Looking for suggestions

Yes, you will be able to find accommodations with out reservations. I would suggest making reservations for your first and last night. Then you can go to a tourist information center and they can make reservations for your next stop where ever that might be, that way when you get there you can go straight there and drop off your luggage. So when you are in Oxford go to the TI and have them get you a room where you will be next. The Corner House Hotel is a nice place to stay at your last night, it’s five minutes from Gatwick, they provide free transportation to the airport. I’m sure there will people who disagree with this, but I’ve never had trouble finding a room, but we are always driving which makes it a little easier, which is why I suggest going to the TI office.

You did not mention your budget. However if you want a great last memory of your trip stay here on your last night. https://www.alexanderhotels.co.uk/langshott-manor/ 15-20 minutes from Gatwick by car (they will arrange for you). And the restaurant is superb. Not an inexpensive place but worth the money.

Thank you, Robin, for the good idea on first and last night reservations. I appreciate it.

And Alan thanks for your recommendation. The facility looks gorgeous in their website. I'll probably be scraping shillings when I get to Gatwick for the trip home. We'll see.

Then you can go to a tourist information center and they can make reservations for your next stop where ever that might be,

I'd be wary of this suggestion. Many tourist information centres are being closed or left unstaffed due to continuous budget cuts, particularly in more rural areas.

Q1. Buying train tickets c11 weeks in advance will be significantly cheaper than on the day.

Q2. I wouldn’t travel to the Lake District in September without reservations well in advance. For most other destinations, I would book online just before you head there.

Q3. You are going to miss plenty of charming towns, but you already have a quick paced itinerary and so you are going to miss places!

There aren’t any night trains for any of the places you want to visit.

Don’t rely on tourist information centres. Many have now closed down or have limited opening hours or no longer offer hotel bookings, since so many people now use the internet/smartphones to either pre-book or book during their journey.

September is a popular time for those without children to travel.

In your shoes, I would book accommodation ahead of time perhaps using booking.com, making sure my bookings were cancellable if need be. And I’d make sure I had a smartphone or tablet with me in case I needed to change bookings.

I have checked the places you want to go to, they all have tourist information centers and they do book rooms for people. You can google them, just type in tourist information center in........where ever you want to check. You should check out The Corner Hotel by Gatwick.

Thank you Robin for your reply regarding the TI's. I do plan to check out the Corner House Hotel near Gatwick and reserve a room there. When my husband and I traveled around Ireland in 1996 (honeymoon) making arrangements was so much cheaper than it is now: no jacked-up price for cancellable reservations, no expensive daily rate for my cell. We had a cheap paperback book Aer Lingus gave us with lots of B&Bs listed with their phone numbers. We bought a phone card which we used in pay phones and made the reservation as we traveled. It worked out so well! In many instances the whole Internet system has not only complicated things but increased fees. Not good for those of us on a retirement budget! I wonder what things will be like 20 years from now.

Five years ago I (alone - husband had passed away) visited Liverpool, York, Edinburgh, Ft. William and Glasgow. It seemed effortless but I did make my reservations before I left the States. No extra money spent on reservations that I could cancel a few days before. I guess I'll have to pay the extra amount just in case I have to cancel.

I can't really offer advice as to the specific places you're visiting, but I can suggest not winging it for accommodations. With more and more people travelling and the ease of making reservations online, you don't really want to get stuck with what's left and end up spending a lot more than you wanted to and not really being happy with where you're staying.

The days of showing up at the train station and just buying a ticket and then heading to the tourist office to find a place to stay are pretty much over. Dynamic train pricing means that walk up tickets are eye wateringly expensive, budget cuts and online information is causing tourist offices to close, and hotels will use 3rd party sites to help insure full occupancy in advance.

“With more and more people travelling and the ease of making reservations online, you don't really want to get stuck with what's left and end up spending a lot more than you wanted to and not really being happy with where you're staying.”

Best advice anyone can ever offer, I have to ageee Dale.

If you are going to Warwick Castle I would suggest a trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon, but then again my degree is in Theatre so it is a mandatory stop :) There is a bus that connects the two places. There are some great B&B's in Stratford. I stayed at Quilt & Criossants. I was traveling alone and it was reasonably priced. http://www.quiltcroissants.co.uk/index.php

I've been to Stratford and saw Dame Judi Dench in The Merry Wives of Windsor. That was a treat. I loved that area - so many pleasant footpaths to stroll on. Thanks for the recommendation for the Inn - it looks lovely.

Thank you all for your advice. I have finally shaped up my trip and made necessary reservations.
Briefly, here is my itinerary:
Gatwick to Oxford: 3 nights
Oxford to Keswick (Lake District): 4 nights
Keswick to Derby: 2 nights
Derby to Stamford: 2 nights
Stamford to Horley (Country House Hotel) 1 night
Gatwick to home.

I'm just filling in the details now: walking tours, theatre, boat ride, visits to lavish homes, gardens, etc.

Kathleen Richardson
Bertram TX