Yorkshire Dampervan Tour, Sept 2025
Day One.
We hit the road at 8 AM, ready for our Yorkshire adventure, and to our pleasant surprise, the journey unfolded smoothly. After a quick pit stop at Cobham Services on the M25 and a brief break for lunch at Cherwell Services on the M40, we arrived at the Warwick racecourse CaMC site right on the dot at 1 PM.
Instead of diving straight into setting up the campervan, we decided to indulge our curiosity and stroll into the city. Myrtle had spotted that a market was taking place today, and we couldn’t resist checking it out. We didn’t linger too long, but we enjoyed a leisurely browse and even popped into the tourist information centre to grab a city trail booklet. On our way back to the campsite, we detoured to Sainsbury’s to grab some bacon we had somehow forgotten.
Once back at the campsite, we faced a few heavy downpours that had us scrambling to set up the awning and camp kitchen in between the rain bursts. Myrtle whipped up a steak pie using the RidgeMonkey, which we paired with fried tinned potatoes, tinned peas and carrots.
We spent the rest of the evening reading inside the van, it was too damp, and the wind was making it chilly to sit outside, which was a shame.
Day Two
Woke up this morning to a brilliant blue sky as the sun was just tipping over the horizon, casting a golden glow, although there was a brisk chill in the air thanks to the breeze. We started the day with a warm bowl of porridge topped with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.
Armed with the Warwick town trail booklet we had snagged yesterday, we set off to uncover 21 locations rich in history. We decided to skip the castle tour—overpriced and now more of a theme park under Merlin Entertainment's umbrella, which also manages Alton Towers. Instead, we admired the castle from a distance, capturing a few photos as we strolled down Castle Hill towards St. Nicholas Park. There, we treated ourselves to coffee and a toasted tea cake.
Unfortunately, it seemed most shops in town had their doors closed today, with only a couple of bric-a-brac stores, cafes, and pubs still open. No matter! We found our favourite lunch of jacket potatoes loaded with cheese and beans before I ventured to conquer the 160 narrow, winding steps of St. Mary’s Church tower. The views from the top were absolutely worth the climb!
On our way back to the campsite, we made a pitstop at Sainsbury’s to grab some supplies, including a few bottles of beer and a Gin & Tonic for Myrtle. As we strolled back, the breeze picked up, and a gentle rain shower surprised us, reminding us of the unpredictable British weather.
Once settled in the van, we spent a cosy couple of hours diving into our books and indulging in ice cream from the campsite shop.
As evening fell, we whipped up Italian-style sausage pasta for dinner, paired with my beer and Myrtle’s delightful Gin & Rhubarb.
Day Three
We had had another unexpectedly good journey from Warwick to the stunning Yorkshire Dales, where we set up camp at the Wharfedale CaMC site near Grassington. We stopped at the Tibshelf services off the M1, and Guielsley just after Bradford, to grab some stick-on magnets for the CaMC site plaques—Myrtle was on a mission!
As we entered the Yorkshire Dales, heavy rain showers began to make their presence known, so we dodged the downpours while pitching the van and getting everything ready for our two-night stay. The campsite itself is nestled in a secluded spot that feels like a hidden gem. Plus, there is a café and pub just a short stroll away in the adjacent holiday static caravan and chalet park.
Day Four
After a rather restless night, punctuated by sporadic rain showers tapping against the dampervan’s roof, we woke to a beautiful morning. The early mist was gradually lifting, revealing the landscape that promised a delightful day ahead. The weather forecast hinted at mostly sunny skies, with just a few clouds lazily drifting by and a gentle breeze to keep things comfortable.
Once we had breakfast and freshened up with showers, we made our way back to the main road to catch the bus to Grassington. Of course, the bus decided to roll right into the campsite entrance—classic! We could have saved our furry friend a walk if we’d only known.
Grassington, a historic gem nestled in the Yorkshire Dales, greeted us with its quaint stone buildings and charming cobbled square, independent shops, cosy cafes, and galleries. It was also the picturesque backdrop for "Darrowby" in the Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small.
We strolled around the village, exploring the shops, some of which were closed for the day. After a few hours of wandering, we made our way to the National Park Visitor Centre and then headed down to Linton Falls. Here, the River Wharfe cascaded dramatically through the channels, one of the easternmost features of the Craven Fault.
We returned to the village for a drink and indulged in some ice cream before we picked up a few supplies and hopped back on the bus to our campsite.
Day Five
The weather today was more unsettled, with some heavy but short rain showers. We moved from the Wharfdale CaMC site to the Hawes CaMC site today, but first, we travelled back to Skipton to pick up some supplies. There are no large supermarkets at Hawes; the nearest is in Kendal, which would be a 50-mile round trip!
We travelled to Hawes via Aysgarth and stopped to view Aysgarth Falls, which are a triple flight of waterfalls, Upper Force, Middle Force and Lower Force, carved out by the River Ure over an almost one-mile stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale. The frequency of the period between the rain showers was getting longer, and the sun made an appearance in between the downpours.
We arrived at the campsite bang on 1 pm, after a short detour through town. A new experience for us was the quick check electronic ANPR system for members who had already paid the full pitch fee in advance. We quickly found a pitch that suited Myrtle and set up in between two short showers, had a quick lunch and went to explore the site.
Day Six
This morning, we kicked off our adventure in the stunning Hawes, perched at the head of Wensleydale and known as England's highest market town! It is also home to the Wensleydale Creamery and its famous cheeses, beloved of Wallace & Gromit.
The highlight of our Yorkshire Dampervan Trip was Myrtle's quest to embark on the DCI Harry Grimm walking tour. She had downloaded the Harry Grimm walking Tour PDF. The trail features two routes: the circular walk marked in blue, a 1-mile jaunt, and the red trail to Gayle, adding another half-mile
While the walk usually takes about 35-40 minutes, we couldn't resist a pit stop at the Wensleydale Creamery. How could we not? We wandered through the gift shop, sampling the cheese paired with fruit cake at the café.
We popped into the Fountain Inn to secure a table for dinner. Myrtle posed for a photo in Harry’s corner—a special tribute to the author who grew up in the area and immortalised the pub in his books. He even made the landlady a character in his latest tale.
Before winding back at the Dampervan, we explored the local shops, snagging a couple of gilets and a few other items. And of course, we loaded up on pies and cakes for lunch back at the van.
Day Seven
We set out this morning for a day trip to Leyburn, hopping onto a local public transport minibus. First, we tried the outdoor shop where we had scored our Gilets the day before. Myrtle was eager to swap the green waxed hat she had purchased for a blue or black one. Unfortunately, despite it being advertised to open at 9 am, the shop was still closed when we needed to catch our bus at 9:17 am.
The bus ride was just over an hour of winding through the countryside, with stops in charming small villages to pick up the locals. Upon arriving in Leyburn, we sought out a café for a second breakfast, fueling up before exploring the town. Sadly, Leyburn didn’t quite live up to its reputation. Though touted as a bustling market town brimming with independent shops and cafes, we found it lacked the charm of Hawes, which, in our opinion, had much more to offer.
By 2:35 pm, we hopped back on the bus to Hawes, where Myrtle successfully exchanged her hat and treated herself to a pair of hiking thermal leggings. I almost caved and bought a thick cotton hiking shirt to complement my Gilet, but in the end, I resisted the temptation.
Returning to our campervan, we began the process of packing up, preparing for our move to the Knaresborough campsite the following day. Afterwards, we strolled back into town to indulge in some fish and chips for dinner.
Day Eight
We moved from Hawes to the Knaresborough CaMC site today, with a slight detour to Catrick Garrison. We needed a Pets at Home store, and this was the nearest one, to pick up some foot boots for Fluffy, who had been dragging her foot and had made it bleed and sore. We also called into Sainsbury’s in Harrogate to fill up the fuel tank.
We arrived in Knaresborough at 12 p.m. First, we found a cafe for lunch as we could not check in until 1 p.m.
My youngest daughter, her partner and two granddaughters arrived just as we were in the middle of setting up camp. After we had finished, we walked the two miles into Knaresborough town, what a disappointment, it was run down and dingy, from the river and viaduct it looks lovely as well.
We wandered around for an hour before catching the bus back to the campsite, where we sat in the on-site cafe bar and ordered some food. After my daughter and family had left, we sat in the van reading for the rest of the evening.
Day Nine
Today, we took a lovely walk along the riverside and around the castle with my eldest daughter #1 of 3. The contrast between the pretty tranquil riverside and buildings and the town was striking. The path along the riverbank offers beautiful views of the historic Knaresborough, which rises gracefully from the Nidd gorge, with remnants of ancient woodland lining the opposite side. It's a peaceful spot where boats are available for hire.
The castle, which served as a stronghold for medieval kings, sits atop a high cliff, offering dramatic panoramas of the nearby viaduct and the River Nidd below. Adjacent to the castle, Bedra Gardens is also a destination worth exploring.
We could not be bothered to cook tonight, so we took advantage of the on-site cafe bar before we got the van ready for moving on to Scarborough in the morning. Before we turned in, we logged onto the internet to purchase better boots for Fluffy from that well-known online emporium to be delivered the next day to the Post Office at West Ayton near our next campsite.
Day Ten
Moved from Knaresborough to Scarborough West Ayton CaMC site today, we travelled the scenic route across the North Yorkshire Moors via a short visit to Whitby & Robin Hoods Bay. We drove past the section of the Moors that had been on fire between Robin Hood's Bay & Scarborough. We could see some smoke rising in places, and a couple of fire engines were stationed in a lay-by just in case.
We called into Aldi to pick up some more groceries in Scarborough. After we had checked in and while Myrtle set up the awning and kitchen, I walked back into the village to the post office to pick up the Amazon package we had delivered there with Flufffy’s doggie hiking booties. I walked back to the campsite via the Public footpath past the derelict castle that overlooked the village. We had home-made burgers and chips for dinner, and sat outside in the warm sunshine watching the sun go down.
Day Eleven
A day trip down memory lane today, to Scarborough South beach, I used to come here regularly in the Summer with daughters 1, 2 & 3 in the 1980s and 90s. The last time I was here was with Myrtle when we spent a week at Filey back in 2004. Scarbouorough was glorious today, the weather was perfect, we rode the funicular down to the seafront and spent the day wandering up and down the promenade, stopping for a good wander around the harbour. Before returning to the campsite, we had a wander around the town centre, it was nice to see that it was being regenerated; in 2004, it was deserted with most of the shops closed in a lot and left a lot to be desired, like a lot of our traditional seaside towns.
Day Twelve
Moved from Scarborough to Clumber Park CaMC site in Nottinghamshire, via a side trip to Lincoln. Last site move for this trip, two nights here and then back home to reality.
We parked just outside at one of the park and ride facilities and caught the bus into the city centre, where we spent a couple of hours wandering around the cobbled streets and shops in the cathedral quarter. We picked up some posh sausage rolls and cakes for tonight's dinner, along with a bottle of Batemans IPA to go with our dinner tomorrow.
Bleeding typically as soon as we had set up camp, unwound the cassette awning and set up our chairs, it started to rain quite heavily and prolonged, and the wind was picking up intensity, we decamped into the van for the rest of the evening and night.
Day Thirteen
We had a lazy lay-in this morning, and it was needed! We made porridge with mixed berries and honey for breakfast, and after we had cleaned up, we walked through the woods to the National Trust visitors centre and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon wandering around the park and grounds. Clumber Park is a country park in The Dukeries near Worksop in the civil parish of Clumber and Hardwick, Nottinghamshire, England. The estate, which was the seat of the Pelham-Clintons, Dukes of Newcastle, was purchased by the National Trust in 1946. The main house was demolished in 1938 after being damaged by several fires.
Thankfully, the weather stayed fine, although the wind was quite blustery and with some high gusts. We sat outside for a while until it got a wee bit windy, wound the cassette awning in, dismantled and packed the chairs away, just before we had a heavy downpour of rain.
As it was our last night, we had what has become a tradition, cold cuts, a selection of cheeses, and locally bought artisancrusty bread, all in the warmth of the dampervan whilst the promised high winds that was blowing a holiie outside.
Comments
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Thanks for taking the trouble to write the Blog and some excellent photographs as well. All familiar territory although unlike you we have been to those places but over several visits.
David
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