Caravanning in winter can be a brilliant time to be out and about if you are suitably prepared.

I can’t believe the winter months and the shorter nights are upon us again!

While most put their touring caravan or motorhome away for the winter months, there are those who see this season as an opportunity to explore places when the tourists have all but gone.

Seeing a favourite holiday spot in winter can give you a whole new approach on that view, village or town.

Dining out at West Witterings in the Chichester district of West Sussex.

So in the summer my mate Kath and I, and of course Gene (my campervan)– couldn’t leave her behind, went on a spontaneous adventure to Dorset to escape the influx of Brighton tourists.

Our first stop was not really out of choice but desperate need caused by drinking lots of water in the hot August sunshine.

We swiftly swooped into West Witterings and made use of what it had to offer, as well as a toilet, by going for a dip followed by a classy campervan picnic of pitta, tomatoes, ham, cheese and crisps all freshly sourced from my roof garden – well, the tomatoes were anyway.

Henley on Thames Caravan Club site is ideal for discovering the Chilterns and trips into the Capital.

On the last week of my working holiday, we stopped on the Caravan Club site at Henley on Thames. It’s a great site for being able to get into London and visit the Chilterns too. Also a 10 minute walk into Henley itself makes the caravan site even more appealing.

But if you don’t like too much road noise then try and get a pitch further into the middle of the site. We were on the main road side and although we were not too bothered some caravanners were. The main road to Marlow ran behind us and it did get a little obtrusive but the site had friendly wardens and also generally friendly fellow caravanners.

My caravan pitch at Low Park Wood Caravan Club site

I have just been away in my tourer in the lakes and it was good to see the Caravan Club site – Low Park Wood where I was staying very busy with caravans and motorhomes. The park is one of my all time favourites with wood land settings and river side settings. The park was orginally a gun powder works up till 1935. The National Trust took it over and in the early 70′s created a caravan site for tourers.