First few nights in our new Sunlight Cliff Adventure 540

It has been a really exciting few weeks as we have finally picked up our new Sunlight Cliff adventure 540 and we have already had a few nights away to test her out. Every new van needs a name and for those of you who don't follow us on YouTube and social media we have called the van Pearl as it was our Pearl wedding anniversary this year.

We adore our winter adventures, and we were thrilled to embark on our first campervan journey, which was just a short drive away to the charming town of Hawes in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

The weather was somewhat unpredictable and windy, allowing us to thoroughly test Pearl. We are amazed by how spacious she feels compared to all those years with Nelson, our VW transporter camper. The van is only 40cm longer and 10cm wider, but the extra headroom makes a significant difference.

We were always certain we didn't want a van with a toilet or shower, but after recent road trips, especially in Europe, we realized that having our own facilities would enable us to have a wider choice of where to stay including the numerous aires.

I'm still unsure how often we'll use the shower, but the toilet is definitely convenient, and the ensuite room serves as an excellent drying space, thanks to a heating vent. It's been particularly useful after getting drenched on some of our recent walks!

Hawes

Recently, we rejoined the Caravan and Motorhome Club at the NEC show, where we received a few free night vouchers. We used one for this weekend, making the cost only £38 for the two nights at the Hawes Campsite. The facilities at the campsite were outstanding and the staff were friendly and helpful, I am sure we will go back at some point.

The campsite is ideally situated, just a short walk from the picturesque town, making it convenient for an evening pint or a meal. We highly recommend the fish and chips and even sampled the deep-fried Wensleydale cheese, a genuine Yorkshire Dales delicacy!

You can find numerous walks and hikes that are easily accessible without relocating the van. We took a stroll to the quaint hamlet of Hardraw, which boasts England's highest single-drop waterfall. If you haven't visited, it's certainly a must-see. Entry is through the Green Dragon pub and cafe, with a fee of £4 per person. In the village, we also explored the Focus on Felt studio, which features remarkable Dales-inspired artwork. We ended up purchasing a small felt piece of a Swaledale sheep for the van.

In Hawes itself, there is plenty to keep you entertained. We visited the Wensleydale Creamery and did the tour which was fascinating. The cafe is very good too with a wide range of cheesy loveliness and cakes.

It was a great start to vanlife in Pearl but we were only home for a couple of nights before we set of again. This time to The Peak District.

Castleton

Using a second free night voucher, this time we stopped at the Castleton CAMC. Again the campsite had outstanding facilities, the shower rooms were toasty warm and extremely clean. Usually we would go for more affordable campsites to help is stay on track with our budget but I can see that by paying that little more you do get a more luxurious stay. Something we were grateful for is that all the pitches are on hardstanding. With all the wet weather we have had recently we did not want to be stranded in a boggy field!

We had a fab couple of days with our good friends who also have a campervan. The campsite is ideally situated to get out on the hills and we did a beautiful hike up Lose Hill and Mam Tor before dropping back down into Castleton via Winnats Pass. We started the day in warm sunshine and ended it drenched and had to take refuge in one of the cafes in Castleton before we could walk back to the campsite.

We have never been to Castleton before and were charmed by its beauty and the number of pubs and cafes! We were there on a wet Monday and Tuesday in November and the cafes were all busy which is great for the local economy. Another place we will return to at some point as there is so much to see and do around there. sadly we had to move on as we had finally managed to book a cancellation pitch at Chatsworth CAMC.

Chatsworth

Booking into Chatsworth CAMC is definitley a game of pot luck unless you are extremey organised, apparently the pitches are booked several months in advance. However, perseverance paid off and after checking every day for a week we managed to get one night booked.

We have wanted to visit the campsite for some time, particularly in November when the Christmas Markets are on and we were not disappointed. Although the weather was overcast and cold, it did not rain and we managed to make the most of our 24 hours there.

The Christmas Markets are free to enter, however, there is a charge of £30 to park on the estate which made our £48 for one night at the campsite feel like a bargain. To enter the grounds of Chatsworth from the campsite, you get a key to the not so secret door thats almost hidden away in the high wall. Once you step through the door you are greeted by the sight of the huge stately home of the Devonshire family, we were also greeted by the huge herd of deer.

We had a lovely afternoon exploring the Christmas markets and shops and treated ourselves to a warming mulled wine and toasted marshmallows over the embers of the firepits. The stalls were a refreshing change from the usual trinkets that you find in the city Christmas markets, there was a wide range of craft and gift stalls. I bought the most gorgeous knitted Christmas decoration for the van.

There was a fab atmosphere with Victorian carol singers entertaining the crowds. The food stalls had an incredible range of mouthwatering meals and it smelt wonderful wandering around. By the time we had finished wandering around it was dark and the markets came to life with twinkling lights and the glow from the firepits - it was quite stunning, particularly in the courtyard with all the main estate shops and restaurants.

We did think the cost of £40 each to enter the house and main gardens was prohibitantly expensive and as we were only on the campsite we decided there was plenty of other things to do.

The next morning we went back through the secret door and had a lovely walk through the woodlands on the estate. We came across the ruins of the aquaduct and the hunting lodge which we didnt realise you could hire. Once away from the markets and the house, we had the estate pretty much to ourselves with only the deer and pigs for company!

Sadly, Chatsworth are taking the campsite back into the Estate and have not renewed the CAMC contract. If you are wanting to have a night there you will need to be quick and get in before the end of February 2026 when it will close.

We have loved our first couple of weeks with Pearl and have already spent 12 nights away in her. We are still getting to know all her intricacies and she is much more complex to use than Nelson. We have had to learn all about Thetford toilets and Chemical Waste systems. Richard has realised that trying to fill a 100l tank with a 5l water bottle is not very effective and I am loving that there are 6 heating ducts to keep the van toasty and can't get used to the fact that we have running hot water.

We are currently up in the Scottish highlands on a roadtrip and will update you on our explorations over the next couple of weeks

Jackie and Richard