Blog 156 - Return to New Lodge Farm, Bulwick, Northants

by keef & annie hellinger 31st Aug 2021, 2.46 pm

Motorhome trip No 44 : Aug 28th- 31st 2021

NOTTS->New Lodge Farm, Bulwick, Northamptonshire ->NOTTS 135 miles

Nearly 268 years and 35+ shared camping years under our belts, we decided to revisit the adults only New Lodge Farm campsite for the second time, same bank holiday weekend but this time no midnight rave from the local farm. Clearly Thomasz Schafernaker got the weather forecast wrong, not the promised summer BBQ weekend but on the plus side even though, cold windy and some drizzle we had the great warmth of seeing our dear friends Pete & Joy again after a long pandemic separation.

New Lodge farm had certainly had a makeover from our last visit 5 years ago with now both grass and hard standing fully serviced pitches (i.e water, electric and soak away drain (not great!)). On the previous occasion in 2016 it was all grass. If you wish to read our Blog 108 then please click HERE.

On the journey there on Saturday morning we travelled via M1, A14 and A43 to the site, somewhat delayed on the M1 by a fairly new car that had caught fire, frightening plume of smoke and 5-foot-high flames, not much of it left by the time the fire engines had arrived but at least all the passengers and driver were clear of it and safe, cars can be replaced, humans can’t.

On the way back we took the scenic route via Stamford, Empingham, Oakham, and Melton Mowbray to home, stopping off briefly to buy the fab pork pie from Melton’s famous Old Pie Shoppe, big tick for that.

We were on pitches 10 & 12 respectively. Decided to put up P&J’s new wind break to try and control the cross winds, that was fun (maybe) anyhow in the end dedicated teamwork prevailed and it stayed up 😉

We started with tea and cakes and chat. There was even a little bit of sun. Keef did his usual lasagne, garlic bread and salad for the evening meal which we had hoped to have outside but chickened out and went inside. Lovely evening playing games (RPM Trivial Pursuit (hard!) , scrabble (brag time Keef got a 7-letter word down)) and imbibing some fab wines. Plus, lots of chatter, catch up, grand kiddie pix etc, all in all a lovely evening. Retired and slept well.

Sunday morning early Keef went off with the camera to walk around the area, once again there was an old car rally gathered in the top field, I took some interesting piccies. Joy did a lovely, scrambled egg and poached salmon brekkie, yum yum! Then we all poodled off for a walk around nearby Bulwick even passing the scene of Annie’s fall in 2016, rather interestingly now opposite a British Red cross station, locals all very friendly and helpful giving us some footpath routes across fields of Dexter cows and posh abodes. Fineshade wood which we have camped at before in the distance. See Blog 65 by clicking HERE. Bulwick is lovely and amazingly quiet. Met lady with 2 lovely spaniels, one very young.

We then came back changed for lunch and went to the recently reappointed and extended café / shop for a lovely Sunday dinner. Some of the homemade produce in the shop is fab, chutneys, apple pies, Eccles cakes and a fine selection of wines (some of which we tried at lunch), can highly recommend plus there is a local produce shop outside selling flowers, fruit, and veg.

We did cheese bikkies wine and chat for our evening meal. Nice.

Monday morning Keef used the gridle to do a cooked brekkie featuring for a change spam as well as the trad bacon, eggs, tomatoes, and beans. Certainly, set us up for the day even though it probably didn’t do much for our collective waistlines 😉

After brekkie Pete and Keef set off for a walk with ordnance map in hand towards Laxton, a lovely quiet village. Followed footpath across fields and alongside the woods, saw lady on horse and after a couple of stiles alerted onto what seemed like an old narrow cart track. This is where we made our first mistake following the footpath arrows rathet than the map. It was a lovely walk but turned our to be about 5 ¼ miles rather than our expected 3 ½ but no worries for Keef that was the longest for many a year and my knees (just about) held up. Whilst walking along the side of Ferrel woods Keef found a CD of Queens Hot Space. Gave it to P&J, twas in good nick and I already have a copy so as they say… every silver lining….

Back at the café / shop / bar we rang the ladies who had had a relaxing morning in the vans to invite them up for an end of trek celebration 😉 nice local beer called Fools Nook on keg, by Barnwell brewery. Keef then did a tuna mayo on brown for all whilst we either snoozed, chatted , read or generally relaxed before the BBQ tea.

Nice evening BBQ meal of marinated lamb steaks, burgers, kebabs, local sausages (all meats kindly bought from the farm by P&J) with salad accompanied by a nice wine or 3. Lovely evening again chatting and catching up. Then it started to rain so we quickly dismantled the windbreak and put away the gas BBQ. As P&J had to leave early the next morning for a funeral back home we all retired early.

We were all up early Tuesday, and it was a little drizzly said our goodbyes and hope to meet up again soon. Lovely weekend, nice site and area, we will be back as getting to know Northamptonshire a bit nowadays, maybe bring the car as well next time to explore a bit further afield.

All the associated slideshows are also available here alongside all the others from 2021