Our time in the UK, now coming to an end, has been spent largely in wild-camping (free- or
savage-camping, the lovely French term). We did stay in campgrounds when Rebecca and Penelope were with us, and in London, but, otherwise, we've stayed in fewer than a handful of campgrounds these three months. This saves
£, that is, $. And many times the sites we have found have been far more scenic or convenient than any campground could be. We have been lucky. But more than lucky, we have benefited from a service our navigatrix found and has utilized,
wildcamping.co.uk. It identifies plausible overnight/parking places, nationwide, and you can download them to your satnav, and, better yet, your GoogleEarth, which allows you to look over a spot before driving to it. Anyhow, using this service, we drove right into Durham and found a place on the River Wear, half a mile from the castle and cathedral, a co
uple £s for the rest of Saturday and then free Sunday until 8AM Monday morn. Naturally, we stayed the two nights.
Important PS: bordering all around an empty carpark adjoining the Radisson is a 3 star blackberry patch. I picked a big quart in just minutes, which we enjoyed with doughnut peaches and cream the next couple nights. The blackberries are coming in now here in the North and the Mids.
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And there we are (note new windscreen) |
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Pretty much ground zero Durham, not a small town, we are right across from
the Radisson Blu, and a couple hundred feet down the river guys are fly-fishing:
Missoula! |
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OK, the comparisons end there since Missoula does not currently have a castle nor
cathedral; note, however, the River Wear has a dam and weir, the Framwelgate,
extending several hundred feet up the river, creating a large and pretty sort of pond |
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Very useful for night-time shots |
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Thus |
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7AM, Monday morning, right outside our door; Durham's a neat place, even if the
cathedral doesn't allow photography |