Bendrigg Residential Visit June 2022
Eleven students had the opportunity to travel to Yorkshire to spend five days from 6th to 10th June 2022 in the Lake District enjoying adventurous activities run by the Bendrigg Trust.
Here are the daily updates from our pupils:
Day 1 - 6th June 2022
We arrived safely at 5pm at Bendrigg Lodge. Our accommodation is amazing, we have fantastic views from our lounge. We were greeted by a terrific team here with a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognaise and chocolate brownie. We then explored our rooms and our local area. There are a lot of narrow bumpy roads, stone walls and sheep here, some of which stopped our bus for a while. Tomorrow, we are looking forward to using the zip wire, swing and going rock climbing.
Day 2 - 7th June 2022
We had a superb day with everyone trying something new, building their confidence or pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. Rock climbing and the giant swing were clear favourites, followed by abseiling from a high building and using the zip wire. In the evening we met pupils from a Scottish school, who were also in Bendrigg. We then finished the day watching the England v Germany football match or relaxing in the lounge playing some games. What a great day! Tomorrow, a day of canoeing awaits.
Day 3 - 8th June 2022
We had such a fun-filled day on Wednesday, we ran out of time to send our update last night. After a pancake breakfast, we set off to go to Fell Foot and Lake Windermere. Four double canoes awaited us to explore the beautiful scenery by paddling along at our own speed. Sky and Oya, two very friendly dogs, hopped on board with us. When we needed a break from paddling, we turned our canoes into sailing boots using our oars and ponchos. Things got quite competitive! We returned to Acorn House for some home-made pizza in the evening. After dinner, we took the opportunity to explore the indoor cave and the Bendrigg Trust shop. There was just enough time to choose some photos for our scrapbook and play a round of 'Catchphrase' before a great day came to an end.
Day 4 - 9th June 2022
On Thursday, we spent the morning on a walk around Devils Bridge and River Lune in Kirkby Lonsdale (Yes, our school name featured in this town's name!). Did you know that it is forbidden by law to jump from Devils Bridge without reasonable excuse? After lunch, we went to Ingleborough Cave, where we explored how this limestone cave formed over 330 million years from being a seabed to transforming into a cave with stalactites and stalagmites. Luckily, we had practised caving the night before, although one member of our party knocked a 300-year-old stalactite off the low cave ceiling by accident. After a delicious roast dinner back at Acorn House, we celebrated Josh's 18th birthday. We were also presented with certificates by the Bendrigg Team, and we finally had a go at roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
Day 5 - 10th June 2022
On Friday 10th June, we packed our bags to travel back home. We would love to stay for the rest of the school year, and some students were even plotting how to delay our departure in order to stay a bit longer. Our drivers took us home safely, and we now have a lot to talk about with our families when we get back home.