New Year with New Travels in Great Britain

First of all I would just like to take this opportunity to say welcome to Club Together. The Your Stories section is your opportunity to both read blogs from other contributors and post a story yourself. As the Community Manager I will be regularly posting stories on my travels and activities during the year and I am also really looking forward to reading about what you have all been up to, whether it's a trip overseas, rally or a touring adventure, we want to hear from you.

Every January I'm filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation. There's a whole new year ahead of me with new places to see and visit, as well as old favourites to revisit. I really appreciate where I live. We are so lucky to have access to such wonderful countryside. Britain has so much to offer and the rest of Europe is just a short ferry trip or train journey away.

I'm not sure about you, but each year I try and set myself some New Year resolutions. This year I have decided to keep them fun, therefore I have put together my top 5 activities that I want to do this year. By December 2012 I want to have ticked these all off and hopefully I will have added a few extra as well!

1. Walk the South Down Way

I am very lucky to live so close to the South Downs and one thing I have been planning to do is walk the South Down Way. The route covers 160km between Winchester and Eastbourne and offers walkers, riders and cyclist alike, breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. I'm not sure yet whether I will do this in one stint, or plan sections on different days, however one thing's for certain, I'm going to take advantage of the beautiful countryside on my doorstep.

Club Sites nearby include: Sheepcote Valley Caravan Club Site (Brighton), Northbrook Farm Caravan Club Site (Worthing), Littlehampton Caravan Club Site (Littlehampton), Rowan Park Caravan Club Site (Bognor Regis), Rookesbury Caravan Club Site (Fareham) and Morn Hill Caravan Club Site (Winchester).

1. Geocache in the New Forest

One of my favourite pastimes - and also a great way to visit the countryside and explore new routes - is to go Geocaching. Geocaching has grown in popularity over the last few years. Whereas it started as a hobby for the few, it is now enjoyed by the many, including myself! By using a GPS enabled device you can navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates to find the Geocache, many of which have been laid out as trails, enabling you to enjoy the countryside and great new walks. It's basically a new form of outdoor treasure hunting for adults and can be enjoyed by all ages. It's one of my favourite outdoor activities and it's a fantastic hobby if you want to discover new walks and routes. For more information and to take part in Geocaching please visit the website: www.geocaching.com where you can register for free. I am planning a long weekend break in the New Forest this year and I know I won't be able to resist the opportunity to do a Multi-Cache (a Geocache that contains more than one location).  

Club Sites nearby include: Black Knowl Caravan Club Site (Brockenhurst) and New Forest Caravan Club Centenary Site (Bransgore)

3.   Cycle the Tarka Trail in Devon

Devon is one of the places I really enjoy visiting with its stunning coastlines, the beautiful moors and of course the delicious cream teas - what more could I ask for!? The Tarka Trail has been on my 'to do' list for a while now and I'm determined to get out my mountain bike and give it a go this year. The trail in North Devon is named after Henry Williamson's classic novel 'Tarka the Otter'.  It follows the old railway line and part of the trail is ideal for cyclists as it offers traffic-free and moderately flat cycle paths.

Club Sites nearby include:  Damage Barton AS Caravan Club Site (Woolacombe), Willingcott Caravan Club Site (Woolacombe) and Brook Lea Caravan Club Site (Ilfracombe)             

1. Climb Scafell Pike

Having climbed Snowdon a few months back I am now really keen to tackle another of our great mountains. Scafell Pike is actually the highest mountain in England, located in the beautiful Lake District. The rugged mountain offers stunning views and an exhilarating challenge that I am very much looking forward to.

Club Sites nearby: Park Coppice Caravan Club Site (Coniston); Troutbeck Head Caravan Club Site (Penrith) and Low Manesty Caravan Club Site (Keswick)

1. Seven Sisters

This year I am hoping to participate in a sponsored walk that my mum and dad (who are both members of The Caravan Club) are organising. My charity of choice will be for the RNLI lifeguards who do such a wonderful job in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The Seven Sisters are actually located in the South Downs National Park so I can combine this with resolution number one! The Seven Sisters Country Park has 280 hectares of chalk cliffs, river valley and open chalk grasslands. The striking coastline offers breathtaking views.

Club Sites nearby include: Broomfield Farm Caravan Club Site (East Hoathly), Sheepcote Valley Caravan Club Site (Brighton) and Normanhurst Court Caravan Club Site (Battle)

There are also some fantastic CL sites located near to all of the above. Search either by town, county or map. 

This list is by no means definitive and I am hoping to add to it as the year progresses. The places I have listed are all places that I am planning to visit next year but I am also hoping to explore more of the UK.

If anyone has any suggestions or would like to share what trips and activities they have planned for 2012 please let us know and join the discussion 'What are you doing in 2012?'

Photos from previous trip to Snowdonia and the South Downs