Bumbling About in Brighton and South Downs *Ad Gifted

At the beginning of June, me, the husband and hound set off on another trip in an epic Bumble Campervan!

Having visited The Peak District, The Lake District and The New Forest on our previous bumble adventures, we thought it was time we head somewhere a little different so for this trip we ventured to Brighton and the South Downs!

As usual, we had hardly any packing to do as Bumble Campers provide everything you need for the perfect camping trip! On board we had:

- big plates, small plates, bowls, cups ad cutlery for two people

- kettle pan set, chopping board, knife, jug, tin, opener, spoon

- self-lighting camping stove and two gas canisters

- sofa/bed with storage, a table. rear kitchen with sink & tap

- powered coolbox, on-board power, inverter, USB/aux-in stereo

- campsite guide & discounted rates for 100's of campsites

- blackout blinds, camping chairs, safe for cash, passports/wifi

We found the perfect camping spot called Southdown Way Caravan & Camping which gave us the best of both worlds; being close to Brighton but also the South Downs scenery. 

One of the beauties of a Bumble camper is the fact you can drive to your destination and there's minimal unpacking to do. Say farewell to deciphering which tent pole goes where, instead Chris and I were wondering- shall we set the bed up now (which is super easy to do) or enjoy the van as a seating area for a while? 

We opted to set the bed up ASAP as it was lovely just laying and admiring the views. The bed itself comprises of the van table transforming into part of the base of the bed and the futon mattress unstraps and roles into place- simple! Chuck on some snuggly bedding and you're good to go!

Another thing to note is Bumble Campers are very much dog friendly, which means your four legged friend can also come camp with you! Harry pawsitively loves coming away with us, enjoying the different sights and smells and it's an adventure for him as well as us too!

So what next? On our first night it only seemed right to enjoy some beverages that had been nicely cooling on our journey down in the van's fridge, play cards and enjoy the gorgeous sunset.

And to finish off an already perfect evening, we snuggled down in to watch some good old Netflix in the comfort of the van. 

The following morning we woke up bright and early and thoroughly refreshed after a comfortable nights sleep in the van. The next thing to do was sort breakfast!

Equipped with a fridge teamed with bacon and eggs, I got to work making a breakfast of champions ahead of a day out in Brighton. Having a kitchen station at the back of the van is so handy and practical. There's no fishing around on the floor of the tent to find all your cooking equipment.

Once fed, we packed up the van and headed for a day of adventure, stopping off first at the Jack and Jill Windmills in Clayton. 

We'd seen the windmills in the distance from our campsite and were intrigued to go take a look. They were a lovely sight to see and if we'd not had Harry with us we'd have taken a look inside. It's also a great stop off point if you're walking to Devils Dyke- somewhere I'll mention later.

The views from the hill of the windmills was also spectacular. Here we could see the gorgeous landscape of the South Downs.

Next up we headed into Brighton for the day. One thing I will note is check where to park ahead of your visit if you're in a camper. There's plenty of parking but a lot of car parks had a height restriction which limited where we could go and meant we were driving around looking for a parking spot for longer than we'd have liked. Brighton was a cool place to visit and there's so much to do, so much so that I forgot to take photos!!! I'd recommend a trip down The Lanes and a visit on the Pier as just some of the things to do.

The next day we headed to Devils Dyke for a spot of walking and fresh air. It's a real beauty spot where you can admire the Sussex countryside on dedicated trails.

After admiring the stunning views and enjoying a lovely walk, we headed off to find the Ouse Valley Viaduct.

Located between Haywards Heath and Balcombe, Ouse Valley Viaduct offers quite the dramatic view. A structural marvel, the viaduct was originally built in 1838 to carry the London-Brighton line over the River Ouse.

It has been estimated that around 11 million bricks were used in construction. Once a treat known only to locals, it is now an Instagram hotspot! Visit early or later for a quieter experience and bring your camera!

So that was our trip to Brighton and South Downs in a Bumble Camper! It was lovely to explore some of the south of the UK and I'd love to head back that way for more walking in the future. The camper van experience was wonderful as ever and I can't rate Bumble Campers enough. If you haven't tried one yet, do it- you won't be disappointed, especially having used a Bumble Camper since 2017 myself!

Have you been to Brighton and South Downs? Let me know where I need to visit when I next go!

* I was very kindly asked to photograph of the Bumble Camper van in exchange for a gifted trip. I was not asked to write a blog post but I wanted to because I love this brand so much and think you guys will too!

Anglesey Abbey National Trust | 12 Trusts of 2020

Last week I managed to tick off number 5 on my lists of my 12 Trusts of 2020 challenge. For those of you who don't know I set myself the challenge to visit 12 National Trust properties in 2020 and with everything that's happened this year, its proved more of a challenge than I anticipated! Regardless I'm 5 down and 7 left to visit this year which is great progress and another lovely way to spend a day.

For trust number 5 I headed to Anglesey Abbey. Located close to Cambridge, this National Trust has beautiful walks, gardens and even a working mill! (Note: the mill was not open on this occasion due to obvious reasons around Covid.)

I headed to Anglesey Abbey with my lovely mum on this occasion for a mother daughter day out and we began our visit with a wander around the grounds.

There are lots of different elements to the grounds. From open spaced areas which are perfect for picnics to wooded areas, gardens and more which we stopped to look at and admire.

The shaded areas around the grounds are especially good for hot summer days to keep cool whilst still enjoying being outdoors.

With lots of little twists and turns, there is a surprise around every corner. Beyond this statue was a lovely little seating area surrounded by lavender bushes which smelt incredibly and looked very peaceful to sit in. I didn't photograph it as there were people enjoying it at the time so you'll have to go enjoy it for yourselves!

Both mum and I marveled at this area as it felt like we could be in a jungle somewhere. The branches twisting and contorting on the wall looked quite amazing. With the wall ahead of us we knew there was a garden around the corner and we certainly weren't disappointed.

Around the bend was am amazing sea of Dahlias. I'd never come across these before and fell in love with them! The trust have cleverly planted different coloured types so one end of the garden were dark reds and purple types which then faded to pinks, oranges, yellows and whites. It really did look spectacular and has made me want to grow some myself for next year!

I'm definitely getting older as my love of plants is something I was never into in my 20s but I'm glad I can finally appreciate them at places like this. 

After our wander round we settled down in one of the open spaces to enjoy a picnic. In such relaxing surroundings we ended up spending two hours just sat chatting and watching the world go by. There is plenty of space to social distance from other visitors so you can rest assure you'll have your own space to enjoy and admire the many beautiful views.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post there's a working mill. Unfortunately due to Covid it was closed but mum has visited previously and said that in normal circumstances you can go inside and see how it all works plus buy some of the flour! I hope that this is something that will reopen soon once the current climate has settled but what a brilliant feature in normal circumstances!

The final area to visit was the gift shop! It was inevitably that mum and I would have a peruse and we were both really impressed. There was a lovely selection of plants and garden things to choose from outside and inside donning our masks, we oohed and arred at the local gins, clothing, books and more. I ended up purchasing a lovely hat and a bookmark so watch out for that in a future post!

Mum and I had a really lovely day at Anglesey Abbey and it was a lovely setting to catch up, enjoy the outdoors and a picnic too!

I'd definitely heading here for a day out with family or friends to enjoy but don't forget book online before you go and for other National Trust sites, check that they are open on the website too.

Have you been to Anglesey Abbey?

Clumber Park National Trust | 12 Trusts of 2020

Nestled in Nottinghamshire, I ventured to Clumber Park- my 4th National Trust to visit as part of my 12 Trusts of 2020 challenge. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, I set myself the challenge of visiting 12 National Trust sites in 2020 and so far I've done Blickling Estate, Belton House, Gunby Hall and now Clumber Park!

Having walked around the last few properties, I thought it would be nice to venture out with our bikes so looked up which trusts had good cycle routes and there was Clumber.

It's also a dog friendly trust so we couldn't resist taking Harry and his trailer on the back of Chris' bike for when he got tired or we wanted to whizz around.

There's some stunning views around the parkland, such as this one from the beautiful ornamental bridge.

We cycled along the river, taking in the gorgeous view before the terrain changed to fields and free space. I couldn't help but stop and dance in the long grass- much to Chris' embarrassment! 

We cycled on further and came across the back of Clumber estate and what a view it is. The trees, the river and the wildlife really frame the scenery of the place and it's a gorgeous view to admire. There were families with picnics the other side of me when we took this photo and it made for a beautiful view to sit and enjoy whilst tucking into food.

We cycled on again and ended up going into the woodland area around the park. You could easily get lost in the woodland and also cycle plenty of miles but after a 9 mile spin, we opted to dismount the bikes and take in the surroundings on foot and let Harry have an explore of new sights and smells.

With lots of big trees and shrubs, Clumber Park makes for an amazing place for kids. We saw plenty enjoy the dens and hideouts that nature provided for their make believe adventures.

Harry loved the water- it was hard to drag him away! The swans and the waters reflection did eventually get the better of him and he went in for a paddle. Whoops!

Naturally Chris took great pleasure in taking the p*ss out of me posing too...!

I call this my stop taking the micky out of me look...

Clumber Park has changed a lot over the years. Originally it was the home to the Dukes of Newcastle and there was a lot more to it such as a grand house which no longer exists.

The Gothic church is a feature in itself with some creepy gargoyles looming over the spires! As with everything at the moment we were unable to go inside so instead marveled at its splendor from the outside.

 

Another area to explore was the walled kitchen garden. This gorgeous 4 acre garden was built back in 1772 and now boasts awards for its culinary rhubarbs and apple trees. The fresh produce is used in the restaurant at Clumber which unfortunately wasn't open due to COVID but if you get the chance to dine in future I definitely would! 

Clumber Park is definitely up there was one of my favourite National Trusts I've ever visited. It has a bit of everything for all ages and you can easily spend an entire day and not get bored. From beautiful plants and woodland walks to, river side picnics, cycling and architecture, this trust is stunning and a real gem to visit.

Have you visited Clumber Park?