Lannis.

Thanks for the sentiment.

You asked "What were all the caravans and motor homes on the shoulder of the road on that one stretch? Is it actually legal to park/camp there?"

At the risk of being non PC (moi!) they are generally known as "Travellers".

In a nutshell they are people who are invariably unemployed, contribute nothing to the state or county in terms of tax, or rates.

They take, take, take, and park their caravans wherever they choose, and when they eventually leave (evicted by the Council) leave a load of mess behind.

Basically leeches on society.

I dont decry anyone who wants to live an alternative lifecycle, but these people really are like a cancer, as they have little / no respect for anything.

There is another road that runs parallel to the one I was on, about a mile away. That lane is full of these caravans, and is deemed to be a "no go" area - that shows just how bad these people are.

I certainly would not even think about going along that road, which is a shame because there is a really nice river around there I used to fish as a kid, now no one dares venture down that way, and the local Council do FA about it.