Downshay Farm Campsite, nr Swanage

We managed to get the awning down in the dry. We left around 11am. We had a nice uneventful journey back and was home for about 4pm.

Swanage

Started off very overcast and got worse. We had decided we were going into Swanage today no matter what.

We parked in the main long stay carpark and managed quick walk around the Friday market  before the heavens opened.

We spent the next few hours dashing from shop to shop whilst it hammered it down. In between the very heavy showers it was nice and warm.

We popped into the Earthlights  Café for lovely Dorset Cream Tea.

After a nice 3 scoop ice cream on the pier, we headed over to the station for a look at the Swanage railway.

After waiting for the steam train to come in, we headed back to the car and got absolutely drenched in the process.

We called in for Diesel on the way back to the van for the evening. In time honoured fashion, 10 minutes after we got back the sun came out, the clouds cleared and it turned out to be a lovely evening.

Downshay Farm Campsite, nr Swanage

Had to wait for a shower for the first time this morning.

The weather was a mixture of bright sunshine interspersed with very heavy showers.

We decided to stay in and watch England v Wales in Euro 2016.

Around 7pm we had a drive into Swanage for a very nice meal at the Crow’s Nest Inn, before heading back to the van for the evening.

Poole & Knoll Beach

Fairly bright this morning but still quite windy. Ran out of gas whilst cooking breakfast so had to go in search of gas in Poole before heading to Pizza Hut for lunch.

We then had a nice walk by the quayside. In the Old Lifeboat Station is the 1938 Lifeboat, Thomas Kirk Wright. This lovely old lifeboat was used by the admiralty to evacuate Allied Troops from Dunkirk in WWII. She was the first lifeboat to reach the beaches in France on 30 May 1940.

We then had a nice stroll through town before heading back across the Sandbanks chain ferry.

We called in at Knoll Beach, where you get a nice view of the Old Harry rocks. Maddy dipped her feet in the water for five minutes. It was now starting to rain so we headed back to the van for the evening.

Monkey World

It rained a little in the night again. Bit brighter this morning with some sunny spells, but still windy.

We set off on the 10 mile drive to Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre. Monkey World assists governments around the world to stop the smuggling of primates from the wild. At the centre, refugees of this illegal trade, as well as those that have suffered abuse or neglect are rehabilitated into natural living groups.

Every 30 minutes one of the keepers gives a 20 minute talk about the monkeys that they care for. They tell you about all they monkeys by name and how they came to be in the park. All very interesting.

We spent around five and  a half hours admiring the monkeys many species of monkeys. The weather held out nicely and at times the sunny spells were very warm.

We headed off around 5pm and called for some shopping on the way back to the van for the evening.

Wareham

Rained in the night again. By the time we had showered it brightening up again. Full cloud cover and a bit windy, but not cold.

The Caravan Club magazine has a 5 mile circular walk around Wareham, so we headed off around lunchtime and did the walk.

The first mile and a half were by the river, although the pathways were very overgrown and full of nettles.

The rest of the walk was much better, around a meadow and tarmacked track.

After we had completed the walk we had a nice refreshing pint of Thatcher’s Gold at the Duke of Wellington, near the car park.

After a nice gentle stroll around town , we headed back to the van for tea and a relaxing evening.

White Mill & Kingston Lacy

It rained most of the night. When we got up it was very misty in the distance, so we couldn’t see the castle. It was a bit damp and windy but not cold.

We had our traditional cooked breakfast, a bit later than usual. By lunchtime it was brightening up a little, so we headed off to White Mill, about 18 miles away near Wimborne Minster.

White Mill is an 18th Century Water Mill in a peaceful rural setting. Rebuilt in 1776 the mill was extensively repaired by the National Trust and still retains it’s original Elm and Applewood machinery, although it is now too fragile to be used.

About a mile up the road was Barford Farm Ice Cream Garden, so we decided to pop in for a very nice ice cream.

Then we went to Kingston Lacy. An elegant country mansion, near Wimborne Minster,  set in attractive formal gardens and extensive parkland, built to resemble an Italian Palace.

From the 17th to the late 20th century it was the family seat of the Bankes family who had previously resided at nearby Corfe Castle until it’s destruction in the English civil war.

Then it was back to the van for tea and a relaxing evening.

Downshay Farm Campsite, nr Swanage

It was drizzling  when we left and we had some really heavy showers on the way down. We planned to call in at Stonebridge Island Toby Carvery for breakfast but when we arrived it was closed due to technical reasons.

After a short search on the net we found another one in Knowle about 8 miles away, so the natural order was restored.

We arrived at Downshay Farm around 3pm. It is a small friendly site with room for 11 vans. The site is lawned and terraced on 3 levels. All pitches have Electric Hook Ups, some with lovely views of Corfe Castle and the Purbeck Hills.

By the time we arrived the sun had come out and it turned out to be a lovely evening.

The small Toilet Block was a little basic but nice and clean, with 3 toilets, 2 showers and a free to use washing machine.

Once again the awning went up really well, and we had a ride to Tesco in Poole for some holiday shopping and Diesel. On the way back we stopped to show Maddy the wonderful view across Poole Harbour, but unfortunately it was too misty to see in all its splendour so we had a ride along Swanage sea front.

Then we settled down in the van for tea and watched England v Russia in the 2016 European Championships. Before settling down for the evening.