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Amazing Off-the-Beaten-Track Trip in England and Wales

My travel companion and I (retired American women in our 60s) completed an amazing two-week tour of England and Wales in January 2017. Although months in the planning (read all of Rick's guides, studied the packing tips, and shopped extensively in the on-line store) what is remarkable about our trip is that we avoided London and major cities altogether, did not go to any of the recommended destinations, and came in contact with zero Americans. Yet we covered 800 plus miles in our rental car, stayed in the most unique, historic accommodations (some we just stumbled upon!) met dozens of interesting, friendly locals eager to talk with us, and enjoyed delicious locally-sourced traditional English and Welsh meals. What surprised us was the number of folks we met who had traveled in the US, and the number of folks in the north of Wales who speak Welsh as a primary language.

We flew into Heathrow, and set out immediately in our rental car (frankly, getting away from Heathrow and London was a nail-biter) and headed for our booked accommodation in Swalcliffe, Oxfordshire in the Cotswolds. This small village (population 210) with settlements dating back to the Iron Age and Roman occupation, now consists of the 12th century parish church, a 15th century medieval barn/museum, the manor house, and 17th century farmhouses and cottages, many 2-storied thatched structures, as was the Stag's Head Public House where we stayed. The owners of the Stag's Head could not have been more welcoming and friendly to two frazzled travelers. Our room, one of two to let, was clean, comfortable and cozy. We were included in Bridge club, quiz night, and enjoyed delicious meals, all in the pub. We headed out the next morning for our next destination, the village of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire, where we had rented for 5 days a self-catering accommodation called The Barn. A friend from Lancashire joined us. Heptonstall is a lovely village with tea room, two pubs and a charming post office/convenience shop, and the cemetery where poet Sylvia Plath is buried! We took day trips to Whalley and Ribchester to see a wonderful Roman museum, two ancient churches and the ruins of the Whalley Abbey. From Heptonstall we drove to Caernarfon, North Wales, and stayed 2 nights in the Black Boy Inn built circa 1522. We took all our meals in the inn-delicious fish and chips, vegetable and meat pies, full Welsh breakfasts, good porridge, and sticky toffee pudding. An afternoon was spent walking around the walled-in town, the castle, and the waterfront. On the recommendation of a local, we drove a coastal road around the Llyn Penisula, beautiful scenery and water views, and stopped in Aberdaron, where we discovered an historic church, coffee shop, post office (had postcards to mail) and delightful chatty locals. We then headed south through Snowdonia and the Cambrian mountains, and many small hamlets and villages with no particular destination. At the end of the day we crossed the one-lane, wooden Penmaenpool Toll Bridge. We told the toll-taker that we were looking for accommodation for the night. She pointed us to the George III Hotel just over the bridge. What good luck! In the pub we chatted with hotel guests, and locals who had come in for dinner. The next day we headed east to Hay on Wye through the stunning Brecon Beacons National Park. We arrived after dark, on a foggy, misty night and literally stumbled upon the Baskerville Hall Hotel, a wonderful, quirky, 1839 Jacobean building steeped in history and intrigue. Fortunately for us we arrived on a Wednesday, and enjoyed Open Acoustic night in the pub, 20 or so locals showed up with a variety of instruments and jammed for two hours, tunes interspersed with readings and poetry. We loved it so we stayed 2 nights, toured charming Hay on Wye before driving to Heathrow, dropping off the car, and relaxing in our "luxury" airport hotel room before our flight home. The whole trip was magical.

Posted by
9363 posts

Sounds like a wonderful trip! It's nice that you had time to spend in each location, rather than moving from place to place.

Posted by
1443 posts

Sounds great! Serendipity Rules! I always tell UK Travelers not to over plan. Some are so worried about missing something they miss all the enjoyment of finding that unique out of the way place where you can be welcomed as a friend instead of a nuisance.

Posted by
63 posts

Marsha, sounds like a fabulous trip! Thanks for sharing. You've given me some ideas for my next trip to the UK.

Posted by
11 posts

Sounds like a great trip Marsha!! My husband and I are in our 60's and planning our 10th trip to Europe this summer!! Keep traveling!

Posted by
3809 posts

I enjoyed reading about your trip. Thanks for posting! I'm an obsessive over-planner. After reading your report, I feel like I too need to take a spontaneous trip to England/Wales.

Posted by
3 posts

I thought I'd add a bit more info, in case anyone was wondering why we traveled to the U.K. In January. I had originally planned to go to England at the end of December to spend time with a relative who was a student at a university near London. Winter break was a good time to spend time with her. I booked flights and a guest room at the university in August. We planned to spend time in London and do some day trips. Then my friend from the US was going to join me for our two week wander-about. Unforeseen circumstances made it necessary to cancel my visit with my relative, so I flew over with my friend. January was fine! We got good rates for accommodations, and felt comfortable just showing up and being able to get a room. The weather was comparable to home (we live in Maryland) with no extreme temps and not a lot of precipitation. We had some light snow in the hills in Heptonstall that turned icy and kept us in by the wood-burning stove for a day, chatting and drinking tea and eating Eccles cakes. No one complained. I worried about feeling cold and damp but was fine. I shopped for months for a perfect coat after reading lots of blogs, and found a stylish water-proof coat, with a hide-away hood, roomy enough for a few layers and long enough to cover the bum. I bought some comfortable waterproof leather boots, also stylish. I took one pair of weather- resistant slip-on shoes. I took thermal silk underwear to sleep in and two thermal turtlenecks to layer under shirts and sweaters, and several pairs of wool socks. Everything fit in a wheeled carry-on. Something to keep in mind in January is the short days (we tried to get to our destination before dark (a little after 4 pm) but didn't always make it. Also, some accommodations and attractions are closed in January. We booked our room at the Stag's Head Public House and the self-catering The Barn at Whitehall Fold before we left the US. For all other accomodations ( The Black Boy Inn, The George IIII Hotel, and the Baskerville Hall Hotel) we just showed up. Our reviews for all accommodations are on trip advisor.

Posted by
1 posts

As Marsha's traveling companion, I can confirm everything she said in both her original post and her comment. I have had a dozen or so wonderful trips to Europe, but this trip was, indeed, MAGICAL. Every place we stayed was unique, quirky, and fabulous, in its own right, and it is difficult to pick a "favorite". The family that owns the Stags Head Public House in Swalcliffe made us feel like family on our first night in England. The Barn at Whitehall Fold in Heptonstall was a perfect small village retreat. People we met were astounding, including a man who stopped us in the street in Caernarfon, North Wales, recognizing us as tourists, and recommended a trip around the incredibly beautiful Llyn Peninsula, even writing down the towns we should visit. We met the owners of the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge (the only privately owned toll bridge in North Wales) in the pub at the George III Hotel. We told them we were going to Hay-On-Wye, and they asked that we stop at the Whitney-On-Wye toll bridge (a privately owned toll bridge in the south of Wales) near Hay-On-Wye and give a shout out to the owners, who had given them advice year earlier when purchasing the Penmaenpool Bridge. We did! The owner of the Baskerville Hall Hotel (the "most haunted hotel in Great Britain" with connections to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the "Hound of the Baskervilles") could not do enough for us. We did not see "everything" during our 2 week trip, but what we saw, we saw well. It was a most amazing "off the grid" trip, and Marsha was THE most amazing travel companion. Our goals for the trip -- to EXPERIENCE things, rather than to "see" things -- were absolutely in sync. We may not have seen "everything", but what we saw, we saw well. I can only hope it is possible for us to return to the UK together for more adventures!!

Posted by
2417 posts

You mention enjoying "full Welsh breakfasts."
Can you tell us what they included, and how they differed from a full English breakfast?
Best regards!

Posted by
3 posts

We had more breakfasts in Wales than in England. I'm guessing the full English and full Welsh breakfasts are more or less the same but locally-sourced: eggs, meats (bacon, sausage), tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, toasted breads. I noticed fish on the breakfast menu in Wales. I got porridge when I could. In Caernarfon I had egg in a hole; they called it a one-eyed-jack-- egg cooked in the middle of thick-sliced brown bread.

Posted by
88 posts

It sounds like a fabulous trip and like something I would enjoy. I'm glad you got to do it. London is great but getting out of London gives you a chance to actually talk to people and see the countryside.

I don't think I'd ever be able to take two full weeks off from work though. It's looking like future American seniors will not be able to retire before we are too old to walk.