West Dorset in a camper van

Camping rates on my fun scale slightly higher than having to read Katie Hopkin’s Daily Heil column and slightly lower than root canal surgery. However, having a partner and numerous friends who extol the virtues of nights under canvas or rather water resistant nylon, I thought it was time I got over my aversion to deflating airbeds, uncomfortable sleeping bags and mild claustrophobia when you wake up with your nose pressed up against a slightly damp flysheet.

So when the chance to spend a weekend in a campervan from Bristol company Quirky Campers arose I thought why not? We hired Ashleigh, a converted Mercedes Sprinter van.

Ashleigh is a stunner. The storage options, the pull out bed and the hob and sink area are crafted by a cabinet maker and it shows. The finish is exceptional throughout. The seating cushions which double up as a mattress are memory foam and beautifully upholstered.  There is plenty of LED lighting in the van, all run from a leisure battery. And if all this is not enough there’s a wood-burner in one corner which pumps out a phenomenal amount of heat.

The owners Craig and Christine have thought of everything you might need for a weekend or more camping. There’s plenty of crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils and even a cafetiere. The two burner hob and grill cooks as well as one you’d find in a normal kitchen and the water system for the sink is simple and effective, a refillable, portable water tank.

Before you drive off into the sunset or indeed the drizzle, Craig will explain how everything in the van works and what safety procedures you should take. There is a manual too so it’s very hard to go wrong.

As this was the first time my partner had driven anything larger than her sister’s Chelsea tractor I mapped an A-road route to gently ease her into driving the van. After bunny hopping out of the drive and stalling on a hill 10 metres away from said drive (the owners didn’t seem at all phased by this) I did wonder if we’d get to Dorset.

Driving a van is different to driving a car, it’s a lot bigger, heavier and there’s no rear view mirror and in Ashleigh’s case the ‘bite’ was higher when changing gear. (I have no idea what that means not being a driver but my partner explained it to me and I still have no idea). However, once you get used to the ‘bite’ after a couple of miles it’s apparently pretty easy. Ashleigh was able to negotiate the steep, hairpin bend ridden, hills of the Purbecks easily and the number of people who will pull in and give way when faced with her was surprising.

The campsite we chose was Tom’s Field in Langton Matravers. The site features in the ‘Cool Camping Guide’ and it is easy to see why. The views are stunning, ranging from rolling countryside to the distant sea. The site is environmentally friendly , campers are encouraged to recycle and have minimum impact on the site and all the hot water is solar heated. There’s a campsite shop stocking essentials, local produce and Fair Trade products and breakfasts are served until 11am at the Bower Café.

 Once we had parked up we had to sort Ashleigh, ie make a cup of tea and cook dinner before a stroll through rolling, sea mist to the Square and Compass pub.

The Square and Compass is all nooks, crannies and includes possibly the smallest museum in the UK, the stuffed bat-thing is a real sight to behold. Real ale, cider, pasties and pies are served via a hatch not a bar. Once inside you realise that this is a REAL PUB where decent live music and conversation are the order of the day. After a convivial evening it was back to Tom’s Field and a good night’s sleep.

Saturday dawned damp and drizzling which did not deter the enthusiastic and deafening dawn chorus, which, along with the voluble sheep and lambs made it very clear that we were in the country now. After a hearty breakfast, we took a walk to Dancing Ledge. This is not recommended unless you are happy to scramble and jump down the last few metres. Once down there it’s worth it, beautiful views and puffins round the corner. Even in the rain.

Then it was back for a hot shower, lighting the wood-burner and tea and cake in the van and a jaunt to the Scott Arms for an early dinner.

The Scott Arms is a huge country pub, serving excellent food with a wonderful view of Corfe Castle. There is ample parking, a massive garden and children and dogs are welcome. What was unexpected was the ’Jerk Shack’ on the outside terrace, serving rum cocktails, and authentic Jamaican food.  Not something you tend to find at most rural pubs.

Sunday was sunny and Kimmeridge Bay was our destination. The bay is an area of Special Scientific Interest, thus there’s a marine centre, a car park and a couple of boat houses and that’s it. You can find fossils on the beach so much of my time was spent staring at my shoes. My partner decided against the Snorkel Safari aka some buoys which mark interesting seaweed, fish areas and coral but said she regretted it.

A delicious lunch was had at the Castle Inn in nearby Corfe Castle. Then it was time to return Ashleigh and get back to Bristol.

The weekend was an unqualified pleasure despite the lousy weather.  I may not be converted to camping in a tent but I am now the proud owner of half a 1990 Mk 3 Ford Transit ambulance which will be converted into our very own Ashleigh. 

For more information see the Quirky Campers website www.quirkycampers.co.uk