Trip 1. Return to Kingsbury Water Park. Sutton Coldfield.
It is 4 months since we went away and the motorhome was emptied for the winter. Now it is all back together and filled ready for our first trip of the year. Hopefully the check lists were right and we have everything we need.
We arrived a bit early but we were able to choose our pitch which was next to our pitch last year. I did make a meal out of getting level only to find the iPad cover was not flat. Eventually level but over the wrong side of the pitch. I left it.
We went for a walk along the canal and found a very strange narrow boat with sculptures made out of old tyres. There was a dark side to decorations.
Day 2:
Kingsbury Water Park has 15 lakes situated in over 600 acres of country park. Stroll along the surfaced paths, explore hidden corners, spot birds and wildlife, hire a bike, join an organised event or host your own event.
A cold damp start but by 11am it had dried up so we went for a walk to the visitor centre and continued around some of the many lakes. We came across a muntjac deer near the miniature railway.
Day 3:
Today it is my birthday, 68 years old. Sue bought me a couple of lovely midi fleece tops, plus there is cake and steak to look forward to.
We went for a walk , it was spitting with rain but it stopped before we had got too wet. We walked all around the lakes to the motorway bridge. The graffiti artists had added a few bits since our last visit.
We walked towards the visitor centre and we saw a couple of Chinese Water Deer in the undergrowth. We had a chat with an old guy walking his dog and then we headed back to the campsite although we continued to the canal and followed the towpath to the Dog & Doublet pub where we stopped for some drinks.
We headed back to Iona and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing once the normal jobs were done.
Day 4:
Today we walked along the canal towards the RSPB reserve. We followed the paths all around the various lakes and beside the river Thame.
Plenty of swans and gulls to see. A man pointed out a Pintail duck and there were Shoveler ducks and wigeon about. We did see a green woodpecker and a Kestrel along one of the paths.
We came across the Fishers Mill Bridge which had an unusual chamber built into the buttress but apart from holding rubbish it was not clear what it was for originally.
If we come back next year we still have Middleton Hall to visit and the heronry.
Iona’s Travels 