WHICH OF TWO AREAS IN ENGLAND?

Sharon, it's a bit hard to answer without knowing your interests, but since I live in Bournemouth (Boscombe is a suburb), I can tell you a bit about this area. Bournemouth is a mostly a seaside vacation town. Lots of shops and the beach. Nearby, Christchurch (part of the same conurbation) has some interesting historical spots but you would see it all in half a day. Dorchester is an interesting market town- so is Weymouth (it's a seaside town with some Victorian flavour). Corfe Castle is a nice village with a ruin! Swanage is another lovely little seaside place. It's all at the beginning of the Jurassic Coast, so if you're into fossils, you'd enjoy it. There is also the Isle of Wight, which can be reached from Lymington (and Portsmouth, but Lymington is closer to the area you're looking at) by car ferry. It's a very pleasant journey. Once you get out into the country there are a lot of thatched cottages in Dorset and plenty of nice pubs. Dorset is a very pretty county. Can't tell you much about the other places on your list 1. but feel free to send me a personal message if that would help. Best wishes, Maggie

Maggie has covered several of the places with which I am not familiar. From your list, we have visited these: Lacock is good for an hour's walk, but add more time if you also want to visit the abbey/ estate.......Glastonbury Abbey is quite evocative, also visit the Tor, Glastonbury is an interesting town to poke around in, combine it with nearby Wells (great cathedral, don't miss the houses around the side of the cathedral) for a good day....... Stourhead garden is lovely, two hours is plenty......Corfe Castle is one of the larger ruined castles, good for half a day, nice coastal areas near-by......List 2, we visited Ludlow Castle many years ago, then went on to Shrewsbury for lunch - went there because I was "into" Brother Caefael mysteries, area OK but nothing spectacular.........15 days is a lot of time, you really could explore a lot of the southwest of England in that time - lots to see in Devon and Cornwall......Our traveling pace is neither rushed nor lingering for hours, if that helps you to gauge timing.

Thanks to both of you! Very helpful.

Bummer on the Cotswolds trip... I was really looking forward to it for you! Of your list, I see two can't miss visits, unfortunately, one is from each list. Wells's cathedral is one of the most spectacular that I've visited in Europe, and I'm a cathedral buff, so I drive WAY out of my way to see any sort of church. This one won't disappoint. If the library isn't open, ask if you can visit it anyway. I received a personal tour of the library by a deacon. I was the first person into the "old vault" since Prince Charles! I definitely felt important for the rest of the day... check out the steps leading to the chapter house. The monks have worn a path walking single file to and from.
The other is the cotswolds. I would never head to England without visiting them. I go after time that we're there. I could spend all 15 days there. However, if your month in the Cotswolds in still in your future, then maybe skip (gasp!) them this time.

Thanks, Darren. Yes, I'm still feeling a bit depressed about not doing a month in the Cotswolds, but here's my current thinking: Buckinghamshire to see Waddeson Manor and then Woburn Abbey. From there to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds to stay for 4 days (and drive the villages) - then onto the Bradford-on-Avon area to see villages there and to drive to Wells (4 days in this area). We too love old cathedrals. We will then do 3 nights in London. Sound OK? The thing that delights me is that we will be in England again, just for a shorter time, and I got an outstanding airfare! Thanks again.

Hello Sharon. Your last post of places in England you are thinking of going to seems very Ok to me. I was at England very recently.

Sharon, Sounds like you have come up with a great plan. You have received lots of good advice here already. If you (or anyone else reading this) decides to visit the areas outlined by Maggie, there is a most excellent book "The Rough Guide To Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight" that can be purchased from the Guardian (newspaper) book site: http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=9781848361591 If you look for it at Amazon or your local bookstore, the ISBN number is 978-1-848-361591. I own this book, and find it to be very thorough, with maps to each area and details about historic sites. You may want to purchase the Rick Steves Britain Guide if you don't already have it. Most excellent guide also, and includes the Cotswolds of course.

That sounds like a pretty solid itinerary, Sharon. With 4 days in the Wells area, you could bop up to Bath, which is also one of my favorite towns. All in all, it looks like you've got a pretty good trip ahead of you!

Been to places on both lists. Your latest seems the more interesting (I agree Wells is great). Also dont miss the moors Dont forget to visit the small villages and hamlets (you will usually see road signs with intriguing names- try them). You seem to have time to do quite a bit of wandering around