and grockles lose all reason and road sense.
Yes I would agree with that. I think living in Bristol and witnessing the regular carnage around junctions 18-22 make me fear it. Also getting out of central Bristol on a Friday can be a total ballache.
It is also true to say that, compared to 20 or 30 years ago, the A30 is now a really awesome driving road if you like to put your foot down a bit.
Much as I love the Lizard (I grew up a few miles away), it’s the drive down there that puts me off.
truro to the lizard is bad enough....
although cornwall does seem even more mental than usual this summer.
What about Rhayader? Mid-Wales is empty on a busy day so you'll enjoy it.
It does leave you with a long drive on Monday though
Another Much Wenlock vote here, and there's a great campsite a mile or so's walk into town. We stayed there at the May bank holiday:
North Pennines to Northumbria - I bet it is half empty.
Surely Brecon type area of Wales won't be too busy.
Girlfriend and I just had a really relaxed, enjoyable weeks holiday near Alston.
Lots of amazing walks up on the moors, several geological trails nearby and, if you are so inclined, the road cycle up over Hardgate to Penrith (fantastic but sadly the cafe at the top burned down a wee while back). Didn't have the MTBs with us but there's probably plenty of routes locally too.
