Looking forward…
It’s time to hot-foot it to Devizes! We can’t wait to see the campsite and the town, meet the managers and explore the area now that we now we’re going to be based there for 5 months next season. We phone the campsite to see if we can visit on our days off. That’s fine but unfortunately the managers are away on holiday. We decide to visit anyway, in case we don’t get the opportunity again this season.
Luckily we finish on an ‘early’ shift on Friday, so we can set of Friday night and make our way halfway there. We find a pubstop in Bagshot, just off the M3 which is perfect for us. We enjoy a nice dinner and a drink in the pub before turning in for the night in their large carpark. The next morning when we wake up, we cross the road to the big Waitrose there for a Croissant & Coffee breakfast before setting off again as we are trying to get to the campsite for 10:30 as that’s cleaning time for the assistants. And we know all too well that that’s not the time to arrive!
We have quite a drive to go yet from Bagshot and it turns out we arrive at Devizes C&CC at 10:25… Just in time to catch the assistants and get parked up. We know the assistants couple on duty at Devizes, as we worked with them on our training weekend, and it’s nice to see them again and catch up, especially now that we know a bit more about life as a Holiday Site assistant. We have a little walk around while the cleaning gets done, and then we sit down for some coffee and a catch up, sharing our season’s stories.
The campsite looks really nice. It’s nicely laid out, with hardstanding pitches and grass pitches and a camping field at the bottom. There’s also an enclosed dog field where dogs can be off-lead which is perfect for our Luna. At the bottom of the camping field is a small wood for walks as well. The campsite is very different to Canterbury, as it only has one facility block, there is no storage compound for caravans and there are no ‘Ready Camp’ tents (glamping tents). All this will mean a very different working day to what we are used to doing at Canterbury. There is of course plenty of grass to mow and hedges to maintain, and there will be less staff than at Canterbury. From what we can see, it looks like it should be a great season!
Devizes Camping & Caravanning Club site is located a few miles outside of Devizes, right next to the Kennet & Avon canal. On the other side there is the Three Magpies pub, and across from the entrance is a small cider farm selling cider, local honey, fresh eggs and doing some nice food as well.
Walking along the Canal, past Caen Hill Locks, it’s about a 4 mile walk to Devizes. It’s a lovely day, and as on every trip this summer, we’re very lucky with the weather and it’s blue skies and sunshine. The walk is really nice, and you can cycle as well, although there is a bit of a hill to get up. At the top of the hill, by the big flight of locks, there is a lovely cafe which is perfect for a mid-walk break with coffee & cake or some lunch, all with a lovely view and the canal boats moving up and down the locks.
Devizes itself is a lovely market town. We find some lovely shops, a covered market, the old town quay and of course the big Wadworth Brewery.
There is a lot to see and do in the area as well. It’s not that far from Stonehenge, but Woodhenge is even closer. There are some beautiful old villages to explore, like Castle Combe, Lacock and Avebury. Bath, Bristol and Cheddar are not too far away either. So plenty to do next year!
It’s been a really lovely day and we’re now so excited for next season, we can’t wait! We sit outside watching the sun go down with a little glass of wine, and then we watch the stars for a bit.
On Sunday, it’s time to tackle the drive back to Canterbury again, but it’s been an amazing couple of days away. A season to look forward to!