Happy days...cold nights

Last weekend's camping adventure was to Hill Cottage Farm in Fordingbridge. The drive down was a long one but, as I had collected the kids, my husband had arrived before us and, once again, he had pitched the tent up and unpacked pretty much everything in time for our arrival.  How lucky are we? 

Just before this trip we were worried about the possibility of rain and very aware that we don't really have much in the way of outside shelter from the rain.  So we decided to purchase an easy camp awning which fits perfectly onto the front of our tent and serves as a great shelter.

Our inspiration came from this website, which is full of great tips and ideas http://www.getoutwiththekids.co.uk/camping/camping-tips/how-to-keep-the-rain-off-using-a-camping-tarp-kit/

On arrival the campsite seemed well organised with clear directions to reception and the pitches are numbered so it was easy to find ours. Our friends had arrived earlier too so after a few finishing touches from all it was time to start enjoying ourselves.

There was a playground for the kids, clean toilets, clean showers (behind reception) and a washing up area. All of the facilities were well maintained and there was electric hook up options for those who wanted it.  The night times are lovely and quiet and the view of the surrounding fields and woodland is very peaceful.

We decided to go to the local pub in Alderholt http://www.churchillpub.co.uk for dinner and a few drinks. It was an entertaining 10 minute walk through the woods and we were not disappointed when we arrived. There were games for the kids to enjoy and plenty of delicious food options for kids and adults alike. When we arrived back at the camp site we tried to stay outside for as long as possible but it was absolutely freezing and we were very tired so decided to have an early night. 

The next morning we awoke to lovely warm sunshine and in no time we were cooking breakfast and the kids were playing in the playground. We took a stroll through the woods again, this time to pick up a few essentials from the Co-Op in Alderholt and then we stopped in at the pub for a cheeky lunchtime pint and then headed back to the campsite to settle in for the rest of the day.

We were dying to try out our other recent addition, the Outwell Roast Gas BBQ with side table so dinner time couldn't come around quickly enough for us:

This BBQ was another last minute purchase and proved to be very useful. The side plates are great for extra surface space but they can also be folded in and used as cooking plates.  Another plus point was that the kids didn't have to wait too long for their food to be ready.

We all had a lovely time playing games, chatting and dancing into the evening until once again it became too cold to stay outside. One thing I have learned about camping in the New Forest is that the nights are freezing!

Once again the RAVPower portable charger proved to be extremely handy as we didn't have electric hook up and the BBQ proved to be our most useful recent purchase but we do need to purchase one of those electric mosquito bats and a heater would be very useful for those cold nights!

We are getting better at packing up now though and while we were sad to leave, we were looking forward to the next stop...Sandford.