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Recommendation for coastal stay, reasonably close to London

Posted by (Culpeper, VA) on

Hi All,

I've just booked air travel to London for a short (5 day) trip in early October for me and my wife. We intend to immediately head out of the city to the coast for the duration; I would greatly appreciate any recommendations you may have!

We've visited (and loved) the Devon coast, and while we'd very much like to go to Cornwall, we feel that the additional travel involved would be a bit too cumbersome for such a short trip. Overall, the rough parameters would be:

  1. 4 nights at the destination; 1 night at LHR before flying home.
  2. Small, quiet, charming, coastal village or town - no cities.
  3. Ideally, just one destination for lodging, but certainly no more than two.
  4. Keep the travel time from/to London under, say, 3 hours (less is better).
  5. We intend to rent a car, either at LHR, or at our destination.
  6. Train travel to/from London is an option.
  7. Good day-trip/sight-seeing options nearby.

Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts!

-Steve

Posted by
6113 posts

Whitstable in north Kent gives you some good restaurants and galleries to visit, some good coastal walking plus nearby places such as Canterbury, Rochester Cathedral, Dover Castle, Faversham and Rye.

A smaller alternative would be the charming Hythe (lovely walks along the Canal there) plus day trips to the above.

There are some good National Trust properties in this area including Sissinghurst Gardens, the White Cliffs at Dover and Ightham Mote.

Posted by
16221 posts

You might consider the HF Holidays accommodation at Abingworth Hall, In the village of Thakeham, near the South Downs and Seven Sisters. This is not right on the coast, but very near. Use the “view all photos” button at upper right on this page to see the nearby countryside, including castles, villages, and coastal area.

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays-and-tours/guided-walking-abingworth-4

This is a page from their “guided walking” 4-night program, but there are other options, including 3-night stays with no guided walking, starting at £219pp inclusive of lodging and full board, plus evening social programs. And depending on your dates, there may be a special-focus theme such as literature, bridge, photography, etc. whatever May be scheduled during your stay, it is all optional, and you will still have access to their resource area with books and maps for local points of interest.

We have enjoyed several stays with this organization at other country houses they manage, and have another scheduled for September. We find the quality of the lodging and food to be high, and we particularly enjoy the camaraderie with the other guests at meals and during the evening social hour. With a car, you could explore the area on your own during the day. Or you could join one of the guided walks if they were visiting sites you found interesting.

HF Holidays is a member-owned cooperative, but non-members like us are welcome (for a small additional fee over the members’ rates).

Posted by
8655 posts

Whitsable, Eastbourne, Hastings. All viable options.

A few years back I landed at LHR, took the shuttle to Hertz, picked up my auto and headed off to Lyme Regis.

Used Google maps street view the night before to help memorize a good portion of the route. Did not get GPS. Was trying to beat sunset as it was November. Succeeded!

Loved my AirBnB in Lyme Regis. FYI town is hilly.

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