Our traditional camping trip to Robin Hood's Bay

When the weather was warm we began getting the camping things out, our first camping trip with four children. "Where are we ..." Imogen stops in mid sentence and realises, "... don't tell me, Robin Hood's bay!"
We've been going to the RHB folk weekend for a few years now. The weather forecast was unsettled, but we decided to go anyway.

Luckily we managed to put the tent up in fine weather, some years Geoff and Jemima have put the tent up in pouring rain.
We always camp at Middlewood Farm in Fylingthorpe, a little village above Robin Hood's Bay.
The children spent ages watching the cows: it's amazing to see the peristalsis of their necks as the water goes down.

Middlewood is a working dairy farm, so twice a day the ladies go off to be milked. Our journey sometimes takes us through their midst as we cross the fields

and down the wooded glen to get down to the village. On the way, maybe a quick lesson from Geoff naming trees.


But definitely the first thing we do on every camping trip after putting up the tent is to go down to the village to eat fish and chips on the quarter deck.


On the Saturday we always...

visit the coast guard centre, but HORRORS, it had been refurbished, new exhibitions!!! and some of our favourites had gone.

But the children really loved this model that demonstrates the tides. Reuben watched the model and then went to the window to watch the real waves come in.

Next traditon: Dollies ice-cream shop

Farm made ice-cream dipped in the chocloate fountain.

Contented children

and with a front row seat for our next tradition: watching 'the dancing ladies'.

Look blue skies, time to hit the beach

The beach is great for rock pooling and collecting fossils.

"blob on a cone, crab in a cup ..."
(Julia Donaldson illuminating our world as ever - this time from 'Sharing a Shell')

and we watched the tide come and talked about the pull of the moon.

Once the the beach had vanished we headed up to 'the boat' playground.

The evenings were so cold and rainy. We played a few games of mapominoes (which I am totally addicted to) then we had a drive around to warm up before bed.

The view was spectacular and I love the line of cloud.

Sunday's are abit more flexible! we explored the narrow winding lanes

So many pretty cottages

Lots of seagulls had nested on the rooftops and were feeding their young.

To feed our young - another camping tradition - Heinz Tomato soup!

Gobstopper from Dollies

We found out about the history of the bay in the museum.

A tree to climb and swing on in the campsite.

We usually go home via Bempton Cliffs, but we decided on a change and went to Rievaulx Abbey instead.



The visitor centre is very hands on, with models to demonstate early building methods.

And after three nights of camping in the cold and rain, this is how I felt!