We are planning a road trip through the UK this summer, and are looking for suggestions. We have the guide books, and like reading about the various sites, but want to know if there is anything that was a favorite that stood out for you on your trip. Please respond with any comments about places in the guidebooks, or less known must sees. Thanks for your help
We haven't done a 'road' trip as we prefer using the trains and buses. But- here are some of my favorite UK places: Windsor, Bath, Cardiff Wales, Canterburry, Dover, Winchester, Stratford-upon-Avon, York, Edinburgh, Aviemore, Inverness, Drumnadrochit, Glasgow, Orkney.
We've been more than 40 times, so there's ALOT I like! We really enjoy the markets (York is great and Bath, Cardiff, Canterburry and Windsor have good/great Christmas markets). The Highlands of Scotland are beyond beautiful and are so peaceful!
Definitely the Cotswolds, Bath, Oxford, Windsor, Greenwich, Hampton Court, Winchester.
Sights and experiences particularly suited to a 'road trip"- Cotswolds, The Moors- Yorkshire, Exmoor, Dartmoor, any area where you can poke around little villages not accessible by train, and not in all the Guidebooks, Tintern Abbey and the Wye valley;
Stonehenge, Avebury, Tarr steps (clapper bridge), Doone Valley; countrt pubs We also like the cathedrals and their towns- Winchester, Salisbury, Tewkesbury
The last time I drove in Britain I bought a Great British Heritage Pass. This came with a book listing the places that the pass was valid for. This included National Trust and English Heritage sites, such as manor houses and archeological sites, many of which are hard to get to by public transport. I drove in SW England and Wales, and some places I particularly liked were Chedworth Roman Villa, Stokesay Castle, Hidcote Manor Gardens and Blenheim Palace.
Go North! First, I really enjoyed driving in the Borders. The little towns, Hadrians Wall, hills, stark castles, old abbey ruins. That area had so much conflict before the union of the crowns and the scenery is evocative of it. Go further north to Perthshire, you can drive the wee roads through the glens and over the mountains. Go further north and west and see the mountains and sea and more castles. Travel the road to the isles. It is stunning. There is a book called Raw Spirit by Iain Banks that is all about his search for a perfect dram. The book is about the journey on the roads as much as much as it is about the Whisky.
Go North! First, I really enjoyed driving in the Borders. The little towns, Hadrians Wall, hills, stark castles, old abbey ruins. That area had so much conflict before the union of the crowns and the scenery is evocative of it. Go further north to Perthshire, you can drive the wee roads through the glens and over the mountains. Go further north and west and see the mountains and sea and more castles. Travel the road to the isles. It is stunning. There is a book called Raw Spirit by Iain Banks that is all about his search for a perfect dram. The book is about the journey on the roads as much as much as it is about the Whisky.
Burford Lower Swell Upper Slaughter Silverstone St Pauls Cathedral York Minster St Martins in the Bull Ring Guiting Power Kew Gardens Dartmouth Olney Prestbury, Glos. Stanton Arley, Shropshire Hidcote Manor Garden Sheffield Park and Garden Bodnant Gardens The Seven Sisters Beachy Head Blisworth any canal, just about, on foot or on a narrowboat Bibury any one of 2 dozen Northamptonshire ironstone villages Duxford Fossebridge Wicken Fen Slimbridge Fenny Stratford Oxford Cambridge The Samuel Pepys Library Harrogate
Fountains Abbey ... gosh, I don't know... where shall I start? if I thought for a few minutes I know I could come up with some next tier ones...