After all the great advice from all who chimed in, we've revamped our July 2016 UK trip (many, many, many times!). We had to give up some places in order to take a slower pace and see more of each area we'll be in, but it sure cut down on time spent behind the wheel (other than a couple of long days, but we're OK with that). We'd like to stop at some recommended pubs along this route if anyone wants to recommend some. We're now doing a circle route, which means we only have to pick up the rental car once and drop it off once rather than going thru that twice. We'll have long evenings this time of year to see the sights especially in the north and Edinburgh. Considering the driving distances each day, we've added a bit of time onto each Google map distance. So we are once again calling on the travel forum gurus to have a look see. I've built in a couple of questions for your reading enjoyment as well! Thank you in advance!
Fri., 8th. Arrive Manchester at 10:00 am, Skipton friends pick us up and we are in their hands for 3 days of exploration (including York for a day - so excited, one of my bucket list cities!).
Mon., 11th. Skipton to Harrogate, p/u car, spend a couple of hours here (Harrogate looks pretty). Head to Durham O/N - see cathedral (open until 8 pm) & city sights. Worth spending time in Harrogate, or straight to Durham???
Tues., 12th. Drive 1.5 hrs. to Alnwick to visit castle (opens at 10:00 am), then drive 40 min. to Bamburgh Castle for exterior views, beach, etc., 40 min. to Holy Island and be off by 7:30 pm. Drive to Berwick Upon Tweed O/N (40 min. drive).
Wed., 13th. To Rosslyn Chapel upon opening at 9:30 am. Edinburgh by midday & O/N.
Th., 14th. Edinburgh.
Fri., 15th. Stirling & Doune. Edinburgh O/N.
Sat., 16th. To Scottish Borders, Hadrian's Wall, Once Brewed. O/N around Carlisle.
Sun., 17th. Lake District & Keswick O/N.
Mon., 18th. Lake District all day & to Liverpool O/N (1.5 hrs. Kendal to Liverpool).
Tues., 19th. Liverpool all day & drive to Chester O/N.
Wed., 20th. Drive to Broadway, Cotswolds - via Ludlow and Tewkesbury approx. 4 hrs. driving time. O/N Broadway or Chipping Campden.
Thurs., 21st. Carry on thru Cotswolds - Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water, The Slaughters, Burford, Bibury. Stay somewhere in this area O/N.
Fri., 22nd. Head towards Castle Combe & Malmesbury, onto Chippenham O/N at BW Plus Angel Hotel (close to train station, parking, breakfast). Castle Combe supposed to be one of the prettiest villages???
Sat., 23rd. Early train to Bath for the day, back to hotel to pick up car & luggage. Drive through Lacock (possible short walk thru here???), see the Locks, stay in Devizes O/N - 30 min. total drive time from Chippenham to Devizes. This will be pushing daylight, we know - doesn't matter when we get to Devizes.
Sun., 24th. Stonehenge at first opening - 9:00 am (30 min. drive from Devizes). Will ensure we have booked these tickets well in advance. Carry on to Winchester; 45 min. from Stonehenge. Drive to Newbury for O/N.
Mon., 25th. Tickets to Highclere first entry (10:30 am, can do the gardens prior to that at 10:00). One hr. drive to Windsor/Eton for the afternoon (closes at 5:15 pm - allow min. 2 hrs. to visit). O/N Windsor, Eton or Slough??? Or take the train tonight rather than in the morning? Accommodation prices lower in Windsor or Slough area???
Tues., 26th. Early train from Slough to London early next day (£9.10 from Slough to London). Drop luggage at hotel for storage. London all day.
Wed., 27th. London.
Thurs., 28th. London.
Fri., 29th. London.
Sat., 30th. London - early train to Cambridge in the morning; Ely as well if time. Back to London O/N.
Sun., 31st. Train to Manchester arrive by lunch/early afternoon, meet our Skipton friends & O/N.
Mon., Aug. 1st. Fly home at 12:00 noon.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33997 posts
whew!!!!
Just a thing off the top of my head. If you love gardens you'll love Harrogate. If you love tea, you'll love Harrogate.
If you don't love gardens or tea, you'll love Harrogate.
Check the tide tables for Holy Island. You can't cross except at low tide.
I'll read the rest when I wake up tomorrow.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14822 posts
I will just comment on your overnights. Between your Edinburgh and London nights it looks like you are going to do 10 one-nighters.
Looks like they are Carlisle/Lake District (perhaps Keswick)/Liverpool/Chester/Broadway or Chipping Camden/another Cotswold village/Chippenham/Devizes/Newbury/Windsor or Eton or Slough
Wow, it would really tire me out to do all those hotel changes. I don't know if you are able to combine some of your stops so you have at least a few 2-night stays.
Posted by
Boulder, Colorado, USA
437 posts
An amazing road trip! It feels like a lot of time checking out and in again at the next stop, can the one nighters be combined?
Check the rental car office's hours both to ensure they are open when you return the car and to avoid a full extra day rental fees if possible.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
On your day to York (10th ??) start out early from Skipton and visit Castle Howard in the morning, and then spend the afternoon in York. On the 11th, head to Fountains Abbey after picking up your car in Harrogate, and then on to Durham. It makes sense to consolidate many of your stays, locations of which are very close, as 2 nighters ...
12 Berwick-upon-Tweed
13,14,15 Edinburgh
16+17 Keswick
18+19 Chester
20+21 Cotswolds
22+23 Bath
24 Salisbury
25 am - Hignclere
25 pm - Windsor (return hire car)
25 eve - Train to London
Posted by
2599 posts
20th & 21st - you can certainly combine this into a 2 nighter in the north Cotswolds.
Yes, Castle Combe is a very attractive village. Go down the hill & drive through and you may be lucky to nab a free parking space at the far (western) end of the village. You are not allowed to park by any of the dwellings.
By "Locks", I take it you mean Caen Hill Locks on the Kennett Canal? When you leave Lacock - do not return to the main road but take minor road through village to Sandy Lane. Here you join A342 & head for Devizes. At the village of Rowde - turn right & you will come to the locks. Parking is limited - I had the park on the road side.
Sun 24th Stonehenge! After Stonehenge, I would drive down to Salisbury to see the beautiful Cathedral. Then proceed to Winchester.
Posted by
York
30 posts
I personally would miss out Durham and spend the morning in Harrogate for the shops and cafes and then the picturesque castle and riverside at Knaresborough, just a couple of miles away.
Posted by
OP
BC, Canada
92 posts
We did check the Holy Island crossing times and therefore know we need to be off the island by 7:30 pm that day. But I know a lot of travellers don't check that and end up surprised when they get stuck - I've read some stories! We definitely don't want to spend the night there! Thanks for advice on combining nights - it looks like it would make sense in the Lake District and the Cotswolds - especially as there are short distances between our one night stops. The reason for the one night in Keswick and then one night around Carlisle, was to give ourselves a little bit of a head's start and more time on the Scottish Borders and Hadrian's Wall. The reason for only one night in Chippenham/Bath was to get a head start that evening and see Lacock, the Kennett Canal Locks (yes, these are the locks I was referring to) and Devizes and put ourselves closer to Stonehenge to arrive first thing in the morning, before the crowds descend! Thanks James for the advice on the route out of Lacock to the Locks and the Salisbury stop. We were looking at that, but didn't know if we had time to squeeze this in! I'll need to check with our friends to see if we will be visiting Castle Howard/Knaresborough, Fountains Abbey and Harrogate while we are with them - if so, this would really free up some time when we head out on our own. Thanks again!
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
I am sure Harrogate and Knaresborough are very nice but Durham has long been listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/gb
Posted by
2599 posts
Wed 20th is quite a packed day. Even so, you might wish to consider a visit to the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct - a marvel of Victorian engineering & only 2 miles west of your route. You will be on the A483 travelling south. Leave just south of Ruabon & tale A539 towards Llangollen. At about 1.5 miles you come to Trevor > turn left onto B5434 to reach the Aquaduct. If you look at Google Earth, you should be able to find it and see how to get back onto the A483 without double backing.http://www.visitwales.com/things-to-do/attractions/castles-heritage/world-heritage-sites/pontcysyllte-aqueduct
This place is also on your route - between Craven Arms & Ludlow:>http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stokesay-castle/
(It is worth going into Ludlow).
You will also be probably passing through Bromyard. If so, consider seeing this place:>http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brockhampton-estate
Posted by
Glostrup, Denmark
1394 posts
Just a thought: Are carrying cloths for the whole trip or do you expect to hand wash? Have you planned where and when to wash?
In my experience a one nighter means that you cannot get your laundry dry before you leave the room.
Posted by
OP
BC, Canada
92 posts
James, quite a coincidence you should mention the aqueduct! I had just been looking at this right before I read your suggestion! The last amazing aqueduct we visited was in Segovia and that was an impressive sight! Stokesay was on the original itinerary but didn't know if we had time. I'm not worried about the laundry thing - we figured we'd do light loads along the way - first one the night before we leave Skipton, then again in Edinburgh, Chippenham and last time in London. We normally take enough, you know, undergarments, to last 7 days!
Posted by
2599 posts
You will definitely have time for Stokesay - even if you just drive in, park, get out and take some photos of the outside. That can all be done in 12 minutes! It also has a toilet that you can use prior to reaching the place where you pay to go inside.
I walked across the Aquaduct last September and it really is impressive. You see barges going across with just a foot or so of raised rim. I saw people canoeing over it. I also took a photo of it from the bridge by the river just upstream. You can't park on that bridge but you soon some to a safe place to pull in just on the other side.
I mentioned Lower Brockhampton Hall. It really depends which route you take from Ludlow to the Cotswolds as to whether you pass it. If you are taking the more southerly route to Tewkesbury, it is worth driving through Ledbury (brief stop) rather than taking the by-pass. The street leading to the church is very quaint. http://www.royalforestofdean.info/herefordshire/ledbury.shtml
If in Tewkesbury, try and go down to the river by the mill.
Don't forget to pre book (like 11 weeks out) longer train journeys such as London to Manchester. Turn up & go fares are expensive.
See virgintrains.co.uk / www.nationalrail.co.uk is the site that clearly shows most of the fares.
Posted by
OP
BC, Canada
92 posts
Thanks again James - you are a wealth of info and ideas to add to our road trip! Really appreciate the tips on routes off the beaten path and access/parking info for different sights.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Maybe something like this would slot in ...
Sat., 16th. To Scottish Borders, Hadrian's Wall, Once Brewed. Keswick O/N.
Sun., 17th. Day in Lake District. Keswick O/N.
Mon., 18th. Keswick to Chester. Chester O/N.
Tues., 19th. Excursion to Liverpool. Chester O/N.
Wed., 20th. Excursion to North Wales. Chester O/N.
Thurs., 21st. Chester to Cotswolds. Cotswolds O/N.
Fri., 22nd. Day in the Cotswolds. On to Bath O/N.
Sat., 23rd. Day in Bath. On to Salisbury O/N.
Sun., 24th. Stonehenge at first opening - 9:00 am. Salisbury to Winchester. Winchester O/N.