At Hillcroft campsite, Pooley Bridge, Ullswater, we are directed to the top of the steep, terraced hill, where we are almost in splendid isolation with just two fellow tourers in our area.

The fine weather has departed, leaving us with scudding, intermittent rain, although it’s not cold. It’s a long walk down through the site [and back up!] but once down at road level there’s only a couple of minutes more to get into the village, which is small and cute and has just about everything you might need, from groceries to books as well as coffee shops, pubs and hotels.

We can’t see the lake from our pitch but it is visible from further down the site, where there’s a camping field and pods. Down in the village, a footpath before the bridge takes us to the lake’s edge where we can see a small pier. There should be steamers running but they aren’t stopping at Pooley Bridge at present,

The tiny gift shop has some lovely, locally made items but no jewellery, which I was looking forward to getting for a family birthday. We conduct a short survey of the village pub/restaurants for the following night, choosing the ‘Pooley Bridge’ itself, which gets good reviews. We are to find that the reviews are not entirely accurate, since although it’s pleasant inside and popular with diners, my steak is disappointing and flavourless and the meals overall lacklustre.

On our final day at Pooley Bridge we head off into the village and on to a riverside footpath which leads us across fields, up through a farm/campsite, across more fields, along a road, back to the river and returning to the village for tea and cake at the coffee shop overlooking the river.

The campsite, Hillcroft Farm, has new modern, huge showers and even a dishwasher! But I’m mystified by the games room, which has slot machines and other games plus a vending machine for snacks- and yet there is no bar or cafe and only a tiny, ill-stocked shop, both of which would be much more popular with visitors.

But we’re off next day, leaving Pooley Bridge and following the lakeside towards Keswick. We can’t stay there as the lovely lakeside site is full, but we need some groceries so we’ll make a stop for a supermarket. I’d forgotten all about Booths, although we must have shopped there the last time we came, so when it pops up on our SATNAV shopping chip, we pull in to the car park.

Booths is an exceptional supermarket. I f you thought Waitrose was posh, you haven’t visited Booths. Everything in this spacious, upmarket store is top quality- from the [very expensive] butcher’s counter to the delectable bakery items. Faced with such an array of delicious and tempting foods, we decide on some eye-wateringly expensive steaks [to make up for the tasteless offering at Pooley Bridge]. Following this and after stowing everything, we stay and have lunch before getting back en route.

The final part of the journey to Nether Wasdale is tortuous, with tiny, bendy lanes but at last we arrive to the miniscule village, which has very little, seemingly and it’s easy to spot the site- at another working farm…

ovels by Jane Deans [Grace]: The Year of Familiar Strangers and The Conways at Earthsend. Visit my website: janedeans.com