Would love feedback on 2-week itinerary to London, Shropshire, and Devon!

Three nights in London is only two days and you are likely to be suffering from jet lag. The HP studio will fill much of one day. You would move around quicker if you just took a regular bus rather than the HOHO. You want afternoon tea, not high tea. Get to the Tower of London for opening time. It will fill half a day.

The PI in County Hall is a good central location.

I have never seen Welcome to Wrexham, but having been there, I would ask why would anybody waste a day of their holiday going there? You are going to be bitterly disappointed.

There are some decent National Trust properties in the Shropshire area such as Chirk Castle and Powis Castle. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is interesting to walk over.

It’s going to take 5+ hours to drive to Dartmoor. Devon traffic and beaches will be hideous in the summer - be prepared for delays and struggles to find somewhere to park if the weather is decent.

We spent several nights in Church Stretton for self-guided walking. One of our hikes to the Long Mynd took us into a nearby valley—-must have been Carding Mill Valley—where there were mares and foals turned out loose. They looked like Welsh ponies. I don’t know if this is usual in that area, but if so your kids might really enjoy seeing them.

Thanks Lola -- that sounds lovely! And thanks, too, Jennifer -- super helpful insights. Maybe we will extend our time in London by a day or two to be sure we have time to do everything we want to do...

Thanks again!

regarding the visit to Dartmoor - possibly everything will settled amicably by then, but there is big unrest there at the moment because wild camping without owner permission has been ruled against by the High Court. There have been large demonstrations on Dartmoor.

I'd check before visiting.

Oh goodness - thanks for the heads up! We are planning a trip for summer 2024 (not this summer) but appreciate you sharing - especially for others reading this who may be in the area in the near future.

I spent a night in Ludlow back in 2017. I had read about the very nice architecture (true). What I didn't find out until later is that the town has become quite the foodie destination. That might be one reason why lodging rates were quite high (which won't affect you). I think a bit of advance research would be a good idea if you think you might hit Ludlow at mealtime; you might need a reservation. It's possible you could run into a similar situation in the more popular towns along the coast of Devon. It was certainly an issue for me in Cornwall in 2017.

Thank you for the advice re: Ludlow!! Super helpful to know.

Wrexham is not worth visiting but Chester - which is just too the north is well worth seeing if you are in that area. Shrewsbury is the main town in Shropshire and worth a look. https://www.shropshire-guide.co.uk/places/shrewsbury/

I think that you are trying to cover too wide an area whilst also leaving time for London. You are doing this based on the TV programmes you have seen. I would drop Devon and instead head into Wales which has better scenery, more castles and wonderful beaches and would be a shorter drive than heading off all the way down to Devon. I am not saying Devon is not worth seeing. It has lovely countryside and beaches but would best be combined with visiting Cornwall on another trip to Britain..
This is NW Wales:> https://www.visitsnowdonia.info
https://www.visitwales.com - also read posts in the Wales forum.

I suggest you read through this recent posting where someone else is heading off in roughly the same direction as you - to NW Wales. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/first-draft-england-wales-itinerary-hotels-appreciate-your-feedback

another vote for Ludlow especially if you like black and white half timbered buildings. There are several towns in Herefordshire and Shropshire well worth a visit

I like it !

The Church Stretton and Welsh Borders area area is lovely with some delightful small villages and towns to discover - Bishops Castle, Clun, Knighton Leintwardine... Ludlow is definitely worth a day trip. Don’t miss Stokesey Castle, a fortified medieval manor house, just south of Craven Arms. There is also Berrington Castle a rather nice stately home, or Benthall Hall which has been a family home for 500 years.

The Long Mynd is good walking country too and there are also some rather nice country churches to discover too...

Devon, including Dartmoor is definitely a good base. The rumpus over the ban on wild camping on Dartmoor will probably have calmed down by next year. I have to admit I visited Morewellham Quay a couple of years after the filming of the Edwardian Film and was terribly disappointed as it felt run down and neglected. Hopefully things will have improved since then! There are lots of other things to do in the area and you can also do trips into Cornwall too. Charleston Harbour is about a 90min drive and is an example of a C18th Georgian harbour. Check out Brixham Battery Heritage Centre on the hill overlooking Brixham and especially if they have a special events open day when you are there with guided tours of the site and the chance to handle guns etc. Dartmouth with its ruined castle is a delight, and do a cruise up the river and catch the ferry across to Kingswear for a nostalgic trip on the Dartmouth Steam Railway. There is Buckfast Abbey, which is still a functioning abbey with a wonderful abbey church and pleasant gardens to explore. Totnes is a busy market town with a ruined castle.

Much as I love North Wales, I would save that for another visit and stick with your origainal plan. It’s different!

Oh these are just lovely replies! I can't thank you all enough for your thoughtful feedback on our plans. I am really torn about whether to keep Devon in the itinerary or not...the kids are excited about the beach, I am excited about Dartmoor, my husband (who is a beekeeper) is excited about Buckfast Abbey and learning more about Brother Adam and the history of Buckfast bees. And I think we would all get a kick out of visiting Morwellham Quay, just given the number of times we have watched Edwardian Farm over the years. But I hear the feedback about maybe biting off more than we can chew with this one trip...and further exploring Wales is super appealing as well. (I do also worry about crowds and traffic in Devon as someone else noted, given that we'll likely be there in July.) Decisions, decisions! Well, thanks to everyone who has weighed in and we definitely have a lot to discuss as a family about how to organize our time! My main takeaway is that we just need to move to England for the summer and not have to make any tough choices at all about what to see and do 😂😂😂

we just need to move to England for the summer and not have to make any tough choices at all about what to see and do

yup

If you plan to go in July, try to pick the first two weeks. UK schools typically begin the summer break around July 15th for six weeks. Devon will be very crowded and prices will peek if you go when schools are out.

Thank you for that intel re: potential for Devon to be super crowded in July (which is when we likely will be there). We are really considering shifting our time to North Wales instead...to be continued...

Busy but beautiful. Not very good phone signal in many places.

I've been in the Torbay area in various seasons, and it does get crowded but plenty to do. Agatha Christie's house one of the best places, so is Buckfast Abbey. I have some lavender spray from there I used yesterday and some bee balm that gets plenty of use.

Would love to do the hop on/hop off bus, see the Tower of London, enjoy high tea, and spend a day at the Harry Potter studio)

Some basics: forget the HoHo bus. Just get on an ordinary bus if you want go anywhere. They are in fact ALL hop on hop off. That is the nature of a London bus.

Book Harry Potter Studio tour months ahead.

You mean Afternoon Tea not High Tea which is a totally different thing.

I don’t know what Welcome to Wrexham means but Wrexham (which isn’t in England) is a dump.

Ludlow is great though.

Arthur Tudor died there.

All super helpful! This community is so generous. We are reading and discussing everyone's suggestions!

We visited Shropshire on our first visit to the UK, so it has been awhile. We enjoyed Ludlow Castle where royal children were raised back in the middle ages. At the time I was reading all of the Brother Caedfael mysteries which are set in Shrewsbury Abbey. The author dedicated much of the royalties for the restoration of that abbey. You might enjoy reading a couple of the books. . The George Scott video of A Christmas Carol was filmed in Ludlow.

Welcome to Wrexham is the BBC TV series about a season of Wrexham Football Club
Mostly in Welsh with English subtitles

Yes, thanks Roger! Our family really enjoyed "Welcome to Wrexham" and learning about UK football! (And about the community of Wrexham and Welsh culture as well.) Here in the states, Season 1 of the series is available on Hulu and they are apparently filming Season 2 now!

Based on the feedback some of you have offered, we are now considering spending more time in Wales vs. Devon...so here is an updated itinerary in case anyone has feedback/suggestions/improvements!

Days 1-4: London
Day 5: Pick up car rental (Slough? Heathrow?), stay overnight in Newbury in order to see Highclere Castle the next day
Days 6-7: Chepstow (see Chepstow Castle, Tintern Abbey, Goodrich Castle)
Days 8-11: Church Stretton, explore Shropshire
Days 12-15: Caernarfon, explore castles in the area, Snowdonia, Conwy, etc.
Day 16: Drop off rental car in Chester, take train to London then to Heathrow (stay at airport hotel)
Day 17: Fly home

We may end up going to Devon and sticking with our original plan instead...but are feeling excited about the possibility of seeing more of Wales...and it's nice to have an option B to consider! Thanks again for everyone's input!

That sound like a sensible holiday. Note that if you did go to Devon, it would be around a 4 to 5 hour drive from Shropshire - much of it on busy roads. On summer Saturdays the M5 to Devon can jam up for miles. By heading from Shropshire into NW Wales you will be in scenic areas much quicker, The roads will be winding through hills & mountains but it will be more interesting than being stuck on a motorway (interstate) with hoards of others.

When going to Wales, be sure to take the M48 Severn Bridge when crossing the estuary. Chepstow has a one way system through the old town - best to zoom down on Google Maps to see how to reach the car park by the castle. (Walk to the iron bridge over the river for good view of castle). When heading from Chepstow to Tintern - first village you pass through is St.Arvans. On the next bend out of St.Arvans - turn left onto minor road (Wyncliffe) for half a mile & park. Path up through woods for 20 minutes leads to wonderful viewpoint called ‘The Eagles Nest’. I am not so keen on Goodrich Castle.

When heading into Wales from Shropshire or as a day trip, you may wish to visit:> https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/powis-castle-and-garden

For a scenic beach when staying in Caernarfon - cross bridge to Anglesey and head for Newborough - which is only spelt in Welsh on Google Maps = Niwbwrch. Head for Ynys llanddwyn car park (again written in Welsh as Maes Parcio). See on Google Maps.

For cheapest prices for rail tickets for longer journeys such as Chester to London Euston, it is best to pre-boook Advance tickets for specific trains around 10 weeks out. The train company on that route is Avanti West Coast. If just doing a short hop such as Church Stretton to Shrewsbury, just pay on the day. (Not all trains stop at Church Stretton but most stop at Ludlow).

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Oh wow, thank you so much James! Your suggestions are always such gems. I am grateful to you for sharing your insights!! 🙏

You have some knowledgeable Brit’s on this forum! The Lleyn peninsula also has some lovely beaches including this one:> https://www.visitsnowdonia.info/porthdinllaen

Also consider taking the ferry (Irish Ferries or Stena Line) from Holyhead to Dublin for a trans Atlantic flight. This might work out cheaper and be less hassle than going back to London & Heathrow. Be sure to have at least a night in Dublin just in case ferry can’t operate due to storms - which are unlikely in summer and the ferries are very big.

However, Manchester is the nearest airport to north Wales & Chester and does have trans-Atlantic flights. It also has direct trains from Chester & north Wales and much easier road access.

Aim for June or first 3 weeks of July as second half of July through August is the main school holiday in England & Wales. (July 25 2023 is the start of the school holidays in Wales - through to 1st September 2023).

The Llyn peninsula can be busier than Devon in the summer once all the second home owners arrive. Parking is very limited.

Instead of Caernarfon, I would use Conwy or Llandudno as a base, where there is a much wider choice of accommodation. Snowdonia, Anglesey and the coast are all easily accessed from here. Take the tram up Great Orme in Llandudno, castles, beaches, Bodnant Gardens, slate mines - there is much to keep you occupied.

In South Wales, one of the most enjoyable things I have done is to go down a former coal mine - Big Pit - and have a tour with a former miner.

If Welcome to Wrexham is important to you, you really need to visit during the football season. Wrexham are currently in a shoot out for the NL title and promotion to the promised land of the Football League with Notts (the two were well established former FL clubs, who have dropped into none league football - with Notts being the oldest professional club in the World still playing professional football - Juventus took inspiration from the Notts kit and copied it ) and looks like it will go down to the wire and be a very exciting finish to the season, so it could be well worth making it to a match. Wrexham's last league home match is on the 22nd of April v Borehamwood who are strong contenders for the POs.

I would not say Wrexham is a dump, its just unremarkable, however, there is nice countryside nearby particulary south of the town and the sights of North Wales are also not far way.