Caister Castle

The run started from Waitrose car park in Swaffham pretty much bang on time at 10am, once the obligatory coffees and comfort breaks had been had and general banter exchanged. One thing we learned at the start is that Andy has a deafening whistle – great for calling those assembled to order! Leaving Swaffham, we briefly headed north and almost immediately it started to rain. Fortunately this only lasted for a couple of minutes, so the raising of roofs was not required. We then started to meander in an easterly direction towards Wroxham, through pretty mid Norfolk villages, eventually passing Blickling Hall before reaching Aylsham. Up until this point everything was running smoothly… Upon leaving Aylsham, there seemed to be some confused souls who couldn’t decide whether 2nd exit at the roundabout actually meant 2nd exit or really they should take the 1st! Fortunately, the error was quickly realised and everyone was soon back on the right route. More or less. I should point out that as well as coming up with an excellent run, Andy & Jo also provided us with directions that were spot on, so this is no reflection on their efforts! Leaving Aylsham, heading into Broadland, we passed through more pretty villages and countryside before reaching our first stop at Wroxham Barns, about 50 miles from the start point. We stopped here for about an hour for more refreshments & banter and a wander around the craft shops. The 19 cars lined up along the drive was an impressive sight. We then headed through Wroxham, providing quite a spectacle for the many tourists out and about, enjoying the July sunshine. Continuing eastwards, we reached our final destination of Caister Castle, after about another 20 or so miles along a mixture of (just about wide enough) country lanes and A&B roads. Once we had parked up, everyone enjoyed a leisurely picnic in the sunshine, within the moated remains of the 15th century castle, before heading into to see the car collection. The collection is the largest privately owned one in the country and includes an eclectic mix of veteran, vintage, classic and modern cars, motorbikes, model cars and many more exhibits.Everyone had a good look at the varied exhibits and the staff had to wait a bit longer to lock up at closing time, before some of the finer details of the exhibits had been fully discussed… All in all, a great day out and a big thankyou to Andy & Jo for another laying on another great Eastern event!
by Phil Gimble