I am not looking for a recommendation of a specific site but more a recommendation of an area that might suit us.
My husband, who is in his late 70s, is getting to the point where towing is losing its appeal. We have been toying with going seasonal for a while now but can’t find just what we want so, as a compromise for 2026, he has said that he is happy to tow the caravan but only to a single site where we will stay for the duration of our holiday.
We normally have 3 main breaks a year, two that last two weeks and one that lasts three weeks, so ideally, I am looking for 3 different areas where we will find enough to do to keep us busy for either two or three weeks. Up until now, we have only stayed for around one week on a site and then moved on. The last 2 years we have gone to Norfolk which has been ideal and would work perfectly for a longer stay, however, I would like to try somewhere different. We have ruled out Cornwall as the journey there and back (from Liverpool) does not appeal to my husband, so I am looking for recommendations of areas where there is plenty to do for a two/three week holiday if we were to find a site and stay put for the full 2 or 3 weeks.
We are members of the National Trust and Historic Houses and enjoy walking (as long as it’s not up too many big hills) and sight seeing. I am just worried that we might end up bored after a couple of weeks in the one place.
Any ideas for locations would be very welcome.
------------- Pixie
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I do not know what is to do and to see in the area, apart from Sandbanks and buses to go to Swanage etc.; however, they have many regulars who return year after year (I get to know some of them).
DK
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My passion is the Lake District, I'm now of an age where the high fells are probably beyond my fitness, and a reluctance to venture into 'wilderness' on my own, well with my dog, but she is knocking on a bit too. But there are plenty of low level walks, for instance around lake shores, and the larger lakes have ferry/pleasure cruisers, so you can sail one way and walk the other to do a 'round trip'.
The region is steeped in history back to Roman times and beyond, a lot of mining for minerals and some museums that tell the story, like the Keswick Pencil Museum where the local graphite started the pencil industry. Quite a lot of literary figures like Wordsworth, Ruskin, Beatrix Potter etc. have left a significant mark, and attractions tell their story. Of course, Donald Campbell and Bluebird have left a lasting legacy that is currently booming, as Bluebird has returned to Coniston and is being prepared for live runs on the lake from next year.
Of course you don't have to 'do anything', you can spend a lot of time just marvelling at the stunning scenery and relaxing in the tranquillity.
Apart from the regular transport bus services, there are tourist buses doing sightseeing tours! A drive along allegedly the steepest road in Europe (1 in 4 for sure, possibly 1 in 3!) over Hardnott Pass (stop off and look at the ruins of the Roman Fort, and ponder life in such a harsh place!) is always good to test your nerve!
A lot to do if you look. Each valley tends to have it's own character, the stark bleakness of Wastwater could not be more different to say the lushness of Derwentwater. Not too many caravan sites to choose from, as you really wouldn't want to try dragging caravans over the passes, but some are not tricky to access, and have great locations like the shore of Coniston water or Derwentwater. Under 3 hours drive from Liverpool to many sites.
Another favourite of mine is the Peak District, perhaps a little more walking based along the Dales and less generally 'touristy' with limited attractions, but still has it's appeal. Around a 2 hour drive from Liverpool.
I'm rather biased in what appeals to me, I try and escape people (I live in London and see more than my fair share everyday!) and seek more natural attractions and tranquillity, so may not be your 'thing'.
Just a thought - does your husband do all the towing?
If so, have you thought of sharing the driving with him?
It really isn't that difficult, if you already can drive! You can always do one of the Club towing courses if you need a bit of extra confidence.
We try not to tow for more than 100 -120 miles at a time, and share that between us, aiming for no more than an hour and a half per shift!
If only one of us towed, we certainly wouldn't be having the trips we do now, in the UK and abroad.
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Quote: Originally posted by bofs on 14/9/2025
Just a thought - does your husband do all the towing?
If so, have you thought of sharing the driving with him?
It really isn't that difficult, if you already can drive! You can always do one of the Club towing courses if you need a bit of extra confidence.
We try not to tow for more than 100 -120 miles at a time, and share that between us, aiming for no more than an hour and a half per shift!
If only one of us towed, we certainly wouldn't be having the trips we do now, in the UK and abroad.
One of the reasons we don't go quite so far these days is the fact that I do all the driving as my wife has never driven. At one time, as a coach driver, I used to do huge distances in a day, but now in my mid to late 70s 2 to 3 hours driving is quite enough for one day. I might occasionally stretch to 4 hours if it's somewhere we particularly want to go. I try not to drive after dark either, if I can help it.
We always get drawn back to Shropshire/Herefordshire as not that far from us. Plenty of NT houses/gardens in the area, black and white houses around Leominster/Pembridge. Shropshire Hills around Church Stretton.
Morris Leisure site at Ludlow a lovely site and a central base.
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What about Warwickshire? You could base yourselves near Stratford, plenty of sites to suit all tastes and pockets (Ingon Bank CL is good), plenty to see in Stratford apart from the obvious, then you have Warwick, Coventry, lots of NT properties, the National Motor Museum, National Herb Centre and lots of lovely countryside. And if you like markets, try the one at Wellesbourne (Google it).
Second Shropshire, we live there! There are some nice sites. Morris at Ludlow already mentioned. They have a site at Shrewsbury too as well as a nice one at Poston Mill in Herefordshire.
There are lots of sites in Wales too. We liked CMC site at Coed Y Llwyn and C & CC one at Bala.
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You could of course combine Warwickshire with Herefordshire/Shropshire, and Worcestershire. If you wanted a quirky basic site in Herefordshire I can recommend The Leen near Eardisland, if it's still operating.
Have you thought of possibly changing from a caravan to a motorohme or panel van? No towing invloved, you could both drive ( if you don't fancy towing your van). You can stay put or move on as far or little as you like.
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Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will definitely look into the various locations. I can tow the caravan and have done so in the past, but it is not just the towing that bothers my husband now, it is all the setting up and packing away. We have just had a two week break (a week each on 2 sites) and decided to try it without the awning to see if that made things easier for us. It certainly made the setting up and packing away easier but I really missed the awning, which is why we think going to a single site each holiday might be the best idea so we can still have the awning but only have to set it up and take it down once as well as limiting the amount of towing.
It’s interesting that lots of the recommendations have been in the north of England. We don’t tend to go north from Liverpool apart from our annual trip to the lakes and weekends near home where we tend to go to the Morecambe Bay area. We usually head south in the hope that the weather might be a bit better or at least a few degrees warmer! I’ll have to start looking at what’s available up north!
Pixie, I've been going to the Lakes for 50 years or so, and often more than once a year, and had the most glorious weather countless times, and also been near drowned for a full fortnight in Coniston in July about 5 years back it must be said! Only returned last month from 3 weeks in Borrowdale, and all but last few days were wonderful, even the last days were not 'bad' just by comparison were not as nice as previous days.
If I want truly awful weather, I go to the west country! I've friends and family down there, so 'forced' to go that way from time to time! I wouldn't mind a quid for every time I've commented on the 'inclement' weather only to be 'pounced' on with vengeance by friends with "What'd you F****** expect, it's the F****** west country, it's always F****** raining here!" Late last summer a friend invited me to pitch my caravan on her field and stay on her farm in Devon, I was cautious and enquired "just how wet is your field", her reply, "Oh it's a bit of a bog, cant let the horse or sheep on it" - "errr thanks but no thanks, I'll find a camp site and just come visit you"!
Used to take great delight in winding up friends in Yorkshire in 'traditional' war of the roses tradition. We'd do a long w/e hill walking in Yorkshire as a group organised by our friend, in various locations over the years, for all the years we did it, the weather was always 'orrible, sometimes diabolical! We'd always move across the Pennines to the Lakes to do another week of holidaying after Yorkshire, and without fail, and without needing to exaggerate at all, we'd phone her up and revel in telling her the weather immediately turned lovely once we'd crossed the Pennines, and the Lakes were lovely and sunny and warm, and we stood a good chance of drying out our sodden walking gear at last! ... you can probably guess the response from a down to earth Yorkshire Lass!
Sadly I'm not at all sure you can rely on historical weather patterns anymore, 'climate change' has reeked havoc in past few years and tradition expectations can no longer be relied upon. Friends in Lincolnshire, which has always been regarded as one of the driest regions as the east coast doesn't get the rainfall, was flooded last year in an area with no previous history of flooding. Seem to recall one of the major named storms coming in off the Atlantic, which would normally have hit the west of Britain, swung around Scotland and 'absolutely battered' the east coast! Wherever you go, it's a bit of a gamble now.
Quote: Originally posted by Pixie_Hez on 16/9/2025
...... We have just had a two week break (a week each on 2 sites) and decided to try it without the awning to see if that made things easier for us. It certainly made the setting up and packing away easier but I really missed the awning, which is why we think going to a single site each holiday might be the best idea so we can still have the awning but only have to set it up and take it down once as well as limiting the amount of towing.
......
You don't say what kind of awning you have, some are quite hard work, I've a Kampa 330 airbeam, and that's a bit time consuming and quite a physical effort as heavy and bulky, but I've also a Sunncamp Swift Deluxe SC (https://sunncamp.co.uk/products/swift-deluxe-260-sc) which is a doddle in all senses, it's lightweight, it's quick and easy to fit to van, and the single external 'hooped' pole (telescopic steel sides and fibreglass across roof) is as simple as it's possible to be.
They do different sizes if you want bigger or smaller, and airbeam version if you don't want the pole threading (it's really no trouble, the only 'high' pole is at head height, so dead easy). Reckon I can have it up or down in 15-20 minutes on my own with barely breaking a sweat, and I'm talking from/to fully packed in holdall.
I really don't like caravanning without an awning, partly in my case because of my dog (cleaning up etc. before going in the van), but also handy for storage and a bit of sheltered outdoor space too. I certainly wouldn't be using a big difficult to erect awning for short stays, but the Sunncamp is worth it for the shortest of stays.
Well I must admit that after we lost our dog during Covid I started to wonder if we really needed an awning anymore, and for the last 3 years we just haven't bothered. We don't spend a lot of time on a site anyway except when we are asleep and if the weather's particularly bad, so why bother?
Speaking of weather, we have recently come back from just over a week in Kent, and for two days and one night we had gales and torrential rain, so it doesn't just rain in the north and the west country. Fortunately it was at the beginning of our holiday and we had taken plenty of food with us so we didn't need to go out.
The furthest North we have been for decades on a caravan holiday is Cleethorpes, but we did venture into Scotland a few years ago for a week's holiday travelling around by train. That is certainly where having a retired-staff train pass comes in very handy! Not something staff on the privatised railway can look forward to. My wife wants to visit Northumberland and I quite like the idea too but I'm not too keen on the drive up there. We'll maybe look at other options for that.
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Topic: Location, Location, Location
via mobile 14/9/2025 at 9:53pm
Late last summer a friend invited me to pitch my caravan on her field and stay on her farm in Devon, I was cautious and enquired "just how wet is your field", her reply, "Oh it's a bit of a bog, cant let the horse or sheep on it" - "errr thanks but no thanks, I'll find a camp site and just come visit you"!
... you can probably guess the response from a down to earth Yorkshire Lass!
