Sandringham,A Bevy of Orions and A Local Connection

We have just returned from a week on the CC site at Sandringham in Norfolk and a very pleasant site it is too set among the trees and quiet roads of the Sandringham Estate,can be recommended.

Just to even things up there is CC&C club site nearby where we took a walk.

Also a nice looking place,not perhaps as regimented as the CC site in layout and perhaps the better for that,or not as the case may be.

The Orion performed without fuss and with no problems after the winter lay-up.

There is a popular visitor centre near the house ( about a two mile walk away through the woods ) serving meals along with the usual tat with a royal connection ( I'm sure the Queen doesn't use many tea towels or Union Jack playing cards. ).

During our weeks stay there was an impressive appearance of Orions,ten in all over the seven days including ours.

A mixture of 440/4's,400/2's and 430/4's.I have never seen so many Orions on one site.

There was only one Pursuit.

I thought there may be a blog member among them but no-one recognised me in my red hoodie.


We pitched on a slightly sloping pitch which gave me the chance to use the Lock n' Level as mentioned in a previous post.

It worked very well,the only thing I noticed on removing it at the end of our stay was that the underside where it had rested on the pea- gravel ( not particularly sharp ) was the presence of quite a few scuffs and nicks to the fabric so on anything other than grass I would in future place it on a piece of carpet or the like.

We did some tandem rides whilst there and one such took us to the village of Wolferton where a chance chat to a group of walkers by the village church took us across the village to Wolferton Station which sadly is no more in running order but was the Royal Station for Sandringham in days gone by.

George V1 ( I think it was ) died at Sandringham and his body was put on the train at Wolferton  to take it to Westminster Abbey for burial.

The Queen now arrives at Sandringham by helicopter we were informed.

( Personally,if I was the Queen I would give Buckingham Palace the heave-ho and live at Sandringham all the time ).

The station and the associated signal box was bought in 2001by a man named Richard Brown who has restored it to its former glory.

Wolferton Station

He is a very interesting chap who has done it all out of his own pocket and will willingly answer any questions,he charges for nothing,tea,postcards,eggs,just some coins into the charity tin.

Co-incidentally he used to live in Wakefield and his daughter only lived about a mile or so from where we live.

The place is well worth a visit if you are in the area.


Ian