My husband and I spent two weeks touring England, using the Rick Steve's England guide as our starting point. In general, the trip was enlightening and fun. We were lucky enough to have perfect weather (almost no rain!) and encountered the niceness that England is known for.
Some specifics:
I now agree with Mr. Steves on Oxford. It was a disappointment where Cambridge was one of the highlights.
I can highly recommend the B&B: One Three Nine in Bath. I found it to be the best value for the money we spent on lodging in all of England. One of my favorites.
We also liked the Huntsman restaurant in Bath. It's not off the tourist path, as Mr. Steves recommends but we thought it quite good.
I can also recommend Highfields B&B in Keswick. We had the best dinner of our entire two weeks at this lovely spot. The site is breathtaking, on a hill high above Derwent Water.
Try the Cellar Door for dinner in Durham. We got 15% off from a coupon at the front desk of the Marriott, where we were staying. Great food.
I can't speak highly enough of the Hotel Du Vin in Cambridge. We did't actually stay there, because I made an error and reserved the hotel for the wrong night. Leah, at the front desk, took care of us from start to finish--carrying our bags in, carrying our bags out, getting our car parked, getting our car back to us, finding a hotel for us to stay in as an alternative. I very much wish we could have stayed there...maybe next time. We did have dinner there, which was outstanding. Probably the second best meal in England.
I wish there was a clearer map of the river walk in Cambridge. We never did figure it out.
My favorites in London were the Tower of London and The British Museum. I would spend a good four-five hours at the Tower, there is so much to see and do there. We had a decent, if expensive, ($45 US D) lunch there too. The British Museum has recommended objects to see listed on its brochure/map. I found these to be very good, and followed them instead of Mr. Steves' recommendation (a rarity for me). The Museum gives you a recommended order. In what was a crowded museum, some of these objects were in quiet, tucked away galleries where I was the only visitor. This is the one place I wish I could spend a day a week in for the next year.
Cheers!