Day 11 - Home Run

Overview

Our original plan had seen us take the motorway route from Holyhead to Berkshire (A55-M6-M1-M25-M4); however, with a shortage of 'rapid chargers' on the first 125 miles and a total distance of 300+ miles to complete - we needed a Plan B, including a hotel for the night stop!

On yesterday's post, we discussed the transit of Snowdonia, which presented no significant problem - our best offer for an overnight stop turned out to be the MacDonald Spa and Golf Resort, in Whitchurch, Shropshire.  That left 200+/- miles left to do and we elected to take a more touristic route - joining the motorways, after Wolverhampton.  Here is the plot of the route taken on the 'home run'!

     
MacDonald Spa and Golf Resort

What can I say that is not overladen with superlatives.  Its a place where the great and worthy of golf come to play on their championship course.  Everything was to the highest standard!

Resort Photos on the Hotel's Website!

Adding glamour to the front entrance!

No problem getting a charge here!

Long Stop in Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is very much etched in our memory.  In my first career, I had a stint teaching Air Traffic Control, at RAF Shawbury, 7 miles out of town.   Halcyon days when we had a squadron of Vampire jets cruising around specifically for the training programme.  In an quiet period you could even cadge a seat in one and understand the pilot's viewpoint.  We also had an airfield wall to wall with redundant transport and fighter aircraft - waiting to be scrapped!   All very different when you look across the airfield boundary today - only a handful of training helicopters!

  

Shrewsbury Town Centre is, of course the county town of Shropshire, built on a bend of the River Severn.  Its one of England's best historic market towns, with over 660 listed buildings, including several examples of timber framing from the 15th and 16th centuries.   Especially worthy of a view are Shrewsbury Castle and Shrewsbury Abbey.

Shrewsbury's Wyle Cop

Shrewsbury - The Square - we saw a 'Leaf' (v.rare here!)

Our interest - on a wet September day was more prosaic!  We headed to ASDA - one of only 2 Fast Chargers in the town - and plugged in!  It was only drizzle as we headed up Wyle Cop (picture below.  It was amazing how much was unchanged - OK, some of the modern brands had appeared Starbucks and Greggs didn't really fit with my view of how an ancient town should look!

After a truly average lunch at M&S, we continues our tour based on hazy memories and found ourselves in the Town Square, where there was a limp attempt to sell Nissan Leaks!  'Limp' being the only way to politely describe the damp car salesmen hiding under the arches of the Old Town Hall.

We had a distinct impression right across Shropshire - that the EV revolution has yet to start!  No local authority chargers - not even a Rapid at Greenhouse Nissan!

View from the English Bridge -its raining!

By the time we got to the English Bridge, early p.m. it was 'hosing down' and thoughts of a lovely walk by the Severn, quickly faded!

Shrewsbury's Most Famous Son - Darwin

We did take one further nostalgic tour to the W side of town to take a lingering look at our former home!  Not a good idea generally - and this time a very disappointing experience - I'll spare you the photos!  Lets just say that we were the first owners of a Scandinavian style house, with wooden floors and an open plan wooden staircase!  There was even a first floor balcony, which was 'in vogue' though not much use!

Sadly our young family's 'dream home' had become freakish!
There was a Beech hedge 7 ft high and the huge picture windows were all covered in greying lace curtains!

We couldn't see the stone fireplace, that was such a feature of the lounge!  It had all become so Kitsch!

Time isn't always kind to our former cherished properties!

At least Darwin was still in place where our son went to school - a minor reassurance!

Onwards to Bridgenorth and Kidderminster

Its many years since we travelled the roads S of Shrewsbury - we would have like to follow the Severn southwards, but the lack of charging made that unrealistic.  We paused briefly in the charming village of Much Wenlock and on to the NT property at Dudmaston Estate - a manor house dating back 875 years - or so they say!  Check it out here!

NT Dudmaston Estate!

Blagging for a Charge at Halford's

Unfortunately we were to be denied our 'tea and scones' at this beautiful residence, as Friday is their day off!  We pushed on to Kidderminster!

On a wet afternoon, Kiddeminster was not to reveal the story of its once booming carpet industry.  Apparently more people are now involved in yacht building (Sealine) - that in the remnants of the carpet trade - see Kiddermister - Wiki

On a drizzly afternoon we settled for afternoon tea at Sainbury's and an 'opportunity' charge at Halfords!  From the MacDonald's Resort to the Sainsbury's cafe - how big a contrast is that.

Last Leg

Further off-motorway meandering became impractical as the evening rush hour was approaching.  So we nipped under the M5 and joined the M42 for a short leg to connect with the M40!  A 'rapid charge' at Hopwood Park and again at Cherwell Valley, gave us the range for home.  

Of course, even after dark we couldn't resist taking a short cut - M40 - A404(M) - M40 is the more time efficient route - but there is a nice set of B/A - roads that wind S through Nettlebed - Henley and Twyford saving about 15 miles off the route!

One Last Celebratory Beer?

On that last leg we must have passed 20-25 'olde worlde' pubs, with a fine choice of real ales!    Frankly after 11 days on the road - I could have settled down to a 'gastronomic beer tour' - until closing time!  However, my co-pilot being of a more sober and sensible disposition - played the 'Ace of Trumps' and we headed home to 'tea and sandwiches'!  Sigh! Sigh!

Journeys End - Trip Complete

We arrived home at around 9 p.m. - it has to be said that after 11 days of travelling and 1462 EV miles - we were shattered!  Smug that we had made the trip without a hitch - no bumps, breakdowns, speeding tickets etc!  OK, we did miss out one segment (in N Co Down) - but only because we felt that Newcastle and the Slieve Donard Hotel offered something unmissable!  We also had one Nav Error (Mia Culpa!), which curtailed the last day - unfortunate, of course!  There may also a few Fast Chargers outages that were irritating - but never critical!

It was an epic last day - on an 11-day odyssey across England, Wales and Ireland - the whole trip had been truly excellent - and sleep came easy!