TOURING : CLUB SITES ’s dreaming spires Steve Rowe stays on a quartet of FOR THE FAMILY Club sites during a mission to explore Oxford and its rural surroundings Universalappeal Go wild A stone’s throw from the Float your boat Burford site, Cotswold Wildlife Park boasts a Established in 1870, Hobbs of menagerie that includes Henleyoffers sightseeing trips penguins, giraffes, crocodiles on the Thames, as well as the and meercats. opportunity to charter a boat for private parties. You can even T01993 823006 hire a motor launch for your own Wcotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk self-drive adventure! Nearest featured site Burford T01491 572035 Whobbsofhenley.com Nearest featured site Miniature Henley Four Oaks marvel Pendon Museum is a fascinating place for model railway enthusiasts. There are several large layouts designed to represent British rural settings from the 1920s and ’30s. T01865 407365 Wpendonmuseum.com Nearest featured sites RIGHT ON TRACK DON’T Burford/Henley Four Oaks FORGET You can book your pitch online at caravanclub.co.uk/ searchandbook, by calling our Advance Booking Service on 01342 327490 or, for AS sites, calling them direct.

THIS MONTH’S FEATURED SITES

HENLEY FOUR OAKS Sites Directory xford, arguably Britain’s But more on the city of dreaming spires See p129 of the Fun on the farm & Handbook 2013/14 most famous seat of later. I started my sojourn quite a distance to Offering something for everyone, learning and the home the south of Oxford, at the Club’s Henley CIRENCESTER PARK Millets Farm Centre has amusements for children, a of Inspector Morse, is a Four Oaks site, which, as its name suggests, See p127 of the Directory fascinating place to visit is close to the town famous for its Royal well-stocked shop, a garden centre and restaurant. You can Oat any time of year. It’s the perfect Regatta. Surrounded by mature trees, this BURFORD even join its Fly Fishing Club. destination for a mini break (the BMW members-only site offers both hardstandings See p124 of the Directory YOU ARE HERE Mini is built on the site of the old Morris and grass pitches as well as hook-ups and the T01865 392200 BLADON CHAINS Wmilletsfarmcentre.com factory at Cowley in Oxford!), or as a usual heated toilet block. Henley town See p120 of the Directory Henley Four Oaks Club site Nearest featured sites day-trip during a longer holiday. centre is a short drive or a relatively easy >> Burford/Henley Four Oaks

20 www.caravanclub.co.uk February 2013 The Caravan Club Magazine 21 TOURING : CLUB SITES Driving eastwards from Enjoy a waterside Cirencester towards Oxford, you’ll pint at Henley come across several charming OUTDOOR FUN FOOD + DRINK Cotswold stone villages, including Bibury. Slightly off the main tourist Gone fishing trail, this village was described by Situated in the charming stone textile designer, artist and writer village that shares its name, William Morris as “The most Bibury Trout Farm has a catch- beautiful village in .” I agree your-own fishery, as well as a with him. It’s a sublime spot, with café and children’s play area. the River Coln flowing under DID YOU There’s also a shop where you ancient stone bridges that are KNOW? Cirencester Park Club site can buy fresh fish. overlooked by picture-postcard The University of Oxford is the oldest T01285 740215 university in the Calling chocoholics cottages. Another attraction here is English-speakingworld Wbiburytroutfarm.co.uk The Chocolate Theatre Café in Henley not Bibury Trout Farm, which offers fly Nearest featured site Cirencester Park only serves 25 different types of hot chocolate, fishing and has a café and a shop, where CHURCHILL COUNTRY tea, coffee and freshly-cooked food, it also you can buy fresh fish. My final site, and the one from which I ANIMAL FARM offers delightful views of the Thames. My next destination was Burford Club planned to visit the city of Oxford itself, T01491 411412 site. Enjoying a rural setting, it has was Bladon Chains, set within the lovely Wchocolatetheatrecafe-henley.co.uk well-spaced pitches, including some grounds of the Estate at Nearest featured site Henley Four Oaks hardstandings, plus mains hook-ups and Woodstock. It’s a members-only site with washroom blocks. This is an ideal base for grass pitches and hardstandings, plus families, the entrance to the Cotswold hook-up points and toilet block. It’s very Brewery tour Wildlife Park being just across the road. quiet and surrounded by woodland, with The village of Burford is a short drive plenty of walking opportunities. One for beer fans! The Hook Cirencester Park site is set from the site – a car park is clearly Here’s a quick quiz question for you – Norton Breweryoffers two tours per day, including a half-hour signposted from the High Street, but it is which famous Prime Minister was born at beer tasting. There’s also a within Grade I listed parkland too small and difficult to access for large Blenheim Palace? It was, of course, visitors’ centre and gift shop to “ motorhomes, which may be better off Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. Club stagger round afterwards. walk away. If you’re driving, use the large Abingdon, is a great place to visit,” with a finding a roadside parking spot instead. members can use their site receipts from pay-and-display car park next to the river. farm shop, restaurant, garden centre and The tree-lined High Street is set on a fairly Bladon Chains to get a third off the T01608 737210 From here, you can walk back into town amusements for the kids, all occupying a steep slope which leads down to a bridge admission price to the palace. Whooky.co.uk Donkey work Nearest featured site along the banks of the Thames, admiring large rural site with plenty of free parking. over the River Windrush. The ancient On a more sombre note, Churchill is also Be prepared for a collective Bladon Chains the boats moored up on the river. For an buildings that line the street are now home buried nearby, with his wife Clementine, in Cycling GO WEST ‘aaahhh’ if you visit the Island even closer look at these vessels, why not to shops, pubs and cafés, as well as the the graveyard of St Martin’s Church in Highlights for cycling in and Farm Donkey Sanctuary near take a relaxing sightseeing boat trip or even From Henley, I headed west to the Club’s fascinating , which houses Bladon. I visited the graveside and it’s quite around include , a charity which cares for Pub grub book your own motor launch? Cirencester Park site. Set within Grade I a collection of artefacts depicting the humbling to see that such a great man National Cycle Network ill-treated animals. Admission My walk into town was delayed by a listed parkland which forms part of the social and industrial heritage of the area. chose to have a fairly simple grave. (NCN) Route 5which runs is free but your heart will tell With friendly staff and a good cuppa and a bite to eat at the fabulous Bathurst Estate, this is another members- I enjoyed a bite to eat at the dog-friendly Standing graveside, in the empty cemetery, from Oxford to Stratford-upon- you to leave a donation. selection of food and drink, Avon. The Bladon Chains site is including real ales, The Chocolate Theatre Café which offers good only site with both grass and hardstanding Mermaid Inn. was an unusually touching moment. >> close to a traffic-free section to T01491 833938 Mermaid Innon Burford’s Thames views. Those of you who enjoy pitches, hook-ups and heated toilet blocks. Oxford. If you’re staying at Wdonkeyrescue.co.uk High Street also has a ‘posh’ dining out are spoilt for choice in Henley. It is well placed for easy access to the Henley Four Oaks, it’s worth Nearest featured sites Burford/Henley Four Oaks candle-lit restaurant upstairs. checking out The Thames Art lovers are well catered for too, centre of Cirencester and a number of Beautiful Bibury thanks to a number of commercial galleries. pretty Cotswold villages are also within Valley route (NCN 4)which, if T01993 822193 You might even like to take a work home, range. Cirencester boasts many historic you are feeling adventurous, is Wthemermaidburford.co.uk mostly traffic-free all the way Nearest featured site Burford although judging by some of the price tags buildings and a variety of shops and to London. FEEL GRAND you’d need fairly deep pockets. eateries. And don’t miss the fascinating Once you’ve taken in all the town’s Corinium Museum with its large collection Wsustrans.org.uk numerous attractions, there are plenty of Roman artefacts – Corinium was the more on offer a half-hour or so drive from Roman name for the town. Henley Four Oaks. If you like trains, there’s the , which Green fingers With eight acres of grounds to houses several explore, Waterperry Gardens steam engines and has ‘running days’ also boasts a large garden centre, when you can ride in period carriages. gift shop, tea room and country On a smaller scale, the fascinating life museum, so you can easily Pendon Museum near Abingdon spend a whole day here. It’s boasts several model railway layouts situated close to the M40, just Tea and cocktails! representing scenes from the 1920s east of Oxford. A good place to stop for a cream tea or light and ’30s (the car park is also quite T01844 339254 meal during the day, The Grand Café in the miniature, so motorhomes are best Wwaterperrygardens.co.uk centre of Oxford becomes more of parked on the village streets). Nearest featured site T01865 204463 Bladon Chains a cocktail bar at night, when it If trains aren’t your thing, then attracts many of the city’s students. Nearest featured sites Bladon Chains/Burford Millets Farm Centre, also near Burford Club site

22 www.caravanclub.co.uk February 2013 The Caravan Club Magazine 23 TOURING : CLUB SITES OFF TO OXFORD From Bladon Chains, I headed off to CULTURE Oxford in my car, taking advantage of one of the many park-and-rides to take a bus into the historic centre. I hadn’t visited this university city since the mid-1990s, when I was selling French-designed computer hardware to Apple Macintosh dealers. My rather large sales area Bladon Chains Club site included both Oxford and Cambridge so, after visiting my contacts at even visit locations used in the filming of Pay your respects the Apple Centre shops in both, I used to the Inspector Morse TV series starring the Winston Churchill’s relatively humble gravestone at find time to have a look round two of great John Thaw, such as the Macdonald St Martin’s Churchin Bladon says a lot about the great Britain’s finest centres of education. Randolph Hotel, which is opposite the wartime leader. Park near the White House pub, cross the After so many years, I actually lost my , and where you can road and walk up the path between houses to the church. bearings a little. I think that’s because a now have a drink in The Morse Bar! Wchurchill-society-london.org.uk lot of Oxford has been pedestrianised I spent my time in Oxford admiring the Nearest featured site Bladon Chains since the mid ’90s, giving a totally architecture, as well as enjoying a spot of different feel to the place. It now seems shopping – there’s a good mix of major much more focussed towards tourism and chain stores and smaller gift shops – plus Back in time shopping, not so much the ‘working city’ grabbing some food. Once the medieval meeting point buzz I seem to recall. This signalled the end of my trip, and I for wealthy wool merchants in From a tourist point of view that’s a had really enjoyed my time in this Burford, Tolsey Museum now good thing, of course, and it’s much wonderful part of the world. Any of the houses a collection of artefacts easier to explore the city centre now. four sites featured would make a good base depicting the social and industrial heritage of the area. As well as plenty of shopping and eating from which to explore the whole area, so opportunities, you can hire a punt on you don’t have to follow my itinerary. If I T01993 823196 the river or pay to have a look round have inspired you to pay a visit, I guarantee Wtolseymuseumburford.org Nearest featured site Burford some of the ancient colleges. You can you’ll have a great time. ■

MEMBERS’ VIEW

Tony and Dorothy Smithfrom Lyneham in Wiltshire were staying at Henley Four Oaks, partly so they could see their daughter who lives in Reading. Speaking about the local attractions, Tony enthused, “This is a great part of the country and there’s plenty to see and do. We’ve been to Blenheim Palace on several occasions, plus , an 18th-century property now run by the National Trust, is also Art warming nearby and we’ve taken our grandchildren Located behind the town hall in the centre of Henley, there in the past. We’d also recommend the the Old Fire Station Gallery is home to various art Rainbow Inn in the village of Middle Assendon, exhibitions throughout the year, so is well worth a look which offers some lovely to see what’s being featured if you’re exploring the town. home-cooked food.”

T01865 263990 Woldfirestation.info John and Susan Steelefrom Cardiff Nearest featured site Henley Four Oaks were relaxing in their Hobby caravan when we spoke to them on the Cirencester Park Club site. “This our first time on the site but it’s very well located just a short walk from the centre of Cirencester, which has some Feeling sheepish lovely old buildings,” said Susan. “Our son lives fairly close by, in Swindon, so To read even more member views, In the village of Filkins, not far we can also see him while we are see our fantastic online forum at from Burford, Cotswold staying here.” John added, “We like caravanclub.co.uk/together Woollen Weavers is home to a exploring towns and villages with museum, café and fascinating ancient and interesting buildings and shop which sells a variety of one of our favourites in this area is woollen products. Bourton-on-the-Water. We are also planning a trip to Oxford, where we will T01367 860660 Wnaturalbest.co.uk use the park-and-ride scheme to Nearest featured site Burford access the city centre.”

24 www.caravanclub.co.uk