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Blog 238 - Motorhome Trip No. 64: A Weekend at Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Site, Sausage Sizzle, Dead Sheep, Rhea Eggs & Cider
Updated: 4 days ago
Created by KeefH Web Designs, September 8th, 2026, 9:39 AM
Motorhome trip No64: 3-6th September 2026
Sandiacre, Derbyshire -> Grafham Caravan and Motorhome Site -> Sandiacre, Derbyshire (179 miles)
Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Site - What a Lovely Site
Continuing our recent spate of reservoir and water trips, we’ve gone from Carsington to Grafham. I guess we might make this a future voyage of discovery in the UK, targeting all the campsites near water. From what we saw while travelling around Grafham Water on Sunday, heading to West Perry for Sunday lunch, the setup at Grafham is quite similar to Carsington. There’s a high-level walkway, a boating headquarters, and a water plant tower. The difference? Grafham has tons of solar panels, which is fantastic news and a great use of land on the slope.
Pitches
Slideshow of Images & Video
Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Site write-up - A modern digital trip storytelling (or if you prefer "Travel Blog") - see further if you are interested in our Decades of Travel, mostly in a motorhome.
Overview of the Trip
Having packed in the week prior to the journey on Thursday morning, we were well set. This would be the longest trip in the motorhome I had driven since having both knees replaced. But, the reality was, it wasn’t a problem at all! The only weird bit was after a long stretch on the M1 motorway. When we hit the A14, I had to slow down at the roundabout at junction 20 after some 80 miles of continuous driving. My right knee felt a bit odd, but thankfully it was manageable. Onward and upwards is my motto now!
The campsite staff were incredibly friendly. Upon arrival, I was told our pals had already checked in. I asked to be placed in the pitch right next to them; either side would have been fine. But, I was told that wasn’t allowed because we had "hard standing with awning - white pitches," while those on either side were blue, "hard standing without awning." We weren’t going to use our awning, and pitch 12 was empty the whole time we were there. A little JOBSWORTH, if I’m honest! Anyway, it wasn’t a big deal, and we had a great time at the campsite.
The rest of Thursday was spent chilling, catching up, having the odd bevvie, and enjoying the sunshine. The campsite was very quiet and relaxing. In the evening, Keef cooked lasagna and garlic bread, while Annie prepared a lovely salad. We finished off with cheese and biscuits for pudding. All very nice indeed!
Discovering Grafham Water
On Friday, Joy treated us to her lovely smoked salmon scrambled eggs and avocado for breakfast. Then, we set off to "discover" Grafham Water, walking out of the site and down into the village of Grafham, where we found a community shop. The guy in there was super friendly and told us about the Cider and Sausage Festival happening on Saturday, which we decided to attend. He also shared the best route down to the water, which involved walking back to the church and using the St. Neots road down to the water's edge. It was a nice walk, but here’s a big BUT: before we started down that road, the weird farmer nabbed Pete and asked, “Are you strong? Can you help me pick up a dead sheep and put it in my van?” Never one to avoid a challenge, Pete agreed. Others had already turned down the farmer’s kind offer in the village, so we were all a bit worried as the farmer carted Pete off into his fields (which we couldn’t see... "Axe murderer jokes abounded").
As a reward for his bravery, the farmer gave Pete a Rhea egg. He kept a Rhea in his field, as you can see in the slideshow/video. To avoid carrying it all the way to the water's edge, we hid it in the hedge, taking pictures so we’d know where to pick it up on the way back. The water was interesting, and we walked along the reinforced edge, which had seen better days. We chatted with a local fisherman who had caught two trout but returned them as they were too small. After that, we walked back to the campsite via the lovely old 12th-century church, where there were book sales in the porch, and along a beautiful rose-lined pathway. Just stunning! We then relaxed in the sun for the rest of the afternoon with an extended game of Trivial Pursuit "Globetrotter" version. Thank heavens Annie finally won it! Joy made a lovely tea, and we all eventually retired early to sleep after so much fresh air.
Cider and Sausage Festival
Saturday brought croissants and fruit bagels for breakfast. We set off into Grafham again (avoiding the farmer this time) and arrived at the pub (Grafham Trout, manned by local volunteers) right at opening time at 1 PM. We managed to grab a table for four at the festival. The ciders and sausages were delightful, especially the Appley Dapley cider and the elderflower cider, not to mention the huge variety of hot dog sausages. The festival was very well supported by both locals and folks from the two campsites, CAMC and C&CC. Pete and I occasionally listened in on the Forest vs Spurs football match while enjoying live music from a lovely lady saxophonist. After a fun-filled afternoon, we returned to the site, where the men watched the tail end of the game while the ladies relaxed.
Sunday Farewells
Sunday rolled around, and it was time to pack up and head out for Sunday lunch at The Wheatsheaf in West Perry, not far from the site. The food was ginormous, and not one of us managed to finish it! After saying our fond farewells, we traveled home, reflecting on a lovely weekend with friends. I can definitely recommend the Grafham Water site!
Summary
Trip 64 to Grafham Water was supposed to be a calm motorhome getaway — a bit of fresh air, a bit of scenery, maybe a sausage or two. Instead, it turned into a rural sitcom featuring me, Pete, Joy, and an ensemble of wildlife that clearly hadn’t read the script. The Caravan and Motorhome Club site itself was its usual dependable self: peaceful, well-kept, and blissfully drama-free. Everything outside the site, however, seemed determined to provide entertainment.
The headline act was Pete’s unexpected audition for “Country Hero of the Year.” Spotting a dead sheep in a ditch, he did the neighbourly thing and hauled it out — a task that really should come with hazard pay, applause, and possibly counselling. The farmer, known only as “Axe Man” (which is not the name you want to hear when approaching someone with livestock news), rewarded him with a rhea egg. Because obviously, in rural Cambridgeshire, the natural response to sheep retrieval is to hand over a prehistoric-sized egg from a bird that looks like it escaped Jurassic Park.
Back at camp, the egg became an omelette so large it could have been classified as a minor geological feature. Fuelled by this protein monolith, we all headed to the Cider & Sausage Sizzle at the Grafham Trout — sunshine, live music, and enough sausages to trigger a national shortage. It was the perfect blend of village charm and mild food-based chaos.
The weekend wrapped up with hearty meals at The Mermaid in Ellington and The Wheatsheaf, proving once again that nothing complements unexpected sheep encounters quite like proper pub grub and good company.
Short trip, big laughs, oversized egg, heroic sheep-lifting — Trip 64 will be retold for years, whether you like it or not.
Documents
Campsite Advice Leaflet with Local Visits Highlighted
Feel free to download this PDF.
what a fun few days, great quiet site