Weekend outside of London - where?

[Texan]

Hi,
I'll be in London for a week and a half in April for work and looking to spend the weekend outside of London.

Mainly looking for only a few hours outside of London - mainly for a little quiet, walking, some site seeing but am not planning on stretching myself thin.

I've never been to Bath but is it close enough for a long walk in the Cotswold? I thought about Dover too - walking along the cliffs, maybe reading on the beach, castle walk and maput my feet up on the ferry to Calais for lunch and a walk around.

I was in Oxford last time I was over for work last month.

Thoughts? Any other good ideas?

Thanks!

[Burma_Shave]

Bath would be an excellent bet. It's possibly the most beautiful city in England and well worth a day. Its location is great, with the Cotswolds and stone circles Stonehenge and Avebury relatively close by. Will you be driving?

I'd give Dover a miss - there's not much to see and do there and I don't think it's a particularly attractive city. Avoid Calais altogether - it's an incredibly ugly, dull place with very few redeeming features apart from cheap wine.

Another good bet would be Brighton (where I live, so I might be a bit biased). It's less than an hour by fast train from Victoria and is a good place to relax and unwind with some great bars and restaurants and some nice walking on the nearby Downs.

[philzuss]

London to York is two and a bit painless hours by train, plenty of museums and The Shambles, voted the UKs prettiest St. For walking Pickering on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors is 1/2 an hour by car from York.

Seconded about avoiding Dover and Calais.

If your heading west then call in at Glastonbury, great Abbey, walk up the Tor, good food and drink but avoid the weekend of the festival.

[Texan]

Hey Thanks - I thought Dover and Calais might be like that, being port towns. I've just always wanted to walk along the cliffs.

I mainly want to be outside, weather permitting, and chill out. My weeks are NUTS when I'm over there because I work all day and am on calls with the US at night - so, R&R would be nice.

I've thought about Brighton or the Isle of Wight (bit tougher to get to) because I'm working at Canary Wharf and trains from Waterloo are close. I'll have to look into the Downs - again, I would like to do some walking.

My dad keeps pushing York or Bath. I know both are beautiful but the downside would be fighting across London to then catch trains to either. I'm also thinking being by water would be nice. Seafood would be good too.

I also want to keep some things for other trips with my wife. She hasn't been to Bath or York.

OK, now I'm just talking in circles.

[Texan]

OK, now I'm thinking of Whitstable with maybe a visit to the Cathedral at Canterbury.

thoughts?

[Burma_Shave]

I don't know much about Whitstable but Canterbury Cathedral is certainly worth a visit.

Leeds Castle (http://www.leeds-castle.com) is also in Kent and could be visited from Whitstable - the castle and grounds are beautiful.

[simon_in_exile]

Get the train from Waterloo to Weymouth. Just over 2 hours and you're on the coast in Dorset - world heritage site coastline, best fossil hunting in Britain on the beaches, great pubs, relaxed atmosphere, you can get the bus along the coast to Lyme Regis (a good place to spend the night), or go down to Portland Bill to see where they quarried the Houses of Parliament. Chesil Beach is only a couple of miles away, and the area is on the SouthWest Coastal Path (national walking trail). Alternatively you could head a few miles east from Weymouth to Durdle Dor and Lulworth Cove - classic coastal scenery, again with great pubs nearby.
I'd even put this trip above the York suggestion, and I'm a proud Yorkshireman.

[philzuss]

The Weymouth idea is not bad, Hardy country. Unless big changes have happened Weymouth its self is no great shakes though.

If you want cathedrals, why not Winchester and Salisbury , combine those in a weekend, throw in King Arthurs not so original round-table, only an hour from London plus more South Downs walks.

Reading this thread its amazing what the UK has to offer, shame about the weather.

[Tomska]

Yeah, if you want cliff walks & beaches I'd choose Dorset...

[stubble]

Windsor is very nice - castle - nice parks - shops .....
40 minutes approx from London.

Warwick - lovely castle, middle england town and about 2-2.5 hours from London

By car times - train maybe quicker, depends where you are coming from.

[BulletPark]

I would suggest Oxford. Touring around Blenheim is lovely as well, if you can rent a car.

[Wellpisser]

A weekend outside London is a weekend wasted.

[patrik]

Bath, Wells, Avebury.

[Harry Chorpita]

Paris.

[simon_in_exile]

A weekend outside London is a weekend wasted.

Haha! How IS Sydney at the moment?

[NorthernLight]

Bath is over-rated in my opinion.

[Wellpisser]

Bath is over-rated in my opinion.

Canadians have never been big on hygiene

[Wellpisser]

A weekend outside London is a weekend wasted.

Haha! How IS Sydney at the moment?

3rd rate as always

[patrik]

3rd rate as always

Hes been saying that for 8 years and if memory serves me correct has returned back to england permanently 6 or seven times.

I loath England. Id never return there. Perhaps Bandraboob should try the same thing.

[The Obama Nation]

Texan, Cornwall is tits.

There is no place on earth like it, except north Wales, but it's different.

I strongly recommend heading to the tip and climbing one of the hills. They are all topped with Bronze Age ruins. It's where peopkle used to live in the age of anarchy.

Even if you don't want to hike, the roads in Cornwall are a real treat, and unique to the experience.

Do the road from St. Just to St. Ives. then up to Tintagel and back to London or Bath.

Remember the three little pigs on your tour of Cornwall.

And buy a road map before you enter.

[philzuss]

Cornwall is good option, over night train then a car hire would be a weekend I guess.

Big difference between Cornwall and North Wales, Cornwall is not populated by the biggest bunch of hoons on the planet. The only thing that would drag me back to North Wales would be a week around Snowdonia preferably in accommodation run by any one but someone from North Wales and catered for by any one but someone from North Wales. They are just the most miserable people.

[The Obama Nation]

Cornwall is good option, over night train then a car hire would be a weekend I guess.

Big difference between Cornwall and North Wales, Cornwall is not populated by the biggest bunch of hoons on the planet. The only thing that would drag me back to North Wales would be a week around Snowdonia preferably in accommodation run by any one but someone from North Wales and catered for by any one but someone from North Wales. They are just the most miserable people.

I've heard that from many people, all English.

I've always been treated well in Wales. The only people nicer toward Americans on the island live in Northumbria.

I think the Welsh just hate the fucking English. For 1500 years and counting. It's a natural "in" for Americans when the Welsh hear you speak.

[purplegemini]

Texan, when are you over? If I'm about, you're most welcome to come to Bristol and the beau and I will show you around.

[Texan]

Hi all - I haven't been back on in awhile.

Thanks for all of the tips.

I ended up going to Whitstable. I thought it was a great little town on the coast - interesting history, great walks along the water, fresh oysters, good pubs, etc... Had perfect weather too.
I went to Canterbury to have a look at the town and cathedral as well - very nice.

Basically, I wanted a very chilled out weekend and got it.

I'd love to make it down to Cornwall and Wales - maybe at another time...as there is a very good chance we could be moving over to London at the end of this year/early next.

Purple - I'll take you up on that.

[Wellpisser]

Hi all - I haven't been back on in awhile.

Thanks for all of the tips.

I ended up going to Whitstable. I thought it was a great little town on the coast - interesting history, great walks along the water, fresh oysters, good pubs, etc... Had perfect weather too.
I went to Canterbury to have a look at the town and cathedral as well - very nice.

Basically, I wanted a very chilled out weekend and got it.

I'd love to make it down to Cornwall and Wales - maybe at another time...as there is a very good chance we could be moving over to London at the end of this year/early next.

Purple - I'll take you up on that.

lunch at the Royal Native Oyster Store is lovely, isn't it?

Kent is the most underated county in England.

[Texan]

Wellpisser -

Definitely agree. I had a few meals at the Royal Native Oyster Store. Seriously - Friday night dinner, Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch.

That's a great little town.

[Argonheart_Po]

Cambridge and punt on the Cam.

[Wellpisser]

Cambridge and punt on the Cam.

to Newmarket and a punt on the nags...