Making The Best Of November In England

Thank you Emma.

We've been to England in March before and one of the coldest days of our lives was 34 degrees F, just above 0 degrees C, in the Cotswolds! Damp cold penetrates! In Colorado we have a drier cold usually. We've also been to Ireland in Spring and Fall and have our Aran Island sweaters ready to go with a Gore-Tex shell. I've also got some Harris Tweed for dress up, so we're good.

Our interests outside London are history, the ancient stone circles, etc., good music (pubs are great), and local culture-sense of place. We've very outdoors oriented and love nature, but realize this is likely a poor month for that. Will be arriving just after Guy Fawkes, otherwise that would be a blast! (Pun intended.) Realize it's all a trade off going to be tourists in November, but it tags on to a business trip nicely.

Also, our 4 days in London is at the end of the month so we've been told the Christmas spirit will be in evidence by then. Should be fun.

If you have the right clothes, you ought to be fine. I would be prepared for damp and chilly, with layers. If you're feeling chilled, you can always stop for soup or coffee.

Besides November weather, I would take short daylight hours into consideration. If you rent a car, will you be comfortable driving in the dark? If you don't want to drive in the dark, you will need to plan your accommodations carefully so that you'll have enough time to visit sites like Stonehenge and Avebury and still get to where you'll stay the night. We loved both Stonehenge and Avebury. Spent a full day in Avebury with a 7 mile hike to see surrounding prehistoric sites. We were there in summer and it was quite warm so not sure how hike would work in Nov.

You might want to consider staying in Salisbury or Winchester. Both are very pleasant towns with gorgeous cathedrals. We also liked Old Sarum just north of Salisbury, although I wouldn't want to visit here if it were raining as it is all outdoors and quite exposed. Winchester is a nice first night because it's closer to Heathrow than Bath, and just off the motorway so a drive with very few roundabouts in a jet-lagged state.

I might be making an unwelcome comment, so I hesitate, but the earlier comment about making sure you're comfortable driving in the dark (which is a good point, I think), makes me think that if I were going at this time, I might forego touring some of the nearby places I might normally consider for either

a) another British city - cities come alive in this time of year, cultural events, etc. -- what about taking the train up to Edinburgh?

b) a few days almost completely disconnected at some grand English country house hotel -- warming up by the fireplace and in the pub or restaurant, some walks during the days if weather allows.

As I said I know it's a bit obnoxious to respond to a question about November in England with a suggestion you go to Edinburgh, so please do forgive me if you find it totally off base!!

November isn't always doom and gloom and its the month I'm most often in London. As you are outdoors people you could always send time in the Cotswolds and enjoy hiking between the villages.
You could also spend time along Jurassic coast. Or while in London enjoy the beauty of Richmond Park, or stroll in the Hampstead Heath.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

What's starting to shape up is starting out by taking a train from the airport to Bath. Recuperating from jet lag at a spa and then saying there in town a couple of more days while we rent a car and go exploring out to Avebury and Stonehenge. We're figuring we only have about 5 days or so of tourism before heading out to do our first piece of business. Will keep in mind some of your suggestions about specific places.

Any favorite B&B's in Bath or the surrounding area? Other don't-miss historic sights, castles, etc. ?

If you are going to be in London on November 5th and want to see something really unique take the train to Lewes, which is about 50 miles away, and experience the largest Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night in the world. If I can get away from my office I will be traveling to London to participate in this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OttNo41ab0

(one of many videos filmed in Lewes)

Lewes is a good diea, but i does get very crowded. It's actually the best known of a number of Bonfire Societies in that part of Sussex and Kent that have more than usually spectacular events. You could also try Edenbridge http://www.edenbridgebonfire.co.uk/ or several others.

You ask for a B&B in Bath and I would suggest Three Abbey Green which we stayed in last year and as its name implies is right in the historic centre of the city.

http://www.threeabbeygreen.com/

Would love nothing more than to be there for the Guy Fawkes celebrations, but we don't even arrive in the Isles until days after that. Sounds like a great time!

Thanks for the B&B suggestion!

Travel Strategy Question: Thinking of going with the Bath first, London later idea. We will want a car to drive around from a hub in Bath - go see Avebury, Stonehenge, etc. Not sure whether to rent a car once we're in Bath - after getting there by train - or just start the car rental at the airport and drive to Bath (after a Transatlantic flight). Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks!

" or just start the car rental at the airport and drive to Bath (after a Transatlantic flight). Thoughts?"

Not a good idea to jump off a transatlantic flight and into a hire car on the "wrong" side of the road.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7767693.stm

Yes, good call on the no-car after jumping across the pond rule. My last bout with jet lag in Dublin astonished me. I usually do okay, but the previous night probably only managed three hours of sleep on the plane. We got to our hotel on the outskirts of Dublin and took a train into town to keep moving and adjust to the local time. I went out on the train like someone had put knock-out drops in my tea. Boom! Gone! Train to Bath. Rent car there. Good.

Actually there is no train from Heathrow Airport to Bath. You'll have to take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then catch a train from there to Bath. Why not just stay in London? I disagree with Rick's recommendation to start in Bath. When wife and I went to London for the first time, we stayed in South Kensington and hit the ground running the evening after we arrived at the apartment, taking the tube to a few different places before collapsing in to bed at 10pm. Up by 7am and out the door by 9am on the bus to the British Museum, brilliant!!

Hello mtnmichael. If you will be at England in November, I recommend : be inside buildings. There is likely to be rain most days, and the air could be cold. In the days at England before your business meetings, stay at London. After your business meetings, ride in a railway train to York. York is a tourist's delight.