English countryside recommendations from London to Bristol

I enjoyed Oxford a lot. The Ashmolean Museum is very good, as is the Pitt-Rivers ethnographic museum. Wells is nice for a slower pace; I day-tripped there from Bristol.

Go Oxford see Colleges and Ashmolean Museum, then Portsmouth see HMS Victory and Mary Rose at Maritime Museum, then Salisbury see Cathedral and Stonehenge (buy time reserve ticket), then go to Bath see Roman Baths and Costume Museum. You'll have to check the train schedules to see if this is doable. Bon voyage.

It might be a little harder to get to, but Stratford-upon-Avon is a pleasant place to visit, even if you're not into Shakespeare.

I love Salisbury! I would spend night 1 there, then nights 2 and 3 in Bath giving you a full day there. You could take the train from Salisbury to Bath in the late afternoon - it's a pretty quick trip - giving you most of a full day there.

If you have any interest in seeing Stonehenge there is a public bus called The Stonehenge Tour - that isn't really a tour but essentially a shuttle bus that runs a loop out to the stones and back via Old Sarum- that leaves from the station and from a location in the City Center (about 10 minutes away on foot). There is the wonderful cathedral with it's Magna Carta in an amazing Chapter House. Evensong here is spectacular.

If no interest in Stonehenge, I find a lot to do in Salisbury itself. There is usually a free walking tour from the local TI location, plus the cathedral plus a small but nice museum that faces the Cathedral on the Close. There are also several houses in that area that are open for touring (with a charge).

I like to stay in a small B&B there called Cathedral View but have also stayed at 2 of the larger hotels.

London and Bristol are not that far apart, so with three days to make the trip, there's no need to stick to locations that are strictly in between. If you don't mind going a little out of the way, you might enjoy the Isle of Wight (take the train to Portsmouth or Southampton and then take a ferry - it's easy). It's a beautiful rural area that's nonetheless pretty easy to get around by bus. Historical points of interest include Osborne House (Queen Victoria's favorite getaway and the place where she died) and Carisbrooke Castle (where Charles I was imprisoned before his trial and execution).

Thank you all for your recommendations. It’s good to know these side trips are doable.

I use to teach British literature and poetry at the high school level. I would love to rent a car and take time for-Sratford-on-Avon. My husband is dubious about driving on the left side of the road and thinks I would freak out :)))

One more question to anyone who has been to Stonehenge.....did you enjoy seeing it?

I know many pooh-pooh Stonehenge but I find it so very interesting. The audio guide you get with admission is excellent. There is a shuttle that takes you from the Visitor Center out to the stones. I like to walk back striking out diagonally across the field ( the docents on-site can point you in the right direction) toward the burial barrows and then next to a site called the cursus or circus. There is a small museum and exhibits at the VC along with a cafe and of course a gift shop.

Many complain about the number of visitors. I find in general you can get up to the barrier and yes, it’s possible to get pictures with no one in them even when it’s crowded.

I am re-reading the Edward Rutherfurd book, Sarum which is about Old Sarum, Salisbury, the building on Stonehenge and the construction of the Roman Baths at Bath, the building of Salisbury Cathedral and other important events along the timeline. (Well, actually listening to the audiobook!).

BTW, I’ve been probably 4 or 5 times in 6 years.

I agree with Pam. I really enjoyed Stonehenge. The barriers are set up well to handle crowds. One one side you are farther back, and can get some nice, unobstructed views of the whole thing. Then on the other side, you get closer. The visitors center is pretty nice, too. I also really enjoyed Salisbury. It’s a good town for walking around.p with many interesting historic buildings. The cathedral and grounds are especially nice, and the Magna Carta is definitely worth seeing. I would throw in a plug for Cathedral View B and B, too. Great location right across from the cathedral close and great owners.

Kathy, you can get to Stratford by train. The station is a short walk from the central business area.

I’ll never understand why travelers have no interest in seeing Stonehenge. I suspect lack of curiosity. I always want to ask them “how do you think the stones were raised and for what purpose?” To me the fact that the answers to those queries remain debateable is part of Stonehenge’s allure.

Granted I was priveledged to see it years ago on a grey November day when my two traveling companions and I had the place to ourselves. How long ago?

Well the fact that my images are actual film photographs convey the number of years. Two rolls of Kodachrome. Nary another person in all of the images. Bliss.

Would I return now? Probably not.

The rationale is why would I want to deal with the crowds when I was privileged to explore it sans the hordes. Well except for the half dozen people who were there when we arrived. They were in a cluster and in white Hazmet like suits. They joined hands, stepped over the low lying rope fence and moved toward the center. Out of nowhere ( honestly out of no where ) two guards appeared and stopped the group from getting to their goal. Watched them cajole the 6 back to the path and lead them away. Seems the group was there because they were to “ascend” to the heavens.

A fascinating encounter and fond travel memory.

That group would most likely have been druids who believe that Stonehenge was built as a temple by pre-Celtic druids.

OP says: "Most likely traveling by train/bus."

I always want to ask them “how do you think the stones were raised and for what purpose?” To me the fact that the answers to those queries remain debateable is part of Stonehenge’s allure.

And to me, the fact that gawking at the stones themselves doesn't answer those questions (if it did, we'd know the answers by now) is part of why Stonehenge fell flat as a destination for me. But I'd never tell anyone else not to see it just because of how I feel. To each his or her own.

It's very difficult to provide an itinerary because there are so many options and so many routes. The problem with the train network is that most of the major stations are in cities or large towns and whilst some of the journey will be through the countryside much of it will consist of farmland. One route I take often and which encompasses one of my favourite views is the train from Havant to London Victoria. This journey takes in a lot of countryside but the best bit is when it passes Arundel Castle, a magnificent view. You could take the train from London to Havant and then change for the train to Petersfield which is a pleasant old market town (or you could go direct from Waterloo to Petersfield but you won't pass Arundel). From there you can take the bus to East Meon which is a lovely village that rivals any in the Cotswolds https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/explore/east-meon-p646431. From here you can explore the surrounding villages of West Meon, Exton, Corhampton, Droxford and so on or perhaps move on to Winchester and spend the night there. Plenty of history in Winchester, the English capital prior to London and home to King Arthur's round table!

The following day I would opt for the train to Brockenhurst in the New Forest https://www.thenewforest.co.uk/explore/towns-and-villages/brockenhurst. There are various tours available in the New Forest including a bus tour during the summer months. This would also be a good place to spend another night.

In the morning you can take the bus to Salisbury which winds its way through the New Forest and takes in the delightful small town of Downton amongst others https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downton,_Wiltshire. Once in Salisbury you can explore the old centre and cathedral and perhaps take a side trip to Stonehenge if it interests you (nearby Old Sarum is also recommended if ancient history is your thing). Salisbury to Bath is a short journey and will have you there for your third night.

It's not the most complex of itineraries but it's a mix of countryside, national parks, history and charming locations that will happily fill in the couple of days that you have and hopefully tick the boxes. Plus, Salisbury and Bath aside, you'll be off the beaten track for most tourists especially Petersfield, East Meon, Exton etc where it's unlikely you'll encounter anyone from more than a 30 mile radius which hopefully will fulfill your taste for local culture!