From the very first time I took the Tentbox to Mom and Dad’s they were keen for me to show it to them. As I opened up the tent Dad immediately wanted to climb the ladder to look inside. He was extremely impressed with how quick it was to set up and the amount of space inside. Straight away he said that he wanted to go away with me on my next trip. “Great”, I thought but I must admit that I had a couple of concerns. Dad has a number of health issues and wasn’t as mobile as he used to be but he was adamant that he wanted to go roof tent camping and to have the complete “Experience”. “Okay, if that’s what you want to do, we’ll make it happen”. I said. Mom was in approval, so when I got home I began looking for suitable campsites to take Dad on his Tentbox adventure.
I decided that the Peak District would be an ideal location, as it wouldn’t be too far a journey for Dad and that he would love the views and the rural vibe. Again I turned to campsites.co.uk to find a campsite that would tick all of the boxes for Dad. I soon found a site that was roof tent friendly, with great facilities and the availability for when I could get away for a cheeky overnighter. I booked a non-electric grass pitch for the Tuesday after the bank holiday weekend at Bank House Farm near Hartington village.
Tuesday morning I packed the car and drove the 35 mile journey to Mom and Dad’s house looking forward to spending some quality time with Dad and being able to share my passion with him. This was going to be a fantastic time to make some special memories with Dad and I was eager to grasp the opportunity with both hands.
When I arrived, Dad was packed and ready to go. Our pitch wouldn’t be available until 2:00pm and it was only 48 miles to the campsite from Mom and Dad’s house. I stayed for a coffee and reassured Mom that I would take good care of Dad.
The weather for our trip wasn’t going to be particularly good with lots of rain forecast but we wasn’t going to allow that to hinder our plans. As we arrived at the campsite there was a constant drizzle of rain but on the plus side having the roof tent would be quick to set up.
I parked in the reception car park and while Dad stayed in the car I walked up the neat gravel steps to the campsite reception and shop. The woman standing behind the counter was very friendly and welcoming as she took my details and pointed out our pitch on the little map she gave me. I asked her if we were far from the facilities as I would be camping with my 81 year old Dad. Unfortunately the pitch that I had booked would have been a bit of a walk across a large field to reach the facilities. The women very kindly checked the available pitches and offered us a couple of alternatives that would be far more suitable for Dad. I opted for a hard standing pitch right next to the river Manifold and close to the bottom of the gravel steps that led straight up to the camp facilities. I offered to pay the difference for the new pitch but the women said that it wasn’t necessary. I thanked her very much and proceeded to park on our upgraded pitch.
It was raining steadily as I began to set up the roof tent and Dad insisted that he didn’t want to stay in the car as he wanted to watch the process of setting everything up. As usual the roof tent was extremely quick to set up and this time even in the rain the living pod was far quicker to attach to the tent too. Even though we would only be staying for one night, the living pod would be a very welcome addition for this camp considering the rain was due to last for the rest of the day and would provide a fantastic shelter for Dad and I to cook and relax in.
With everything set up I made us both a hot drink and a quick bite to eat. Afterwards we both rang home to let our loved ones know that we had arrived safely and that everything was going to plan. The campsite was extremely clean and busy and it was great to see so many people out and about enjoying themselves. We decided to take a look at the facilities and we were both extremely impressed. The toilet and shower block was one of the best that I’d seen for a campsite. In my opinion this was a great site, with fantastic facilities, lovely views and warm and friendly owners. What more do you need to have a relaxing and enjoyable break in the Peak District?
Opposite the entrance to Bank House Farm is the Manifold Inn. A very charming country Inn that looked to be full of character and very inviting indeed. We decided we would pay it a visit for a couple of pints. It would be rude not to really. The main bar was bustling with other patrons and the atmosphere was both welcoming and friendly. The bar staff were working hard to serve customers and taking food orders and I was quickly served. Dad had gone for a pint of Hawkstone Session and I went for a Shipyard APA. We managed to occupy a couple of seats close to the main entrance. As we enjoyed our drinks we could see that the weather had taken a turn for the worse as the rain turned torrential and the sky darkened with the continuing deluge. I’d dismissed the need to bring along the umbrella but now I was starting to regret it, if only for Dad. I would pop back to the car if we had a lull in the weather and get it for Dad as we were less than 200 metres from our pitch. By now more people were seeking the warm refuge of the Inn and it was getting quite full. I was glad that we had arrived when we did.
The rain began to ease, so I took my opportunity to fetch the umbrella. We stayed for another pint and by the time we had finished the rain had completely stopped. “Typical”, I thought but grateful for the light reprieve to get Dad back to the living pod.
Back in the pod we enjoyed a couple more drinks before I decided to cook our evening meal. This time I was going to cook a cillli con carne using a hot sauce and add some extra onions. The conversation continued to flow and I felt lucky to be able to have this time with Dad. Making memories and enjoying a little micro adventure together. Perfect.
After our meal we both checked in again with home. All good we got changed and I supervised Dad up the ladder into our cosy sleeping area of the roof tent, complete with our winter sleeping bags and extra blankets for Dad.
The daylight flooding into the roof tent woke me as usual. Dad was still fast asleep. I got up and began my morning routine. By the time I’d returned from the shower block Dad was awake. We had both had a really good night’s sleep and even though the weather had been poor we had been warm, dry and cosy in the Tentbox.
After a hot mug of tea for Dad and a coffee for me I started to make breakfast. I was going to make us both a cheese and ham omelette. A meal I had cooked many times on some of my previous adventures whilst wild camping or bushcrafting. “This should be tasty and easy using the dual burner stove compared to cooking on a folding log burner”, I thought. I was wrong. I don’t know if the gas burner was too hot or if it was the pan that I was using but it didn’t go to plan and it ended up more like cheesy scrambled egg with ham, lol. Dad was very gracious and said that it tasted lovely. “I’ll take that”, I thought.
Everything clean, it was that time on the trip that nobody really enjoys and that was to pack up and head back home. As I was packing up a couple of other Tentboxers stopped to chat with us. We had spotted a Tentbox lite 2.0 XL pitched up on the top field earlier where we were originally supposed to be. As you do, we talked about Tentboxing and some of our experiences. The Tentbox community is very friendly and it’s always good to chat with other like minded folk.
I finished packing up and checked the security of the roof tent prior to leaving. We had both enjoyed a fantastic little Tentbox adventure and made some very special memories. Barn House Farm had been great and the perfect campsite to take Dad. I’d definitely recommend it. Happy days indeed.