Trip 12: Lyndon Top. Rutland.
We decided to have a short two day break and take our grandsons with us. We only have two seat belts in Iona so Sue had to follow in the car with one grandson, two bikes and assorted gear.
We have never done this before so the boys were very excited as we were but then we were also a little apprehensive about keeping them amused.
We need not have worried even though the weather was mainly overcast. We set up the quest room and got the campsite set up. The warden had said that she had got all the games kit out on one of the fields so the boys cycled over to look at it.
After lunch we took the boys to the reservoir, where you can join the cycle track, well that was it , they cycled and we walked. They stopped at each hill and waited for the old people to catch up and then off they went again.
It could be a long story but basically we were on the south shore where there is a sailing club and beyond that a visitors centre,cafe,car park. From here you can carry on to the Normanton church where there is a refreshment ‘shed’ and the boat trips, neither working today.
We had a rest at the church and turned around to head home, stopping at the main cafe for an ice cream. I spied a Harley Davidson that had to be photographed.
The last hill upto the campsite was too much for the boys and we ended up pushing their bikes. The total distance of our walk/cycle ride was 9 miles.
We had a BBQ tea and then played cards in the quest gazebo, then at 21.00 we roasted Marshmallows on the Cadac, which works OK. Then it was time to retire to Iona. I made up the bed which turned out great for the two boys.
Day 2
We had rain in the night but the morning was dry and overcast so played various games that the warden had left out. The boys then went on their bikes for a bit before playing football nearby.
After lunch we decided to walk to the RSPB Visitor Centre to see the Ospreys. This year there were four ospreys hatched but only three made it to now and they have just fledged. We were lucky enough to see one of the trio fed on the live camera in the centre.
We bought our tickets and headed out towards the hide that also has the live TV feed from the nest site. We took our binoculars but the wardens had a telescope set up. We managed to see two of the young ospreys sitting in a tree near the nest site and then they took flight and came within metres of the hide so we saw them very clearly.
We were also gifted with a heron fishing just in front of the hide and we saw it catch several small fish. We stayed for half an hour and then headed back to the centre but we visited three other hides on the way back.
Once back at the motorhome it was football and then cards. We were having a BBQ tonight but it started to rain. I decided the best bet was to take the Cadac to one of the large trees and have the BBQ there. Sue got a blanket set up and we cooked and ate under the tree.
The rain got heavier and the tree could not keep us dry so we moved back to the motorhome and the boys had the marshmallows without being roasted tonight.
It was the end of two exhausting days,(well for us), but we had a good time and no one woke before 8am each day.
Day 3:
Leaving day but there is no set time to leave so we played football, cricket & table tennis before packing up the quest, which was nearly dry after last nights heavy rain.
Lyndon Top is a great site to take grand kids with bikes. There is no electric so we relied on solar power but that is normal for us. Highly recommend it but then I would as it is only 35 minutes away for us.
Iona’s Travels 