Trip 7: Barn Farm, Scalfold, Melton Mowbray
Looking forward to this three night break mainly because the boiler was repaired yesterday and this will be a working test before our next trip north. It will also be the first time we have been away with the new solar panel monitor.
I contacted the farmer to confirm directions of the camping field. My guess is that this is going to be basic but as long as it is fairly level and dry we should be ok. Mr Painter does have an exceedingly big tractor if we do get stuck.
We found the site quite easily and followed the gated road to the campsite field. This is a new 5 van site and the basic facilities are all new. We met the owner on the way in and he told us to park wherever we liked.
I found the flattest bit of the field and we did not need any levelling ramps. The site is on top of a hill so the views are of open farmland and distant villages. We are within a couple of miles of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, famous for it’s pork pies 🥧.
I found Sue behind the motorhome hiding from the camera.
I have to say that although we are camping in a field the views are great and it is so quiet. After lunch we went for a short walk that turned out to be about 5 miles.
We followed a footpath which took us to an old railway bridge that crossed the old Howell mineral line that went from Brown’s Hill quarry to the main line in Ashfordby, we tried to follow the old railway bed but there was no access. We did climb over a fence and found one of the paths around the nature reserve.
The path we were on, one of many took us back to the old railway bed and to another bridge. This one was quite ornate and had a makers plaque on either side.
We left the Howell mineral line reserve and climbed upto the road. We followed the road up hill until we came to Brown’s Hill nature reserve.
We walked around the nature reserve, crossing bridges and following the paths. At one stage we found a fairy in the bark of an Ash tree.
We left the reserve and joined another footpath that lead us back to the farm road, which we followed back to Iona.
The farm we are camping on is nearly all sheep and beef cattle.The landscape here is hilly and made up of small fields and common land surrounded by tall hedges. All untouched by the massive machinery that we get in our part of Lincolnshire.
Next to the campsite is a field with a few inquisitive young bullocks in. I went to get a closer look.
We had a BBQ for tea with sweet corn 🌽 and prawn kebabs.
Day 2:
The sun is out but it is quite breezy. This morning we are around the motorhome and then after lunch we are going on another walk. We headed for the bridge over the old mineral line and then followed the footpath to Howell.
There is a small church in the village along with a Methodist chapel that is now a house.
We left the village and walked to the nature reserve. Today we went into the old quarry.
There are a couple of caves and we managed to get close to one of them. We felt it before we could see it because there was a very cold draught or wind coming out of the cave.
Tea tonight was inside because it was cloudy and windy. A scallop and prawn type wellington with red cabbage, and potato fritters followed by lemon meringue and strawberries.
Day 3:
A great clear sunny morning. Our last day so not much was planned. We spent the morning around the motorhome, mainly reading and Sue did some cross stitch.
After lunch the wind had got quite strong and the sky was cloudy. We had hoped to see the meteorite shower that was forecast tonight.
We went for a walk but the path we chose had not had much use and we ended up on the road. Luckily the Lane was quiet and we walked back to the farm entrance, then followed the road back to Iona. Not really a walk as we only did 2000 steps.
The sky got cloudy and the wind eventually dropped slightly so we were able to cook outside. Tonight we had pork kebabs,sausages and a burger.
Day 4:
It was soon time to leave.We will have to come back because we never did get the Pork Pie.
Iona’s Travels 