Travel with Me: A Castle Adventure with Mums Days

So last week we took a detour with my top three travel bucket list as my entry into Transuns Northern Light competition.  Today we are back with #travelwithme and off on a different kind of travel adventure with Hannah from MumsDays, more of that in a bit!  For those of you that don’t know Hannah already, she runs a fabulous blog over at MumsDays, some of my highlights (other than the castle challenge) are the featured Birth Stories and of course she is one of the hosts of one of my favourite Linky’s “The List”.  I love that Hannah has so many ideas for days out and her writing style makes it feel as though you are actually there…And those of you that know MumsDays blog already will know that Hannah and Reuben embarked on a fabulous New Years resolution to visit all the Northumberland Castles this year – there are 45 of them to do so one a week for the rest of the year, even when its miserable UK weather.  I absolutely love this challenge idea, and it appeals to my historian side as well as my adventuring side, so much so I wish I was back in the UK and I’d be joining Hannah for the day!  Instead she has inspired me to find something similar to do out in Dubai when the baby is born, if anyone has any ideas for my own castle challenge please do let me know as I feel like this pregnancy sapped the last of my brain cells….enough of me rambling though, over to Hannah!

 

Where are you taking us to today?

Today we’re going to a tiny village in the Northumberland National Forest, called Elsdon – it’s dominated by a 2 features – the remains of a Motte and Bailey castle and a Peel Tower. It also has an awesome little spot by Elsdon Burn for a picnic and a spot of Pooh Sticks!

What sort of trip was it, adventure, beach, relax, sightseeing?

I would call it an adventure trip, as I really didn’t know what we were going to find until we got there – some of these trips are a disaster but when they go well they are awesome! 

Tell me all about it; where you stayed, food you ate, how the little person took it all!

The trip was just a day trip – I picked up my mate and her son at the Airport Metro station and then ventured the 20 miles north into the wilds of Northumberland! We always take lots of picnic food and a hot flask of coffee – keeps the mums and the babes happy. Reuben and his mate, Beau, have been a few of these Castle Adventures and were really excited to go and see the Giant (I forgot to mention the legend of a Danish Giant living on the mounds and terrorising the local villagers), unfortunately he was out for the day though. 

Why did you choose to tell us about this holiday?

I decided this year to go and see every castle in Northumberland – at 45, there are more castles here than any other county. To be honest this ‘pilgrimage’ is all about the journey, the discovery and exploring with new and old friends, as much as it is about the castles. I am terribly guilty of wasting my precious days with my boy, so this was about
making the most of lives (sounds dramatic!). And, there is nothing better for feeling alive than getting blown to smithereens looking for a mound of earth followed by a picnic in the car with your favourite people!

What is your favourite memory from this trip?

Did I mention picnics in the car? Just kidding. The sunshine was really lovely making for some gorgeous shots – although what the photos don’t convey is just how windy it was!

What did you learn about travelling with babies/toddlers/children from this experience?

TAKE WARM CLOTHES!! Even if you think it’s a lovely day, this British weather is all about the changing – so extra hats and gloves for everyone is essential! 

What is your top tip for travelling with little people?

Bring loads of food and loads of flexibility – if you’re going to be all regimented about when you’re doing and when it’ll be no fun for anyone. We spent a good half an hour just collecting sticks and chucking them in the river – not on the agenda but a lovely way to spend some of the trip! 

 

If you want to read more of Hannah’s thoughts then I thoroughly recommend popping over to MumsDays and if that’s not enough Hannah is also on Twitter @MumsDays, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ at +Mum’s Days.  I thoroughly recommend following Hannah – see you there!

If you want to take part in my “Travel with me…” series please get in touch with me by email on lifewithbabykicks@gmail.com.
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