We (myself and Ben ) thought we would test our fortitude with a Winter Solstice campout. Meeting at the usual coffee shop we found a destination called Winterfold Forest, a name that evoked images of Game of Thrones style adventure and the chance to prove our masculinity. We set off into a low rising sun which bathed our path with epic long shadows and we felt we'd be fending off bandits and taming dragons in no time.
Sadly this was about as fantastical is it got, I think the world just wanted us to have a lovely time which I was happy to settle for. Cycling through a woodland we found the only coniferous tree around and it had been covered in Christmas decorations which brought a touch of festivity to the proceedings. After about 30 miles (feeling hungover from Christmas celebrations with Ged the night before) we stocked up on pot noodles and water and decided to scour the map for a closer camping spot. The closest suitable looking area seemed to be at the end of 'Honeysuckle Bottom Lane', which doesn't sound quite as grand as the fabled 'Winterfold Forest'.
Greatlee Wood at the bottom of Honeysuckle Bottom Lane turned out to be the best camp spot we could have hoped for. Around the corner from a logging business there were huge stumps and lumps of wood scattered about for us to create a roaring fire and log seating with. The floor was covered in moss so my lack of a camping mat made no difference and to top it off we were at the top of a hill so a great sunset through the trees was gifted to us. As is the norm we cracked open a bottle of whiskey, ate an almost raw pot noodle (my bad) and whiled the evening away in front of the fire.
Overall a tremendous success, not sure how we'll top this....perhaps a couple more people next time.
