Where to stay for two nights between London and York?

Oxford? Easy to reach from Heathrow and well worth a few days.

We also did Oxford when we arrived from Heathrow. We took the Airport Bus to Oxford. Oxford has everything you’re requesting. We enjoyed staying at the Malmaisin Hotel which is a former prison!

If you are looking for quaint, about half-way between London & York is Stamford. A smaller town (19,000), most of the downtown was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. Less quaint, and a little larger is Grantham (like the master of Downton Abbey). With a population of 44,000 it's the home of Belvoir Castle, the National Trust's Belton House, the Grimsthorpe Castle House and Gardens, and the Woolsthorpe Manor House which is Sir Issac Newton's former farmhouse. And, if you're a Margaret Thatcher fan, she's well represented in the town museum. Finally, if you'd like a larger city (330,000), Nottingham has more nightlife and cultural events. The UK Telegraph in it's travel section called it the "UK's most underrated city."

At Grantham the Angel and Royal Hotel claims to be the oldest hotel in the UK- at over 800 years old. This is it's history- https://www.angelandroyal.co.uk/about-us

It's a fantastic place to stay- a splurge by my standards but totally worth it.

In July we landed at Heathrow and took the Oxford Bus Co. bus to Oxford and stayed for a few nights. It was a perfect place to recover from jet lag and ease into our first European trip in a few years. The first day we did a walking tour and the following day we took the bus to Blenheim Palace. It was an easy bus trip and wonderful to see the birthplace of Churchill.

Another vote for Stamford which is a thriving town with a lot of interesting shops and eateries. It is a 'stone town, like many Cotswolds towns, but without the number of tourists. There is also the wonderful Burghley House about two miles away. This is ranked as one of the Great Treasure Houses of England.

Thank you everyone for your replies!

I had no idea about the Oxford bus from Heathrow - very good to know. And Stamford also looks very appealing. Decisions, decisions! I'm off to do some research on all of these places.

Possibly not a correct answer to your question, but how about continuing beyond York to Durham and then going back to York? Durham would perfectly fulfill what you say you want.

One night Stamford and the next Lincoln. If you are lucky your visit will coincide with an Imps home match and the city of Lincoln will buzzin'.