Southwest England sites

If you are looking for coastlines, i agree Exmoor is nice wild country. you can either stay on the moors, maybe Exeter and Wells cathedrals, or bounce along the North Coast of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall- Dunster, Minehead, Porlock, Clovelly is cute and lands End is awe inspiring. many small towns on the interior too. Or from Bath you could visit the ruins of Tintern Abbey in the Wye valley The South Coast of Wales near Bridgend and Swansea has some wild areas and also typical British seaside resorts. There really are a ton of choices The South Coast of Dorset has the little village of Abbotsbury which has a population of wild swans in the estuary

I have enjoyed trips to Dover as well as to the southwest. Both areas have much to recommend them. Dover is interesting, but if you are interested in white cliffs, you might also try the Beachy Head area. If you go to the southwest, you might enjoy the Durdle Door on the Dorset coast. Striking scenery.

If you prefer wild coastline to built-up touristy boardwalks, you can't do better than the coastline in Exmoor National Park! Amazingly lovely. Like Dartmoor, there are wild ponies and wonderful weathered moorlands.... but Exmoor has miles of rugged crags and beaches. It's a bit of a drive from Bath, but it is gorgeous.

Its not on the coast, but Winchester is a nice city with enough to easily occupy a half or full day on your drive down. Have fun.

Land's End area, as Brian said, has some stunning areas, as does all of Cornwall. And check out St. Michael's Mount, the castle on an island you can walk to at low tide. It is reached by taking a bus from Penzance to Marazion, five miles east. You may want a copy of Rick Steves Great Britain guide to check out some of these areas. Another great guide is "England, The Rough Guide" by Rough Guides. There are many walking trails that go along the beach areas. Another guide that is great for those who enjoy hiking is Lonely Planet's "Walking In Britain"; has national trails maps, locations of pubs along the way. Outstanding book, and not expensive. I paid $2. for mine at a used bookstore. Have a great trip!

Take a look also at the Durdle Door area that D.D. mentioned. It is more on the Southwest/Central coast, and that area is referred to as the Jurassic Coast. The water is an aqua blue color there, almost like water off the Florida Keys. Nice beach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durdle_Door Here is a page on Weymouth, which is an easy drive from Bath. It has two forts for your son to explore, Nothe Fort built in 1872, which overlooks the beach, and nearby Portland Castle built by Henry the 8th. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth,_Dorset and here is a list of Dorset beaches, with pictures. Just click on each one that sounds interesting, to explore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dorset_beaches Do you have a good travel map? You may want to get one of the Michelin Red maps sold here at the Rick Steves "Travel Store" in order to plan your trip.

I don't have a great England map but it's too late to order one by mail. Maybe'll check out Barnes & Noble and see what they have. Thanks so much for these ideas. No one has mentioned any of these places to me before so it will be interesting to visit any of these sites. For such a small country, England has a ton of interesting places to visit. Thanks! I will print this info off so I can read them during my trip.

Hello Sandra, You can take public transportation (Train or Bus) from Bath to Totnes. Taxi to the port then take a wonderful hour cruise to Dartmouth. It's a terrific small town right on the water that you are certain to enjoy. B&B the night then retrace you boat trip return to Totnes. St Ives again on the water is a long train ride West of Bath but again a terrific town to visit. Close to Penzance and Land's End - lot to do/see in the area. If you really want to go West visit the islands of Silly. Public trasport is very good throughout the area. Enjoy your trip!

If you're travelling from Bath get on the M5 and go straight past Weston Super Mare and Minehead, depressing seaside resorts clinging on to past glory and full of run down tacky shops and poor entertainment. Keep heading west and go to Ilfracombe and Bideford, much more rugged and untouched. The M5 doesn't run near to these places but ends around Exmouth so the roads are confined to A and B with some more cosier routes around the villages and the coast. One poster commented on Winchester which is nowhere near Bath but reasonably close to London. It's a fantastic city and was the original capital of England around King Alfred's reign. I drive to Winchester pretty much every week as part of my work and I always love going there. If I didn't love living by the sea so much I'd definitely move there. You were right, for such a small place England is so full of things to see and do it can keep you occupied for years and the beauty is that nowhere is ever too far.