Hartshill Hayes

Wondering about a possible day out from the marina in the car, I went to the National Trust website. Nothing within the sort of distance I wanted to travel, given the need to conserve fuel in the car. So I resorted to Google Maps, and found Hartshill Hayes Country Park, a local authority area of mostly woodland about 3 miles down country roads from where we are. No-brainer!

Car park is fee is £2.50 for the day (very reasonable), card only for payment (very sensible). Three attempts and two cards later, the machine still wouldn't connect to an authorising bank. Thought I'd write a note for the windscreen, should we go for a walk. Then the rain started. Stopped. Started. We ate our sandwiches in the car instead of at the picnic table.

An employee appeared, so I went to discuss the payment issue. He thought I wasn't doing it right (I was) and suggested putting the card into the reader instead of doing the contactless thing. The machine still wouldn't authorise payment, so he said I could have a freebie! Went back to the car for coffee. I'd brought a thermos, and a cafetière with the coffee in it. Shame I'd forgotten to pack the mugs.

Hartshill Hayes is a very nice country park, and no doubt the views you get if you walk around the paths are absolutely stunning. There's a children's play area, and a tea-room open on Saturdays and Sundays. But as the rain started again, we went off to Dobbies for a coffee.

I expect we'll be back.