Where To Go In England?

[SZbNAhL]

Everyone else has given excellent advice, so I'm going to focus on the one place that doesn't seem to have come up: Devon. Beautiful scenery (the entirety of South Devon is officially listed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), very rural and easy access to Highclere Castle (trains run directly from Exeter to Newbury and you can get to Exeter from pretty much anywhere in the county). I spent a very enjoyable week in Salcombe last year, but it's a bit hard to get to with luggage (horrible roads and worse public transport). Thinking about it a bit more, I think my specific recomendation is Totnes. It's historic, within the aforementioned Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a short train journey from Exeter (and therefore Newbury and Highclere Castle) and certainly not a "big city" by any reasonable definition (population of 8076, as per the last census).

[Slaine]

I'd add another area that might be of interest - the Northumbria coast. Not only do you have stunning, empty beaches but you also have really rugged landscapes not far away, Holy Island (Lindisfarne), loads of castles (several along the coast - Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne), Hadrian's Wall, the North Pennines and of course the Harry Potter experience at Alnwick Castle.

It's a long way North (300 miles or so) from London but well worth the journey. You may find the accents a challenge though.

[darkrose50]

You could spend a night in a double-decker bus . . . nothing says England more that that!

http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/trip...nb7Kz#image=32

Bonus points for dressing up like wizards from Harry Potter!

[Manga Shoggoth]

I'd add another area that might be of interest - the Northumbria coast. Not only do you have stunning, empty beaches but you also have really rugged landscapes not far away, Holy Island (Lindisfarne), loads of castles (several along the coast - Warkworth, Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh and Lindisfarne), Hadrian's Wall, the North Pennines and of course the Harry Potter experience at Alnwick Castle.

It's a long way North (300 miles or so) from London but well worth the journey. You may find the accents a challenge though.

If you are in Alnwick I would also recommend the Poison Garden (You'll never look at an apple the same way again) and the country's largest second-hand bookshop.

[SZbNAhL]

If you are in Alnwick I would also recommend the Poison Garden (You'll never look at an apple the same way again) and the country's largest second-hand bookshop.

Wait, Barter Books is the largest second-hand bookshop in Britain? I haven't ever brought a measuring wheel, but I'd be surprised if it were larger than the Astley Book Farm. Unless we're going by number of books, of course, in which case (ignoring internet sellers), it would probably be that shop in Hay on Wye with the near-infinite basement (which I can't remember the name of, and can't really search for what with the entire village being full of second hand bookshops and all).

[paddyfool]

Wait, Barter Books is the largest second-hand bookshop in Britain? I haven't ever brought a measuring wheel, but I'd be surprised if it were larger than the Astley Book Farm. Unless we're going by number of books, of course, in which case (ignoring internet sellers), it would probably be that shop in Hay on Wye with the near-infinite basement (which I can't remember the name of, and can't really search for what with the entire village being full of second hand bookshops and all).

This blog article may be worth perusing: http://wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/201...ps-in.html?m=1

Apparently, Barter Books only claims to be "one of the biggest"...

[Manga Shoggoth]

I suspect that when you get to any of those places measuring them will be the last thing on your mind...

[Aedilred]

Perhaps more importantly, the southeast is the warmest, driest part of the UK. If you like that kind of weather, that could be a good reason to spend some time there.

I am late to this, but I feel I should note that "warmest, driest part of the UK" is not the same as "warm and dry", if you are operating according to any sort of international frame of reference...

[Ninja_Prawn]

I am late to this, but I feel I should note that "warmest, driest part of the UK" is not the same as "warm and dry", if you are operating according to any sort of international frame of reference...

Hah. Yes, that statement was relative rather than absolute.

[veti]

I am late to this, but I feel I should note that "warmest, driest part of the UK" is not the same as "warm and dry", if you are operating according to any sort of international frame of reference...

Meh, it's all relative. Compared with, say, Arizona, no part of the UK could be called very warm or dry. But compared with, say, Vermont, it's both those things.

Summer is generally cooler and wetter than you might expect if you calibrate by continental (American, European or Asian) standards, but conversely winter is warmer and drier. (It's still worth timing your visit for summer, though, because of the length of daylight - in midwinter, even in the south of England, you don't get much more than about 8 hours.)