Good afternoon, we’re just checking in for a quick update on our spring travels. Although looking out of Vince’s bleary windscreen I’d be hard pressed to describe the weather as spring-like. Still, a rainy interlude gives me time to tell you about our Roman Ramble and post some pics of what we’ve been up to since we last spoke.
Our Boroughbridge stopover has been a pleasant one, although the site’s facilities are still closed as per government guidelines. Our pitch was flat and Vince’s water hose managed to reach a nearby filling point which is always a bonus. When running low on other sites we’re always faced with the choice of either battening everything down and driving to a fill point, or rolling out the barrel (our 40 litre barrel) and filling up the fresh water using a transfer pump. We usually go with the second option which isn’t as much work as it sounds. We’re going through much more water than normal as we have to use Vince’s broom-cupboard shower while facilities are closed. It’s perfectly fine but by golly you have to be quick! There isn’t a lot of hot water so it can get a bit er… bracing towards the end.
Exploring the town, it was good to see that the big chains hadn’t yet invaded. There were no McDonalds or Subway fast food outlets, rather it was a mix of local businesses and charity shops. All very clean and quaint with the added benefit of a car park with two motorhome slots. These can be used overnight for a voluntary £5 charity donation. So refreshing to see and duly noted for a future visit.
The main event for this stop was a walk we’d found online described as a Roman Ramble. This was a circular amble from the town square, along the banks of the River Ure and back through the village of Aldborough.
The walk from the campsite into Boroughbridge led us past a posh car showroom full of Porsches, Range Rovers and top-end BMW’s. We took the cost of the most expensive car we’ve ever owned, doubled it, and still couldn’t match the cheapest car on the forecourt! Having said that, the bank holiday weekend has delayed this month’s Premium Bond draw results so you never know… We can always dream.
Somebody once said there’s no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes. So having donned exactly the wrong clothes we set off on the first part of the walk along the river bank. It absolutely lashed down with rain, leaving us gently steaming for the rest of the journey. As somebody else almost said – Magnus Magnusson I think – we’ve started so we’ll finish, so we did.
If you wanted to find a quintessentially English Miss Marple-type country village, Aldborough is it. It has a village green with its maypole on standby, beautiful sandstone and red brick houses with immaculate gardens, a memorial in tribute to the young crew of a Lancaster bomber which ditched nearby in WW2 and a Roman Museum. The museum celebrates Aldborough’s 2nd century Roman origins when it was originally called Isurium Brigantium. Inevitably it was closed, sigh. But I suppose that gives us another reason to return for a future visit.
The rain made a further appearance as we strolled back into Boroughbridge. Naturally all the cafés were closed too so we found shelter under the awning of the local baker. Who just happened to make the best bacon rolls in the area – maybe it’s something to do with the oven-fresh bread. Whilst munching we were treated to the spectacle of many shoppers trying to parallel park in a narrow, busy high street. There were kerbings, swearings, altercations and the way some people were happy to walk off and leave the car a metre away from the kerb filled me with horror. Clearly my fifteen years as a driving instructor were wasted!
Our next stop is an hour or so up the A1, Barnard Castle. I shall save all the eye test gags until next time, what a treat!
See you then 😀
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