I have quite a dilemma. Supposed to travel with husband and Swedish cousin for 12 days in England - she can now only be there 6 days. So my husband and I will have a rental car and need to decide where we will go for 5. We have been many times. Don't want to drive too far. We will take her to Bourton-on-the Water and stay in the area. My husband and I don't want to go to Kent - been there numerous times. Been to Winchester, Portsmouth, Isle of Wight, Salisbury, Wells, Arundel, Lewes. Never been to Brighton. Liked East Anglia - been to Cambridge, Colchester, Rutland (more to see in that area?). Nigel you mentioned Waddesdon Manor - I see Betchley is close - more to see in that area? We've been to Bristol and Cardiff. Help! We like castles, manor houses, history, churches. What can we do in 5 days? Thanks!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33834 posts
Bletchley Park near Bletchley Station on the London Midland line between Milton Keynes and Euston is where the Codebreakers broke the Nazi codes with a captured Enigma machine. Made so many differences in WWII. An excellent museum remains in the original buildings.
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
You said you liked what you have seen of East Anglia. have you been to Norfolk Broads, Constable Country, around the coast to Lincoln then up to York? Or go directly from London area up through Derby (Chatsworth house is a definite must-see plus their farm and gardens) Dovedale up to York and Yorkshire Moors. Either of those is a nice driveable 5 days. For 5 days, lake district is probably a bit of a drive. If you make a point of churches in addition to the two cathedrals (York and Lincoln) you could stop in at some local small churches on the way.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2804 posts
Here are some things you could do......Woodstock~~see Blenheim Palace...Winchcombe~see Sudeley Castle and gardens and St Peter's Church...Tewkesbury Abbey....Broadway~see Snowshill Manor and St. Barnabas Church and Staway House...Chipping Campden is Hidcote Manor Garden.....in Stow -on-the-Wold is Chastleton house....Bourton-on-the-Water there is the Model Village it's behind the Old New Inn...in Northleach there is St. Peter and St. Paul which is nice...in Burford ther is the parish church of St John that has a monutment dedicated to Henry VIII's barber...in Tetbury is the Westonbirt National Arboretum...in Gloucester there is the cathedral...you could drive down to Castle Combe it has been vote the prettiest village in England. I hope this helps some. All of the villages has beautiful little parish churches that are worth a visit. There are so many small beautiful quaint villages that are well worth a visit...you will have plenty to keep you busy for 5 days....also take time to have afternoon tea and enjoy the area.
Posted by
OP
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
Good suggestions, Robin, for when we have my cousin in the Cotswolds! But, what to do for only 5 days for my husband and I when we are on our own?? If we had the full 12 days we would have ventured farther. In my mind it kind of limits us - maybe we just need to see some of the same things again??
Posted by
Los Angeles, California
1986 posts
Cotswold Church: Fairford Church is renowned it has stained glass windows dating back to before the Reformation (not many others have that) plus some great misericords. I have been there a number of times.
From Cotswolds you can also drive to the old Norman Church at Kilpeck in Hereford (has very old carvings and Celtic crosses). You also drive past a church with a wooden steeple. can do it in a day there and back from cotswolds
Posted by
OP
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
1446 posts
Thank you!! Great suggestions.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2804 posts
I would suggest driving down to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall....in Dorset ~~ Shaftesbury it's Gold Hill which is so pretty....Sherborne the Abbey and Sherborne Castle then along the coast of Dorset there is Weymouth, Abbotsbury where the
Swannery is......Lyme Regis is great...on the way down to the coast you could stop in Godmanston at Smith's Arms the smallest pub in the UK~we had a great lunch there. In Devon...Exeter Cathedral is beautiful...Bickleight is a very pretty village..Clovelly is another...then in Cornwall...along the north coast is Tintagel Castle...Port Isaac..Newquay for a few then along the south coast is Polperro beautiful fishing village, Penzance, Mousehole and lots of beautiful villages not along either coast. You could read about some of the places along with others and decide what area you would like to go....I promise you that you won't be disappointed.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2804 posts
Cynthia's idea for Yorkshire is great...I love Yorkshire. But since you will in the Cotswolds it would easier to go south down into the southwest and less time consuming.
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1863 posts
Robin's suggestion is a good one, but if you would like more contrast to southern England, I would suggest Yorkshire and Northumbria. You could try this: train to York, pick up rental car at York train station (we used Hertz, good deal and very pleasant) then do a loop in either direction that includes Whitby (abbey and nice market town), Alnwick (garden, castles, and Barter Books), LIndisfarne Abbey, St. Abbs Head, Border Abbeys (we prefer Dryburgh, Melrose has some good hotels), Hadrian's Wall, Yorkshire Dales (full of castles, abbeys, and gorgeous scenery), if time permits a slight detour for Castlerigg Stone Circle. Yorkminster is certainly worth a revisit, plus the park near there just outside the walls. We have been to all of these locations, some this past June, others on an earlier trip. We had to skip Durham but it is supposed to have a lovely cathedral and castle. (Google John Flinn Durham Cathedral for an extensive article he wrote for the SF Chronicle in 2008).