North of England camping trip for French family this July – tips sought please

Afternoon STW. I’ve just booked Eurotunnel for me and the kids to come over from France just after they break up from school this summer, about three weeks before British kids, from what I can see. I mostly grew up in London and Dorset, so my children have seen a fair bit of those, plus intermediary spots and a glimpse of the West Country. This summer I want to explore further north with them, much of which I don’t know myself – my chief experience was a 2003-2004 Masters degree in Sheffield, which I loved. I’d like to leave Scotland to another holiday/s due to vastness but don’t recall even having seen Hadrian’s Wall or Lindisfarne myself. So, we might drive straight up Berwick way, or over two days, then wend our way back down, 9th-23rd July. Of course, I have my priorities, namely a Cotic demo on 12th July, but I envisage a gentle-paced history+amusement trip for the three of us. Any special recommendations? York/Jorvik is on the list.
Trying to keep costs down, we’re camping. My kids haven’t done much of it and I’m keen on the more rustic sites, showers and bogs but not much else. Is it worth joining the Camping and Caravanning club for a two week holiday? Does that give discounts on most campsites or only their own? I’m not sure if we’ll bring our bikes? I’ve booked a longer space on Eurotunnel but the main issue is security whilst camping/visiting.
So STW, plan our trip please! I cannot wait to drink some proper beer!

Or you could go in the Alpes, Pyrénées, Massif Central, Spain etc…

We’re going to the Alps and Massif Central for late July And August. I’ve got 9 weeks paid leave don’t you know!

https://www.meadowhead.co.uk/parks/waren/

https://www.springhill-farm.co.uk/caravan-site/

https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/northumberland/chathill/beadnell-bay-camping-and-caravanning-club-site/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=BeadnellBay&utm_campaign=google_places

Should hit some of your needs.

I stayed here a couple of weeks ago. Hard to fault it (so long as you don’t mind Death By Passive Aggressive Notices). It’s a flat field, clean loos with cold and cold running water, a shower I didn’t use, and couple of decent pubs in walking distance. Noise curfew is 10:30 so you don’t get pissed idiots raising hell in the small hours of the morning. £6/person/night. My heart sank a little when a DoE expedition turned up, but they were fairly quiet and well behaved, and buggered off early the next day.

https://chapelhousefarmcampsite.co.uk/

Mildly uninteresting aside: I was somewhat taken aback to be greeted by name when I walked into the pub. Turns out the new barman is a guy I used to work with and, up until then, thought I still did. He’d holidayed there a couple of months back, thought “bugger this” when he got home again and moved there permanently a few weeks later.

just after they break up from school this summer, about three weeks before British kids, from what I can see.

English kids maybe.

Scottish schools break up at the start of July

Scottish schools break up at the start of July

22nd July for Northumberland schools.

Some nice tips there chaps. Chapel House looks incredible, detour-worthy just for the campsite. I think I prefer the CCC offering in the Bamburgh area, and it seems that membership pays for itself within about 4 nights.

So what are we thinking on bikes? I have a Skoda Octavia with a tow bar rack. My kids’ll be 9 & 11 so we can do some cycling but nothing gnarly and not everyday. Worth the b@ll@che of locking three bikes in the boot every time we want to visit anything? And I just noticed, if we’re near Berwick I’ll be morally obliged to visit Swarf at Peebles, for a fair comparison with Cotic. I’m stopping by BTR on another trip in two weeks.

Scottish kids on holiday same time as us, must be the Auld Alliance.

You could always hire bikes in the Lakes for a few days. I wouldn’t want to leave anything decent on the roof, or TBH on view in the back in a carpark in York, or any other major town.

PS Jorvik is overpriced and outdated as attractions go…if you’re going to Peebles, spend the day in Edinburgh instead.

Thanks Martin. I was last in York (as a Saxon reenactor as it happens) in about 2002. Has it not been updated since then. About £30 to visit for the three of us according to the website.

Don’t know about since 2002. But we went a couple of years ago and it seemed pretty much the same as I remember it from a decade earlier. I wasn’t overly impressed, but with your background, it sounds like you’d still get plenty from it though.

Train museum in York looks worth a visit.

https://www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/

I visited the UK last year. Some unforgetable moments were had in:

The Bullring, Birmingham; Leicester; Asda Superstore, Shirley (sorry we can’t help you, all the badges for the car chargers have been stolen); Romford, this deserves a special mention as we spent half a day there when it turned out the EV charge point was only 3kW, oh what fun we had, nice toilets and helpful people in the Nissan dealership made up for other disappointments.

https://www.bullring.co.uk/news/welcome-to-grand-central
http://fosseshoppingpark.co.uk/shops/
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-33892621
And glorious Romford:

Bloody hell so the UK is great after all.

Chapel House looks incredible, detour-worthy just for the campsite.

The only minor embuggerance with it is you’ve to basically drive to Keswick and then double-back on yourself for 20 minutes to get to the place. It’s a beautiful drive though, I expect it’ll be glorious in July. When I arrived it wasn’t, it was so dark and ominously thunderous that I think I saw a couple of Hobbits chucking a ring in a fire on the way down, but it was lovely for the rest of the weekend.

Derwentwater is a nice walk and not too far, there’s an NT car park halfway down. It’s not all that manicured in places, sensible footwear would be advisable. We walked to Keswick and then got the boat back, they run on the hour every hour I believe. Pro tip, buy the tickets from the guy on the boat, it’s cheaper than at the booking shack next to it.

Oh, and the only mobile phone carrier you’ll get reception with down there is Vodafone (had to be one place on Earth where that happens I guess).

You can cheekily jump onto the guest Wi-Fi at the Scafell Hotel if you stand in the right place outside, PM me for the password.

@CTK, nice call, and it’s free!

@Edukator, what can I say. I’m burning plankton.