23 days, leaving Oct. 30, England, North Wales, Scotland.

Do you have anything more planned for Portsmouth other than the dockyard? Whilst it justifies several hours there would still be plenty of time to fit more in before the relatively short drive back to Bognor.

No, so far we hadn't planned anything else but would love suggestions for what else to see Day 2 along the with historic docks. We had originally planned another day there and were going to go to Isle of Wight to the Osborne House but it is closed the week we are there for some reason.

Can't help much, but:

Day 4: My favorite thing in Bath was the Museum of East Asian Art.

Days 5 & 6: You might like 2 days in the Cotswolds. You could take a look at ViaMichelin and zoom the map in or out as necessary until you see some stretches of road highlighted in light yellow-green. Those are the segments VM thinks are especially scenic. VM would be helpful in choosing pretty routes elsewhere as well. There are many picturesque towns. I'd try to see some that are not on the usual tour routes. Take a look at where GoCotswold and MadMax tours go, and consider fitting in at least two towns you don't see listed. I can't help there, because I just took a GoCotswolds van trip.

Wells or Salisbury would be a possibility for Day 6. The somewhat-optimistic VM estimates the driving times at about 70 minutes. Oxford is over 1-1/2 hours away.

Day 7: See ViaMichelin. No personal experience, but I suspect taking the route through Wales will be more scenic. However, it will take at least an hour longer than the route skirting Birmhingham. Both routes send you near Chester, which has a very attractive half-timbered historic area and an interesting cathedral. It's quite touristy and parking might be a challenge.

Days 8 & 9: The train from Conwy to Blaenau Ffestiniog (which I rode this summer) takes a very scenic route, and I see that VM deems the road to be scenic, too. You could do a loop drive that takes in several towns in the area as well as Caernarfon. Rick covers some of the towns in his guide book. A lot of the interior towns seemed quite tiny, so you won't necessarily need much time in each one.

Thanks for the information on ViaMichelin. I've used it for routing but didn't know about the scenic routes feature!

York - don't miss the Railway Museum - IMO, a terrific museum, it's free. Walk the walls.

Day 10 Drive to Gretna Green. Hadrian's Wall on the way. Overnight Gretna Green. This is one place we could change our overnight stay if there are other suggestions.

Hadrian's Wall is way cool! I haven't been to Gretna Green, but I'd recommend overnight instead at the southern end of Loch Lomond before you head eastward to Stirling etc. next day. You will drive north past Glasgow & Paisley on the motorway, over the Erskine Bridge, and head toward Dumbarton following signs for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. There is a sizeable hotel & restaurant at Duck Bay with a commanding view of the loch. If you don't stay in the hotel, you still might enjoy dinner there especially if you time it around sunset (though the view faces north and the sun, of course, does not set in the north...)

Thanks for formatting your post so well and zeroing in on where you're looking for ideas -- and where not. I also think your choice to stay in towns near the "main attractions" is creative and will give you a better feel for the country than staying in the tourist cities alone. That said, Google Earth shows Bromham way up near Bedford, north of London, nowhere near Bath, so either Google Earth is incomplete (hard to believe) or your spelling is off (possible?) or there are two Bromhams. This being Britain, that's entirely possible, one could be "on the Marsh" and one "on the Water" or some such. ;-)

On day 6 you might southwest to Wells and Glastonbury, or west to Bristol, or spend more time in Bath, or a combination. Cardiff might also be within range, probably a whole day in itself.

On day 7, the direct route is inland and passes near Chester, well worth a stop to see the town, walls, and cathedral. Or you could go west from Bath into Wales and up the coast, longer but very scenic.

On day 8, besides the castle a worthwhile sight in Conwy is Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan house in the center of town. Near Llandudno there's a tram that takes you up Great Orme Head for a view of the coast.

On day 9, from Bangor you could cross onto Anglesey and turn north to Beaumaris Castle, another Edward I ruin with a moat filled with water (it was in 2011 anyway). And others have recommended Harlech Castle. The area around Snowdon is spectacular.

On day 16, on your way to York I'd recommend a stop in Durham to see the fortress-like Norman Cathedral on the cliffs above the river.

On day 20 you could save a day's rental by returning the car in York and taking a fast train to London (costing perhaps more than the car rental, but easier and no London traffic).

Looks like a well planned trip with plenty of time to appreciate your surroundings and improvise as circumstances allow. Have fun!

There is a Bromham in Wiltshire nearish to Bath......

When driving from Gatwick to Bognor, consider taking a look at Arundel - which is not far from Bognor.http://www.arundel.org.uk
When staying at Bognor, consider taking a look at Chichester and the creek at Bosham - but don’t get cut off by the tide - which can cover the little road.

When going from Bognor to Bromham, drive into Salisbury (prior to Stonehenge) to see the magnificent medieval cathedral - built in there 1200’s.

When staying in Bromham, Lacock is an attractive village that is only about a 12 minute drive away. Castle Combe - around 5 miles NW of Chippenham is one of the most scenic villages in England. However, it is the northern Cotswolds that have the greatest concentration of attractive villages. From Bromham - and need to go north to Cirencester and then NE on A429 to Bourton-on-the-Water. (Should take around an hour from Bromham). Then go Lower Slaughter. Chipping Campden and Broadway.

DAY 7 - someone suggested - when going Bromham to Llandudno - via the Welsh Coast = impossible. I don’t go much on the via Michelin routes either. Basically you have a choice of either going via Birmingham - on what is mainly motorways (Interstates) which can get jammed up OR taking a more scenic route - mainly through Wales on more twisting roads that are not divided highways. I would go for the latter. That being so, my route would be Bromham down to Melksham to join A350 going N to join M4 at Junction 17. Then west to Wales on the M4. (It should take around 35 minutes to get from J17 to the Severn Bridges).

Now look at this map:>https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7261737,-2.9546418,11.33z/data=!5m1!1e1
You would need to get from the Severn bridge to the A479 - where it says ‘Tretower’ near the top left. For speed, cross the estuary on the M4 bridge (toll is about £6.70) and stay on the M4 to where it says Langstone = M4 J24 (which often jams up) - then take A449 expressway north to come off at the junction with the A40 at Raglan - which has a ruined castle. (If visiting this castle, be careful as to how you loop back onto the westbound A40 - zoom in on the map to see the road configuration). Anyway, then head west on A40 to Abergavenny and continue on A40 to Crickhowell - turing right onto A479 to go via Tretower. By-pass Talgarth and then follow signs for A470 which will take you all the way through scenic Wales to Llandudno. (Toilet places are rare - Little Chef/Burger King at Builth Wells is one of the few suitable places on this route).

The other way of doing it is to cross the estuary on the M48 bridge and come off at first junction on Welsh side and take A466 up the scenic Wye valley via Tintern to join the A40 at Monmouth and then to Raglan. This will take longer but you would see the ruins of Tintern Abbey.http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/tinternabbey/?lang=en

I suggest that you move the map about and zoom down on various bits of the road - grab the yellow man and drop him on the road to see what it looks like to help decide what is the best route for you. (Also do this the the motorway route via Birmingham). Also click Satellite view to get some idea of the scenery. Google the places mentioned.

If you click the RS Wales forum, you should find some posts that are relevant to north Wales.

Bromham appears to be a tiny village in the triangle between Calne, Melksham and Devizes, so it’s nearish to Bath but it’s postal address is Chippenham.

OP, just be aware that’s it’s so small many Brits won’t have heard of it!

Just my call of course, but I wouldn't stay at Gretna Green. A short stop to take in the 'wedding stuff' - The Forge etc - should be enough, otherwise there is not much to detain you in my opinion. I note there are some good alternative suggestions above.

It's also a good call to go to York via Durham, but the old coastal fishing towns further south - Whitby, Staithes, Robin Hoods Bay, are all worth calling in at. You could approach York via The North Yorks Moors - I understand that Rick wasn't/isn't a fan, but I do believe he is wrong about them. They are big and largely empty, but reward exploration! Hutton-Le-Hole is a picture postcard strung out English village for instance.

If the weather is good in York on your second day, you could buy the book 'The Snickleways of York' - generally available all over York - and explore York by the tiny alleys, cut throughs and backstreets - a fascinating, if somewhat erratic journey through mostly very old York. For a more sobering, but indoors option check out English Heritage's York Nuclear Bunker. An odd, rather disturbing glimpse into the more recent past!

York Brewery Tour is a good call - ask if they have any of the Traitors Gate (I think) cask brewed ale left (or anything similar). I've never tasted beer like it - only get a sample of it as you won't recall the rest of the day otherwise! On a recent visit we all agreed it would go well with the odd sounding (but don't knock it until you've tried it) traditional Yorkshire combination of Christmas/rich fruit cake and Wensleydale Cheese!

Hope you have a great trip!

Ian

Thanks for all the input. I've began sorting through and adding into my itinerary. Here's a revised plan for the first part of the itinerary. I have put italics on additions and bold for new questions.

Day 1 Arrive Gatwick, pick up rental car and drive to Bognor Regis. Overnight Bognor.
Possible stop in Arundel depending on when we get out of airport, get rental car, etc.

New Question: Where can we buy a SIM for our phone near the airport or surrounding community? Suggestions on types?

Day 2 Visit Portsmouth Historic Docks, Chichester, and creek at Bosham. Overnight Bognor.

Day 3 Drive to Bromham. Stops at Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge, Avebury, Cherhill White Horse, Overnight Bromham Wiltshire. Can move Stonehenge or Avebury to another day if needed as we stay very close to them.

Day 4 Explore Bath. Will check into Museum of Asian Art to see if it interests us. Evening at Light Up Lansdown Bonfire and Fireworks. Overnight Bromham Wiltshire

Day 5 Explore Cotswolds. I have incorporated the suggested towns into a google map. It looks like a lot for one day so we'll go as far as we want for a half way point then mosey on back. Overnight Bromham Wiltshire

Day 6 Either more Cotswolds (depending on Day 5) or more likely Wells and Glastonbury loop. Overnight Bromham Wiltshire

I'll be adding more later. Probably once we actually arrive as we are off in 24 hours.

Thanks again to everyone.

Day 2 Visit Portsmouth Historic Docks, Chichester, and creek at
Bosham. Overnight Bognor

If you like historic ships, Portsmouth Dockyard is a full day (or more). Chichester & Bosham are both lovely - Bosham is particularly nice for an evening stroll & a pub drink. But don’t shortchange Portsmouth - Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, the fascinating archaeology of the Mary Rose and the iron-clad warship Warrior would all be worthwhile tourist attractions in their own right. And as a group, they’re worth all the time you can give them (if you’re interested in that sort of thing).

Portsmouth can take a bit of time to drive in and out (it’s a narrow island) so don’t rush yourselves.

York to London is a tedious drive which, if you are unlucky with the traffic (not that unusual an occurrence) could take 6+ hours. I would return the car in York and take the train to London. If you are returning the car to Gatwick, add an hour or more.

If you are going up to Bourton-on-the-Water etc. It is 41 miles from Lacock ( near Bromham) and takes about 1 hour. I would go to this area first rather than see places nearer Bromham - do those on return if you have time. (It does not take that long to see the Cotswold villages as they are small). I put Lacock into this route planner as they don’t seem to recognise the Bormham in Wiltshire:>http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0%7CLacock,%20Chippenham%20SN15,%20UK%7C%7C-2.122928%7C51.415786%7CtoNode=0%7CBourton-on-the-Water,%20Cheltenham%20GL54,%20UK%7C%7C-1.763191%7C51.886805

I don’t think that Glastonbury is worth seeing. Consider - https://www.longleat.co.uk/longleat-house (which is near Warminster & not that far from Bromham). It may even be possible to do Stourhead in the same day:> https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

The AA say it is 238 miles / 4 hours going from Lacock to Conwy via the Midlands (mainly on motorways):>
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0%7CLacock,%20Chippenham%20SN15,%20UK%7C%7C-2.122928%7C51.415786%7CtoNode=0%7CConwy,%20UK%7C%7C-3.829480%7C53.282872

The AA say it is 215 miles / 5 hours driving via the scenic route through Wales from Lacock to Conwy:>http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp (You need to put VIA DOLGELLAU to get this route).

Apologies, I forgot to update this thread after posting a question! I see you are leaving today so this might be a bit late for your planning.

As Jane has stated the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth can occupy an entire day however most people manage it in less. I find the harbour tours to be interesting and I would opt for one from nearby Gunwharf Quays rather than the one that operates from the Dockyard.

If you're interested in military history then the D-Day museum on Southsea Seafront is worthwhile and the Royal Marines museum further down on the seafront. The Portsmouth museum often has some interesting exhibitions and there's also Charles Dickens' birthplace. If you're driving then I would recommend Portchester Castle on the outskirts of the City.

Driving towards Bognor will take you past Chichester which is worth a visit and in addition there are the remains of a Roman Palace at Fishbourne https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace.

Any particular reason why you are ignoring visiting anything between York and London? Just time?

Heading south towards York I would highly recommend stopping off at Fountains Abbbey - beautiful example of this type of structure. It's very photogenic!

We are home and thoroughly enjoyed everything. I wanted to thank you all so much for your suggestions we used so many of them. Here are just a few. We did visit the Railway Museum and my husband loved it. We used most of the suggestions for the Cotswolds. We brought the Wensleydale cheese home and are going to use it with Christmas pudding at the holidays. The York Brewery was awesome and we love cask ales. We used many of the other suggestions and routes also. Some of the trip highlights were the Christmas markets in York (absolutely loved Edinburgh and York!). We also saw Wicked in London which we had missed seeing here at home. But most of all what made the trip so memorable were the people. From the chef who gave me a bottle of HP sauce (which I'd never heard of) to take home, the wonderful hosts at the Rhone Villa in Gretna Green, the man in the pub our first night who bought me a pint of bitters when I ask what he was drinking, the 2 ladies on the Thames cruise, and so many more the wonderful people who went out of their way to talk to us, help us when we were standing on streets looking a little lost, those who brought us into their lives and shared their experiences. Such a warm and welcoming place to visit. Thanks!!

Wensleydale cheese goes with Christmas Cake as opposed to pudding. Christmas cake is rich fruit cake with a density a little less than that of a neutron star! Recommend as a post meal thing, feet up, watching 'It's A Wonderful Life' or any of the versions of 'A Christmas Carol' out there, with a sherry (scotch at a push) in a warm dark room lit only by candles and/or Christmas tree lights. Proper Christmas!

The cheese/cake combo sounds weird, even to some residents of the U.K., but we've converted several of our friends not lucky enough to be born in the north! As I have been converted to the idea of frying up your left over Christmas pudding by denizens of the far north. Again, don't knock it until you've tried it! (Goes great with ice cream).

Glad you had a great trip!

Ian

Cheddar cheese with apple pie is a thing for quite a lot of Americans, so I don't consider cheese + fruitcake particularly odd.

Our 28 days in England and Wales overlapped your plans to some degree. York is great, suggest visiting the National Railway Museum there.
Hopefully, this link will connect you to my review on cruise critic:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2565926

The people you meet are among the greatest rewards of UK travel. It helps not to have much of a language barrier (there can be some), but I think friendliness and kindness are just in the national character. We've had wonderful encounters, in pubs, on streets, over breakfast, etc.

Glad you had a good trip and it's nice of you to let people know.

Oh Emma, wow! What a great idea to recycle previously enjoyed Christmas Pud. That's my Boxing Day sorted! Turkey Sandwiches and reconstituted Christmas Pudding/ice cream combo. Perfect Christmas fare for savages!

Oh and perhaps a small sherry (LOL!)

Ian

I have just read your excellent report on Cruise Critic. Ceredigion - the county where your ancestors came from in west Wales is one of the areas where the Welsh language is widely spoken as it is remote from the English border area. The Tenby area, although in the west, has relatively few Welsh speakers. Needless to say, generally, the nearer to the English border you are, the less Welsh is spoken.

Tenby should not be called a city - it is a town. However, St.David’s can be called a city - despite being more like a village - because it has a Cathedral.

James,
Our trip was wonderful and we appreciate the guidance that you provided us for the Wales portion of our trip. We visited many historical sites in England and Wales, but by visiting South Wales, Yorkshire, Northern England and The Lake District, we visited very scenic places, much to our delight.

You probably saw more of Britain than most Brits. Pleased that all went well.