Iona looks for a Regatta

Trip 1: February 2025

Cotgrave, Nottingham.

Day 1:

We arrived with a few minutes to spare before we were shown to a pitch. Apparently they are busy so we have been allocated what must be the smallest pitch on the site. It is about 9m long but only 3m wide and our van is 2.5 m wide. Yet the pitch behind us is 8m x8m and there is a 6m motorhome given that one.. 

We went for a walk along the old railway track towards Cotgrave. There are so many footpaths and the Grantham Canal towpath, so we had plenty of choice.we did about 4 miles in total today.

6.5 miles today.

Day 2:

It is raining this morning but hopefully it clears up by 11am.

We walked along the old railway lines and followed the canal to the main road. We returned along the towpath and headed into Cotgrave. 

We walked around the village which is not very big. We found a second pub,The Manvers Arms but we decided to go to the Rose & Crown. The pub was empty apart from a funeral wake in the back of the pub. We got a drink and sat by a window.

At the lock we crossed the canal and followed the path back to the railway line and headed home. 

We had been in the van for about 10 minutes and the heavens opened before the sun came out again. I went for a shower and when I got back into the van we had a hail storm. Today we did 6 miles.

Day 3:

Sunshine ☀️ this morning.

Today we walked to Home Pierpoint. We walked around the 2000m long regatta lake. We found the white water kayak course which is basically the river Trent diverted so it looked really fierce.

On the way home we walked along the A52 to see if we could get up onto the old railway line. Unfortunately there were no steps and the banks were steep and covered in brambles. We turned around and headed back along the A52 to the traffic lights and crossing point . We walked 9 miles by the time we got back to the van.

This afternoon/evening we were picked up by our son, Richard, and we went for a drink and something to eat at The Poppy & Pint pub in Ladybay. Great food, Richard had a club meeting to go to so we were back at the campsite early and settled down for our last night in Cotgrave.

It finished off our first trip in 2025.