Woodhall - Day 1

I’m out for a couple of days in the ‘van at Woodhall Spa. I should have been in Scotland but the later removal of social distancing regulations there resulted in the main reason for going, a meeting up with about 30 TOGs, being postponed for a further year (it should have taken place in 2020). 

As an alternative a few small events have been organised and I’m meeting a few friends for lunch in the town. Fortunately there are a couple of caravan sites right on the edge of Woodhall in Jubilee Park. One is council run, the other private, the former being significantly cheaper so that’s where I am! It’s still £54 for two nights with I think is about the most I’ve ever paid. It’s not a spot I would choose normally, It’s very open and my pitch backs directly onto the main car park near the swimming pool but it looks like everything has gone quiet. It’ll do for the purpose and it’s only a short walk into the centre. 

Looking for things to do on the journey I noticed that not far from Woodhall is the Bubblecar and Microcar Museum which I thought would merit a visit. It does what it says on the tin, with a few motorbikes thrown on for good measure. At £6 including a decent mug of coffee and a very much home produced (and full of errors) guidebook though I’m certainly not complaining! It was an interesting diversion and chance to stretch my legs. 

Arrival at the caravan site was very smooth, one of the wardens checked on his list and guided me to my pitch then came back a few minutes later with the site leaflet and details. 

The second Museum of the day followed as soon as that was sorted as it isn’t open tomorrow. The Cottage Museum tells the story of the Spa and the area, including a display on the railways and also on the RAF station. This was a satellite station to RAF Conningsby, it became the home of 617 Squadron, The Dambusters, in January 1944 and they remained there until the end of the war. It was from Woodhall that they pioneered the use of the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombs, designed by Barnes Wallis as “earthquake” bombs to target bridges and viaducts as well as heavy defences which had proved invulnerable to conventional bombing. 

The cottage itself was lived in by a family who provided bath chairs for Spa visitors, conveying them from the station to the hotels then to the spa itself for treatments. 

As is often the case with volunteer run museums it’s very friendly, almost too much so when you really just want to wander round and look at the displays, and was worth the visit. I walked back through the woods to the caravan site passing The Tea House in the Woods and the Kinema in the Woods. There was a long queue for the former otherwise I’d have had a coffee. The Kinema dates back to 1922 and is currently showing The Suicide Squad - I don’t think I’ll bother!