Travel recommendations for England?

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blackburnian
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Travel recommendations for England?

Post by blackburnian »

I am planning a 2-week trip to England with my sister for fall 2022 (probably October)--a week in London and a week somewhere else.
Looking for recommendations for

1. lodging in London (not too expensive)
2. a region to visit that has both historical interest and natural beauty

What spots do you recommend?
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oldcomputerguy
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

I don't know about inexpensive lodging, as for things to visit, I'd strongly suggest St. James Park (near Buckingham Palace) and Westminster Abbey (within walking distance of St James Park). Both are accessible via the St James Park tube station.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by FoolishJumper »

Strongly suggest using hrs.com for searching out hotels - I've had good luck with finding hotels for friends and family visiting when I lived in London a few years ago. I normally combine hrs with tripadvisor to find a well-priced option that fits my needs. There aren't many wrong locations when it comes to location, but of course the closer to London center the better - that would be areas like Westminster or Paddington - you'll likely want to avoid the 'City of London' area, which is the financial district; a bit like staying in Wall Street if you visit NYC. London is so well connected between the London Underground (metro) and bus networks, that you can easily stay a significant distance from the city center and not feel like it's an undertaking coming into the 'interesting' tourist parts of London each day.

Asking what area of the UK to visit is a bit like asking what area of the US to visit; depends on what you like (even saying historic and natural beauty leaves a lot of questions). I generally suggest splitting UK trips in two - one part to London and another part to everywhere else. The everywhere else becomes multiple day trips then. A list of things I tend to recommend in the UK (including in London):

A play at The Globe Theatre.
A football (i.e. soccer game) - there are so many options to do this, and they are all worth the experience.
A day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover including Dover Castle.
A day trip to Stonehenge - it's a bit of a must even if a tad underwhelming IMO.
A short visit to Greenwich Park and the surrounding area is nice, including the Cutty Sark and the maritime museum.
A day trip to Windsor to the Queen's home (worth a tour) and even better if they have horse racing happening at the time for a real English experience.
A day trip (from London) to Canterbury to see the Cathedral and the historic city.
If you're a hiking fan, the Lake District is a great trip (although not a day trip), but I've never been disappointed by a visit to there. You can easily combine that with other areas to visit - whether to Liverpool or even further afield to Edinburgh.
A trip to Bath is also worth it if you are a history fan - a fairly easy train trip from London.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by MJS »

blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am I am planning a 2-week trip to England with my sister for fall 2022 (probably October) ...
2. a region to visit that has both historical interest and natural beauty
I liked Cornwall: the gardens are fabulous and the history is deep ... Tintagel is King Arthur's castle and St Michael's Mount is from the 1600's. The train from London is convenient. Start in Penzance, take the ferry to the Isles of Scilly -- stay at least overnight -- to tour the prehistoric monuments, hike the trails, visit the gardens, see the ship's figurehead museum, and kayak the sea. Rent a car when you get back to Penzance.

The [hard] cider and pasties are cheap and delicious everywhere.

If you are literary, Cornwall is the setting for the Poldark series, Daphne du Maurier books and, of course, The Pirates of Penzance.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by MJS »

MJS wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:29 pm
blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am I am planning a 2-week trip to England with my sister for fall 2022 (probably October) ...
2. a region to visit that has both historical interest and natural beauty
Costco has some bargin packages for London plus.

I liked Cornwall: the gardens are fabulous and the history is deep ... Tintagel is King Arthur's castle and St Michael's Mount is from the 1600's. The train from London is convenient. Start in Penzance, take the ferry to the Isles of Scilly -- stay at least overnight -- to tour the prehistoric monuments, hike the trails, visit the gardens, see the ship's figurehead museum, and kayak the sea. Rent a car when you get back to Penzance.

The [hard] cider and pasties are cheap and delicious everywhere.

If you are literary, Cornwall is the setting for the Poldark series, Daphne du Maurier books and, of course, The Pirates of Penzance.
Ipsa scientia potestas est. Bacon F.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by JordanIB »

2. Not England, but Scottish Highlands. Isle of Skye and surrounding areas.
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blackburnian
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by blackburnian »

Thanks! Cornwall is a good suggestion. We've also thought of the Wessex Downs (+ Bath) or the North York Moors (+ York). Day trips from London is a thought, but we'd rather stay in one other locality for a few days. Will probably not go to Scotland on this trip. Any other suggestions welcome!
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by epictetus »

check out Rick Steves' guidebook on England and his website. will give you a lot of good ideas

https://www.ricksteves.com/
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blackburnian
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by blackburnian »

by epictetus » Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:16 pm

check out Rick Steves' guidebook on England and his website. will give you a lot of good ideas
Thank you epictetus--will check that out.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by wilshuer »

blackburnian wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 11:49 am Thanks! Cornwall is a good suggestion. We've also thought of the Wessex Downs (+ Bath) or the North York Moors (+ York). Day trips from London is a thought, but we'd rather stay in one other locality for a few days. Will probably not go to Scotland on this trip. Any other suggestions welcome!
If you have to choose one or the other, I would recommend York over Bath. Spent time in both for work. Likely a bit more to do/see in York. If you’re able to, taking the walk around the old wall is interesting and a lot to see on the route.

York also has the National train museum which was interesting to see.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

From pre-history to Roman Britain to the present (Constantine was declared emperor in Eboracum (now York) in 306) England is rich in history...is there an era of particular interest which might help focus trips? Often overlooked in London- depending on interest of course - are the Royal Courts of Justice (civil law), the Old Bailey (criminal) and the Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. The dome is comprised of three domes actually and visitors can climb to the top; there is also a whispering gallery at step 257.

To get an idea of what scenic train trips are available in England - and other parts of the UK - see Coastal Railways with Julie Walters.
Last edited by Mr. Rumples on Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:20 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by CenTexan »

If you're driving (have fun on the left side of the road!) north from London, consider visiting Ely Cathedral. You could also pass through Cambridge enroute. Must agree that Stonehenge is a must (mostly to create future memories of having been there).
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Chadnudj »

blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am I am planning a 2-week trip to England with my sister for fall 2022 (probably October)--a week in London and a week somewhere else.
Looking for recommendations for

1. lodging in London (not too expensive)
2. a region to visit that has both historical interest and natural beauty

What spots do you recommend?
For 2, I'd highly recommend getting out to Wales (gorgeous natural beauty, more castles/castle ruins than anywhere else) and up to Edinburgh at the Scottish highlands (natural beauty, and the military tattoo/castle in Edinburgh is gorgeous...if you can be there in August, the Fringe Festival happens with tons of live theater, etc.)

It was awhile ago, but I enjoyed being in Wales/Scotland/Ireland and the country sides far more than being in London (that's not a slag on London, which is incredible, but a testament to how fun it was to get out a bit off the beaten path)
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Watty »

blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am week in London
....
1. lodging in London (not too expensive)
What people consider expensive varies a lot.

Compared to a lot of people here I am a fairly budget traveler and I have even been known to stay at places like hostels in some situations. I never have had any really terrible experiences but I have learned that in large cities it is best to bite the bullet and pay extra for a better hotel and avoid the least expensive options in large cities like London, Paris, New York City, etc.

The problem is that you can run into is;
1) Bad location for the tourist attractions. You may be able get across town with something like a 30 minute ride on a subway(tube in London) but that also means that it takes another 30 minutes in the evening to get back to your hotel.
2) No coinvent access to mass transportation. A ten minute walk to a tube station does not sound like that much but you may be doing that in the rain with luggage.
3) You are in a marginal or bad part of town.
4) The hotel is not nice. I don't need anything fancy but I want something that is clean and safe. Read the reviews carefully and don't just depend on the summary rating like 4.2 out of 5.

It has been a few years since I have been to London but in October I would think that you might want to budget for around $200 a night for a modest hotel in a decent location if you don't mind sharing a bed with your sister. If you need to spend an extra $50 a might to get a better location then that is money that is likely well spent.

If spending that much would be hard on your budget(been there done that :D ) then you might want to spend less than 7 nights in London. You could also do something like book 5 nights in London then leave a few open days in your schedule. If you are having a great time in London then you may be able to extend your stay by a few days at the same hotel or find a good last minute deal at a different hotel.

If your travel plans are flexible then look at the hotel prices for different weeks. If there is something big going the week you are there then the hotels could be a lot more expensive than a week or two earlier or later.
blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am 2. a region to visit that has both historical interest and natural beauty

What spots do you recommend?
I was not overly impressed with the Cotwolds and the Lake District. They were nice enough but there were LOTS of tour busses in the Cotswolds which detracted from my experience there. They have a hard time competing with all the places with natural beauty in the US. My impression is that they may have been a lot better 30 years ago before they became so popular.

If you are interested in natural beauty then I would highly recommend getting a rental car to get away from the crowds.

With the rain October may also not be the best time of year for outdoor activities so be sure to look into what to expect. By late October the days will also be very short because England is so far north so be prepared for that. Driving a rental car on the left in the dark could be challenging.

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/lond ... &year=2022

Be sure to look at when the local school breaks are since things will be a lot busier those weeks. Sort of like spring break in the US.

It might not be what you are looking for but going to Paris would be an option to consider. It just takes a few hours by train to get there then you could catch a return flight from there. I am not normally a "big city" person but much to my surprise I really liked Paris a lot more than I thought I would. It is on my list of places to maybe go back to some day and that is rare for me.

A consideration with that is there is no telling what the Covid restrictions will be next fall so adding another country might cause problems.

You could also look at catching a return flight from some other airport in England so that you do not have to return to London just to catch a flight. I once flew into Manchester England and it worked well for me. London airports also have very high airport taxes so you may be able find less expensive flights to a different airport.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by mrb09 »

No specific place recommendations, but for book recommendations, A Traveller's History of England is geared towards a brief history for tourists, and England has a lot of history. I was familiar with certain eras, that but that book filled in some gaps for me.

England also has its fair share of detective stories, which are a fun read to match their locations: read Sherlock Homes and walk the Strand, read PD James Adam Dalgliesh and walk through St James Park, read Inspector Morse and do a day trip to Oxford.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by gerntz »

Lived in SW England for ~6 months 23 years ago. Liked Winchester Catherdal, Bath baths, Stonehenge, Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey ruins.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

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dp dp dp
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by lthenderson »

blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am 1. lodging in London (not too expensive)
For inexpensive lodging I have always stayed at a bed and breakfast place. Unlike here in the States, they are usually a fraction of the cost of a hotel and come with breakfast made by the owner. I also enjoy the comradeship with other guests that general never happens in a hotel. But the drawback is usually a shared bathroom and a curfew on being noisy. You also have to do your research on location to avoid being on a route with infrequent mass transportation.
Last edited by lthenderson on Tue Feb 01, 2022 9:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Watty »

blackburnian wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 11:49 am Day trips from London is a thought, but we'd rather stay in one other locality for a few days.
The problem with day trips from London is that you will be paying top dollar for a hotel in London them paying to travel back to London at the end of the day.

It likely makes a lot more sense to just take your luggage with you(travel light!) when you leave London to see something else. A hotel outside London will likely be a lot less expensive.

You can usually just drop off your luggage at your next hotel if you get there before check in time so you might want to get a hotel near the train station.

If you have a rental car then you can just leave the luggage in the trunk.

I did it the other way around but you could take a train from London to Oxford(or some similar place if you are going in a different direction) and pick up a rental car there to get away from the London traffic.

You might post if you have decided to rent a car or not. That will make a huge difference in your planning.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by BrooklynInvest »

JordanIB wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:30 pm 2. Not England, but Scottish Highlands. Isle of Skye and surrounding areas.
If I were going for two weeks I’d do this.

London, Oxford for a couple of days and then train to Edinburgh, drive through the Highlands.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by meanween »

blackburnian wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:39 am 1. lodging in London (not too expensive)
Maybe some travel hacking? One of the times I stayed in London I did it on a bunch of points. Between a few cards I was able to get some nice rooms right in the middle of London and it was relatively cheap. It was also nice to walk out the door and be right in the action. In my case, I used a Chase IHG rewards card that has an annual fee of $89, but the current sign bonus points are easily worth 2 nights + 1 "free" night. I like this one over competitiors (looking at your Marriot) because they seem to have fewer restrictions. You'd have to check the fine print on the current offers as it requires a minimum spend to get the points. There's also the rat hole of credit cards which can be your friend, or your foe...
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Lookingforanswers »

Lots of good suggestions above; as someone who lived there and visits frequently, here is some of my standard advice:

This pocket-sized guide to London is well worth its weight in gold. It's pretty thin and fits easily in a pocket or bag. Even in an era of great mobile apps to travel, this paper guide is super helpful for navigating mass transit, and orienting yourself neighborhood by neighborhood. Although London is big, it's a walkable city and you will by frequently surprised to find that after you finish looking at one sight, you can check this guide and see that you're just a couple of blocks away from something else:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/18989 ... taft_p1_i0

London is a great museum city. Depending on your interests, it's worth seeing the British Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum, and the Tower of London. Lots of great art museums as well, especially the New Tate, because of its setting.

I'd agree with the recommendations above to see Stonehenge, but since it won't take up a day, I'd recommend visiting the nearby city of Salisbury as well; visit the town center and the historic Salisbury Cathedral. If you are also choosing to go to Bath, you could take the train from London to Salisbury, take a trip out to Stonehenge, and then take the train from Salisbury to Bath (about an hour) -- or do a rental car.

Recommendations above to see either Bath and York are good -- you should do some research and figure out which one you'd rather do. The Roman History of Bath makes it interesting to me. If I were doing London + Bath, I'd consider renting a car and driving so you can see some of the stuff in between the two places; If I were doing London + York I'd take the train and then do stuff around York as day trips once I get there.

Time Out London is a great way to track what's going on during the weeks you will be there -- exhibits, opening hours, theater, concerts, etc. It's a really good mix of listing all the basics that are worth seeing for tourists plus up to date and current events for locals:
https://www.timeout.com/london

Also agree very much with the advice to get the Rick Steve's guide to England. He's got lots of great practical advice that helps you see the right stuff and avoid hassle. My one caution with his guides (throughout Europe) is that he tends to skew towards convenient and inexpensive when it comes to dining options. That's great if you're always just looking for something practical; but if you want a few special meals you should consult other dining guides cause he won't point you toward anything expensive.
Last edited by Lookingforanswers on Mon Jan 24, 2022 1:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by GG1273 »

Outside of London, we really enjoyed Lincoln's Castle and Cathedral then a trip to over to York. One of the original Magna Carte is in the Castle.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I stayed at the Threadneedles in the “City” (financial district), loved it! (I was there on a business trip one August for a few weeks)
If they still have the old huge taxi cabs, try one!
The Economist headquarters & gift shop
The Cabinet War Rooms are a must!
The Imperial War museum
Westminster
Leicester Square
Harrods is actually pretty decent
Indian food, Italian Food, North African food
Molton Browne
10 Downing Street
Old Inns of Court
Bank of England & London Stock Exchange
Modern art museum - forget what it’s called, on the Thames
The Churchill museum

Btw- lots of vocab is way different, so be prepared to be baffled!
Last edited by AnnetteLouisan on Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.
MMiroir
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

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For London Hotels, on our last trip we stayed at the Thistle Holborn which is a few blocks from the British Museum. Lots of restaurants nearby and the tube was a few blocks south.

For London Attractions, our three favorite were:

1 - British Museum - https://www.britishmuseum.org/
2 - The National Gallery - https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
3 - The Churchill War Rooms - https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

The War Rooms are located next to 10 Downing Street which is in the heart of the government area. Most attractions in the area worked on a queue system whereby you showed up, paid for your ticket and selected a time to come back and do the tour. Whitehall, the Horse Guards Parade route, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abby, Big Ben and the Parliament building are located in close proximity.

London has great live theater, and would recommend seeing a show. Unfortunately, we went out of season, so there wasn't much choice. However, we did see Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution which is highly recommended. It gets a big thumbs up from me.

https://witnesscountyhall.com/

Our least favorite attraction was the Tower of London. It was packed, and there wasn't that much to see.

As other have said, you can reach many other areas of England via the train. Being good Americans, we rented a car at Heathrow and did not regret it. We ended up driving to Dover, and then up to Oxford and up to Bath. One of the nice things about driving is you can see many of the less well known attractions which are administered by the National Trust UK. The Trust functions like our National Park System, and the organization administers over 500 locations in the UK. They are a mix of natural areas and historical sites/buildings. Most are in the country, and they include a number of estates that were donated for historical preservation purposes.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/

The website has a nifty map so if you are driving around the beautiful countryside of the UK you can find always someplace worth stopping.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/search?view=map

On our drive between Dover and Oxford, we stopped off for a house and grounds tour at Chartwell, and for an afternoon hike at Box Hill.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by jello_nailer »

gerntz wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 2:02 pm Lived in SW England for ~6 months 23 years ago. Liked Winchester Catherdal, Bath baths, Stonehenge, Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey ruins.
+1 on Winchester. I'll be there again in 2 weeks. Also Bath, a nice place too.

I do also like Eton/Windsor though it's a bit touristy. I spent many weeks on Eton High Street. Total British feel there and of course with the castle... we just don't have that setting - Thames river bridge, white swans, and Windsor Castle about 200 yards up the cobblestone street.
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blackburnian
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by blackburnian »

Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by palaheel »

If your sister is a literary type, Stratford-upon-Avon for the Shakespeare connection.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Mapmaker »

We found this to be a helpful resource
http://londontown.com/
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

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France,
Better food at a lower cost.
España.
Better…
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Chadnudj »

blackburnian wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:56 am Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
In terms of places outside of London mentioned in other literature, I've hiked in the Peak District National Park (the first national park in England), which is in Derbyshire....home of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy. It was August (which might have meant better weather, though it did rain briefly) than October, but it was certainly beautiful.

If you get over to Dublin, there are some great literary pub crawls (and there might be one in London, too, for that matter)
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by MMiroir »

blackburnian wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:56 am Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
If you do rent a car, note that most of the less expensive vehicles will have manual transmissions. If you want an automatic, you might have to spend more money to move up a class or two in car. It took about 20 second for me to get used to driving a manual on the left hand side of the road.
MMiroir
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by MMiroir »

Chadnudj wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 9:37 pm
blackburnian wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:56 am Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
In terms of places outside of London mentioned in other literature, I've hiked in the Peak District National Park (the first national park in England), which is in Derbyshire....home of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy. It was August (which might have meant better weather, though it did rain briefly) than October, but it was certainly beautiful.
Since Mr. Darcy popped up, many of the sites used in the film and tv versions of Jane Austin's books are part of the National Trust and available for viewing.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/ ... ilm-and-tv
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by GG1273 »

blackburnian wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:56 am Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
You and your sister may find London Walks with something that you are interested in.
We've done a bunch and they are good introduction with some being quite good and in depth.

https://www.walks.com/
deserat
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by deserat »

You've gotten a lot of great suggestions. I offer what I did over four daysin November and will be doing over five days this March as well as my suggestions for some cool stuff to do in general. Please excuse the length - just wanted to make sure I covered info you might want to use.

I went to the UK for main reason of seeing a concert in Brighton in November. I visited and stayed with a friend in Hastings and we did a hike from Hastings to Rye along the Saxon Way. It is a route along the southwest coast of England. This was around Guy Fawkes Day so the bonfire night for Rye was around then. We missed the bonfire, but the walk and surrounding countryside was glorious. Each town has a different day for their bonfire. As you will be there around that time, you might want to find out a town near where you visit and go to the bonfire. It would be a unique very UK experience.

I would not miss seeing some of the coast side while in England/UK. I also stayed in Brighton and walked along that famous coastline/beach - very pretty and Victorian. A lot of British writers write about Brighton, so that may be of interest to your sister. Moreover, it's about an hour train-ride from London, so an easy day trip. I stayed at a hotel right near the beach in Brighton - it was a B&B type of place and privately run. I prefer those types of hotels because they have historical aspects or are quirky and representative of the place I am visiting. They also can be a good value price-wise.

We also did a hike in a town called Battle which was where the actual Battle of Hastings occurred. That for me was cool because I had taken a trip to Normandy the month before so got to see the history on both sides of the Channel. There is a Abbey there called Battle which houses the battlefield of that famous battle in history (1066). The hiking routes are called the 1066 route.

I spent a day in London and overdid it :-) I did the Roman walks tour of London (self-guided) which took me to all of the Roman ruins of London (Londinium in Roman times). That walk took me through all different districts of London. I also went to the Tate Modern (museum didn't like so much, the restaurant that looks over the Thames to St Paul's Cathedral and the Millenium bridge was great - food and view). I also walked to the Tate British (I had tickets to the Hogarth exhibition but the rest of the museum was phenomenal - I did not know they had rooms full of Turners and the pre-Raphaelite room had so many *famous* paintings!) by walking past the Parliament building (Big Ben (called Elizabeth tower now?)) was scaffolded, but did walk through the gardens on the west side and saw the Burgars of Calais. I then walked back to the Tower station along the Thames on the south side (walked by the Eye - ferris wheel). It is very nice and well marked and you could have a great meal or cider (I *love the sour cider in UK - do not miss trying their cider) and ale along the way.

There are some stations in London that are well connected to all of the different public transport 'routes' around. I found that on the east side, Stratford easily connects to the longer route trains, the Tube and bus transport pretty much anywhere (I had flown into Stansted, taken the bus to Stratford and then a train to Hastings.

London offers a tourist Oyster card (their contactless payment system for public transport in and around London) that you must purchase outside of London. Otherwise, you can pick up a regular Oyster card for your travels. If you are traveling outside London proper, Trainline.com offers online purchase of train tickets which you then just pick up at the automated machines for your physical ticket. The Tube runs from Heathrow to London, so that is convenient (although it is a long trip). If you fly Ryan Air into Stansted (northeast of London), Gatwick or Luton, there are bus companies that make round trip journeys to London proper. They will be a separate charge (not covered by Oyster card/etc). Be prepared for longer travel times for shorter distances than what you would expect in the USA. Things just move slower there.

I am going back to UK in March for another concert, this time at the Royal Albert Hall. I will be staying mainly in London, but will also be heading to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Museum. I also suggest going to the National Library. I was fortunate to see the Magna Carta exhibition there and then went in and looked at the 'free always open exhibition.' They had original manuscripts of most famous British authors as well as original documents (Bibles, illuminated manuscripts, drafts, drawings (Darwin, etc), Book of Islam, etc, Indian, Asian....all from their empire days) on display. I did not have much time, but what I did see blew me away.

Other places: Wales is gorgeous - they have a coast walk across the country that is amazing. I did two days hiking along that walk staying in hostel. I started in St David, toured around that city and then started walking. It was a rainy day, so I had the coastline to myself. Breathtakingly beautiful. They have a joke that the Welsh never leave - I can see why. It looks like Cornwall, but even more isolated. We also went to a few castles along the way - lots of history here. Lots of castles :-) Pembrokeshire is used a lot in filming coastal scenes - very pretty and a nice coast walk there as well.

Scotland: I've been to Glasgow, Edinburgh and part of the Highland Way (Ft William and around). Can't go wrong going to any of those places - yet another beautiful area of UK. I hope to get back and hike along Hadrian's Wall (it is the 1900 birthday this year and they are holding lots of different festivities - they also have named the bus route along the wall AD122 - just love the English and their use of language and names :-)). I also hope to get to Liverpool and the Wirral - very different areas of UK with different histories. I also want to go to the Lake District and York (I love the Herriot books and his talk of the Dales of York).

Canterbury is amazing, so are Leeds and Bath. I loved my visits to those sites. Canterbury cathedral is mind boggling. Cambridge and Oxford are great, too. If you can hear a choir in one of the cathedrals it will be an experience you'll never forget. The Roman bath in Bath and the accompanying museum explaining how it was built and what each room did is still memorable 30 years after I went there. Leeds was such a well built castle and the surrounding gardens were beautiful.

All in all, UK has so much to offer the tourist. If you can, make a friend beforehand that you can meet while there. My friends who live there have definitely steered me in the right direction with what to do /not do.

Have a great time!!!!
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Valuethinker »

blackburnian wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:56 am Thank you, all, for the excellent suggestions. To answer a few questions: 1. car: We haven't decided whether to rent a car or not. If we do, renting it outside London is a great idea. 2. other cities: This trip is specifically to go to London, which my sister has never been to (I have, but not for many years--have spent much time in Paris, though); she especially wants to see places that are mentioned in Dickens and other literature. We will probably do some kind of literary walking tour, either on our own or in a group. 3. Other locales: She now tells me she wants to go to Cambridge, so combining that with York might be a plan. 4. Books: I'll check out the recommended titles--thanks!
CAVEAT: with Covid-19 I have little or no idea what it still open and operating and one should always check (although Museum of London and Dickens House Museum will be so).

There is a Dickens House museum in Bloomsbury (off Theobald's Road). It is really interesting.

https://dickensmuseum.com/ 48 Doughty Street (basically Barrister-land)

It is worth getting your head around the buses because buses run easily from there to and from the West End. Basically you either use an Oyster Card (can be bought at newsagents, and you have credit added to them) or a touch-and-pay credit card (if American cards now have CHIP & PIN and if it works here). For Tube you touch in and out, for a bus just on the way in. There is no better way to see London than from the top deck of a double decker bus, and nowadays a helpful recorded voice announces the stops (you push a bright yellow button to request a stop). Enter by the front door and exit by the door in the middle.

(also there is a tourist bus which goes around the main sites in a circuit - hop on and hop off).

tfl.gov.uk has area maps with bus routes done in the style of the Tube map (ie non representational).

There must be a "Charles Dickens map of London" or guide or some such, identifying the sites. There are so many places in London associated with Dickens that I am not sure where best to start and stop. Bloomsbury was very much his stomping ground when he lived in London as a young court reporter (Criminal Trials at The Old Bailey) and as an older novelist.

(a lot of Dickens plots were based on his court days, and set in Wapping (now heavily renovated docklands area) and Deptford (gentrifying pretty fast, but still a place where Afro-Carribeans settled post WW2 because it was cheap and nowhere else would have them as tenants. The show that has appeared on PBS "Desmonds" is set in a barbershop either there or in Peckham Rye (both much gentrified, now)).

Rotherhithe and Deptford are atmospheric & old. Walk down river on the South Bank from either London Bridge or opposite Tower Hill.

The Museum of London would be another good place to learn more about Victorian London (it is at the Barbican Tube Stop although there are plans to move it to Smithfields, so make sure you are apprised of when that will take place. EDIT - checked - 2024 it says).

https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london

https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museu ... -docklands

also has a branch in the Docklands near Canary Wharf which covers history of the London Docklands (which are now all new office buildings & condos).

https://www.visitmedway.org/see-and-do/ ... an-medway/ The Medway is the post-industrial (think New Jersey) area to the immediate SE of London, where Dickens lived as a child. Where Pip meets the escaped prisoner in Great Expectations was in marshy grasslands down that way. The Chatham Dockyards Museum is all about the history of the area, once the main dockyards of the Royal Navy.

https://www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/di ... se-museum/

https://www.visitkent.co.uk/attractions ... seum-1999/

You probably don't have time to visit all of these (and some may be a bit hyped up - everyone wants to tap into the Dickens trade). They are reachable by train (usually from London Bridge Station - beware, rail repair & replacement work goes on on weekends, so check for any service changes).

Other "Dickensian" parts of London would include Coal Drops Yard (renovated area of shops & restaurants, former coal storage, behind Kings Cross-St Pancras Station.

https://www.coaldropsyard.com/

and Spitalfields

https://www.spitalfields.co.uk/

which tbh is nothing like what it was 20-30 years ago (part was knocked down, and it's been comprehensively taken over by restaurants and shops appealing to local officeworkers). But the houses around there are amazing, and in particular this restoration

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Severs%27_House

very atmospheric, especially in their Christmas Evenings (you will learn to curse the mobile phone rings of your fellow humans)

The Church in Spitalfields is well worth a visit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Ch ... italfields and a music recital if possible.

Smithfields Market is being redeveloped https://www.spitalfields.co.uk/contact-us/faqs/ but if it's open, it is interesting -- the last traditional wholesale market (meat) open within the boundaries of the City of London.

HMS Victory in Portsmouth (Royal Naval Museum) will give you a feel for the world of the warship & seamen at the beginning of Dickens' life, during the Napoleonic Wars (it was Horatio Nelson's flagship).

(I happen to be a big fan of Samuel Johnson, the writer of the "first" English dictionary. Sort of the Dickens of the 1700s. His house is in a little back alley in the City of London (financial district around St Paul's and east to Tower Hill). Not much of the period furnishings that Dickens House has, but I do like it & the educational video was a really good introduction to the man and his life:

https://www.drjohnsonshouse.org/

Also for Georgian London, https://foundlingmuseum.org.uk/ the Foundling Museum is very atmospheric - set up by Captain Coram (the nearby playing grounds are still to this day reserved for children and "adults only if accompanied by children" by the charity) for orphaned children, and heavily supported by Handel (an early draft of The Messiah, is there).

You really cannot go wrong taking a river cruiser downriver from around the Houses of Parliament all the way to the Thames Barrier (Woolwich Arsenal - The Arsenal football club in North London actually began there as the team for the workers at the arms and munitions complex). To get a feel from London from the vantage of its great river, The Thames.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Valuethinker »

I should add, in Rotherhithe (s of Thames, a bit downriver from the City of London) there is the church where the Mayflower pilgrims worshipped

https://www.stmaryrotherhithe.org/index ... 4&Itemid=3

I don't know when, exactly, it's open (when I have visited you could only go into the foyer, rest was locked). But for an American, in might be particularly interesting.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by bubbadog »

BrooklynInvest wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:41 pm
JordanIB wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:30 pm 2. Not England, but Scottish Highlands. Isle of Skye and surrounding areas.
If I were going for two weeks I’d do this.

London, Oxford for a couple of days and then train to Edinburgh, drive through the Highlands.
I have always thought that flying into London, spending a few days in the city, and then taking the overnight train (Caledonia Sleeper) to Edinburgh and/or Scottish Highlands would be a great way to do it.
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NewMexicoLinnet
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by NewMexicoLinnet »

For anyone planning a London/Scotland pairing, consider flying in and out of Scotland if you have half-decent connections in the US. Entering through customs and immigration in Glasgow or Edinburgh is heaven compared to the purgatory that Heathrow has become.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by firebirdparts »

I've been to the north york moors, very nice, I like trains, Yorkshire is very very good for that. Center of the universe, really. York itself is very touristy. I think the major thing to do in Yorkshire is you look at castles, which were partially blown up in the civil war, and ruined abbeys, which had the roofs taken off when the Catholics got expelled. The king would always give the property to some friend of his, and he'd say "that's a nice lead roof on that cathedral" and they'd take it off and put it on a sheep barn. Around 1750-1800 people decided these ruins were "picturesque" and they starting mowing the grass around them. Whitby Abby is pretty spectacular (and lots to see in town) as is Rievaulx (no town). I never went to Byland but it's right next door to Riveaulx.

The RAF museum is in Cambridge (sort of) if you're into that sort of thing.

i do think, and you've been to London before, seeing the British Museum is something everybody should do. Your eyes glaze over a little bit, but it's fun to understand how much pictorial history was preserved and that's one good spot to do it. It takes time, especially with the wall murals of Sennacharib and the other cuniform writers, to appreciate what you're seeing.
This time is the same
deserat
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by deserat »

Hotels - I just booked Hotel Ibis near Gloucester Tube station in London - Hotel Ibis is the cheaper end of the Accor hotel chain. They tend to be inexpensive, clean and standard rooms. If you join their 'club' you can get 10% off bookings through their website. They are sort of a souped-up Motel 6 type of place and usually have locations near public transport. They have a range of super cheap up to more expensive. They tend to be in cities and not in the countryside.

I also looked at hrs.com - another hotel consolidator website. I tend to look at what they have on offer and then go to the hotel website directly to see if I can book through them. The consolidators at times are merely middlemen and you will find if you have go make changes it takes longer and there are 'rules' that make it difficult to manage issues sometimes. However, the consolidators are good with regard to seeing what is on offer and comparing and contrasting in one user interface.
Valuethinker
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Valuethinker »

NewMexicoLinnet wrote: Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:04 pm For anyone planning a London/Scotland pairing, consider flying in and out of Scotland if you have half-decent connections in the US. Entering through customs and immigration in Glasgow or Edinburgh is heaven compared to the purgatory that Heathrow has become.
Edinburgh is about my favourite international airport. And the tram (streetcar) goes straight there, now. As a cab ride it's not big money (but the traffic in the West End can be a right pain).

Haven't been to Heathrow in 2 years, but I didn't like it then! Would be worse, now.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Valuethinker »

firebirdparts wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 10:50 am I've been to the north york moors, very nice, I like trains, Yorkshire is very very good for that. Center of the universe, really. York itself is very touristy. I think the major thing to do in Yorkshire is you look at castles, which were partially blown up in the civil war, and ruined abbeys, which had the roofs taken off when the Catholics got expelled. The king would always give the property to some friend of his, and he'd say "that's a nice lead roof on that cathedral" and they'd take it off and put it on a sheep barn. Around 1750-1800 people decided these ruins were "picturesque" and they starting mowing the grass around them. Whitby Abby is pretty spectacular (and lots to see in town) as is Rievaulx (no town). I never went to Byland but it's right next door to Riveaulx.

The RAF museum is in Cambridge (sort of) if you're into that sort of thing.

i do think, and you've been to London before, seeing the British Museum is something everybody should do. Your eyes glaze over a little bit, but it's fun to understand how much pictorial history was preserved and that's one good spot to do it. It takes time, especially with the wall murals of Sennacharib and the other cuniform writers, to appreciate what you're seeing.
British Museum is overload, and it's overcrowded (pretty much always). Of course the queuing is longer now (or was - Covid rules). The Special Exhibitions are almost always worth it (altho tbh we have an annual membership which includes them). Admission to museum as a whole is free.

Either do the "highlights" tour (you can buy it at the information desk, I think - self guided, I think there is an app you download to go with the map ) or a highlights guided tour (I wouldn't have the patience for that) OR pick 1-2 areas and do them well.

Really 2-3 hours is the limit for most people (if that).

RAF Duxford (Cambridge) -- there is a bus from Cambridge train station, I believe. Worth checking beforehand.

Agree re Yorkshire. Whitby is famous for its Count Dracula connections so you get a lot of Goth/Vampire type tourists. It's a pretty seaside town -- in the bleak North Sea way of these things.

Yorkshire is also Bronte sisters country (Wuthering Heights etc) and there's a few tourist destinations on that, too.

(Yorkshire was the victim of the "Harrowing of the North" - the most serious rebellion against William the Conqueror, post 1066, was there, and in punishment the county was devastated to the point of almost being uninhabited (the Domesday Book suggests - there's very little of Yorkshire in its complete accounting of all the land and farm animals in England). Thus it was "pure medieval" when it was rebuilt and settled by Norman overlords. Hence all the castles. After the Civil Wars (1640-50 from memory) there was a "slighting" where the Parliamentarians permanently damaged the fortifications of all the castles (which had cost them many long sieges during the Civil Wars).

The large amounts of water power, and later coal, made Yorkshire central to the Industrial Revolution. And then brutal deindustrialisation from the late 60s. The county has recovered as a service centre and some of its cities are quite vibrant (Leeds, Sheffield). It suffers from underinvestment in transportation compared to southern England - true of the whole north. Some cities like Hull (fishing port, but most of that is gone) and Bradford have really suffered. Yorkshiremen are noted for their directness & bluntness - there's definitely still a bit of the Norsemen in them (you meet tall blonde Yorkshirepeople) - it was the centre of the Viking kingdom in England (in the 800s-900s). Think of "the Midwest" in America, perhaps? Which is not to say people are unfriendly or unhelpful.

A warning I always make to North Americans, because it has tripped me up: to an English ear, the nasal twang of a North American is very distinct, and it *carries*--penetrates. A lot more people are hearing what you say than you realise, probably. )
deserat
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by deserat »

Valuethinker wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 3:45 am
(Yorkshire was the victim of the "Harrowing of the North" - the most serious rebellion against William the Conqueror, post 1066, was there, and in punishment the county was devastated to the point of almost being uninhabited (the Domesday Book suggests - there's very little of Yorkshire in its complete accounting of all the land and farm animals in England). Thus it was "pure medieval" when it was rebuilt and settled by Norman overlords. Hence all the castles. After the Civil Wars (1640-50 from memory) there was a "slighting" where the Parliamentarians permanently damaged the fortifications of all the castles (which had cost them many long sieges during the Civil Wars).

......

A warning I always make to North Americans, because it has tripped me up: to an English ear, the nasal twang of a North American is very distinct, and it *carries*--penetrates. A lot more people are hearing what you say than you realise, probably. )
Great insights. I was on a tour last summer with all Brits and me - definite 'rivalry' between the regions. There is a British colloquial joke about how does one know someone is from York - they'll tell you! As for understanding Americans, they understand us (and hear our voices) very well, however, the words they use have different connotations sometimes. I always ask exactly what they mean as they will use the word but be using a secondary or tertiary meaning as compared to what an American would mean. I also find they are masters at understatement and playing the straight man when joking. I did lots of double-takes when with them....very dry senses of humor and hilarious if you can keep up. Very different from the American style of humor.

Like other cultures, the scars of that historical 'othering' and in the case of York the literal salting of the earth has deep roots. If you go to Wales or Scotland you will get another perspective as well. As in our country, we may all be Americans, but where we live and our family histories can affect our viewpoints.

All in all, I enjoy going to the UK - it's like visiting a different yet familiar culture but you sort of speak the same language.
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by Valuethinker »

deserat wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:54 am
Valuethinker wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 3:45 am
(Yorkshire was the victim of the "Harrowing of the North" - the most serious rebellion against William the Conqueror, post 1066, was there, and in punishment the county was devastated to the point of almost being uninhabited (the Domesday Book suggests - there's very little of Yorkshire in its complete accounting of all the land and farm animals in England). Thus it was "pure medieval" when it was rebuilt and settled by Norman overlords. Hence all the castles. After the Civil Wars (1640-50 from memory) there was a "slighting" where the Parliamentarians permanently damaged the fortifications of all the castles (which had cost them many long sieges during the Civil Wars).

......

A warning I always make to North Americans, because it has tripped me up: to an English ear, the nasal twang of a North American is very distinct, and it *carries*--penetrates. A lot more people are hearing what you say than you realise, probably. )
Great insights. I was on a tour last summer with all Brits and me - definite 'rivalry' between the regions. There is a British colloquial joke about how does one know someone is from York - they'll tell you! As for understanding Americans, they understand us (and hear our voices) very well, however, the words they use have different connotations sometimes. I always ask exactly what they mean as they will use the word but be using a secondary or tertiary meaning as compared to what an American would mean. I also find they are masters at understatement and playing the straight man when joking. I did lots of double-takes when with them....very dry senses of humor and hilarious if you can keep up. Very different from the American style of humor.

Like other cultures, the scars of that historical 'othering' and in the case of York the literal salting of the earth has deep roots. If you go to Wales or Scotland you will get another perspective as well. As in our country, we may all be Americans, but where we live and our family histories can affect our viewpoints.

All in all, I enjoy going to the UK - it's like visiting a different yet familiar culture but you sort of speak the same language.
Nationality is complicated.

It's worth reiterating (to the casual reader) that The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comprises 4 nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Wales was conquered in the Middle Ages. The Scottish Parliament voted to join England in 1707 (however there was definitely chicanery in that vote, and Scotland was more or less bankrupt). Northern Ireland was a historic seat of rebellion against the English, and so Protestant Scots & Englishmen were settled there in the early 1600s (same time as Jamestown colony) thus creating a situation where you had a Protestant minority (in Ireland as a whole) but a majority in 6 counties (roughly). At the peace treaty of the Irish war of independence (1919-21?) the "6 counties" (the nationalist term; the Protestant term is "Ulster" for the largest county; the politically neutral and advised term is "The North" or "Northern Ireland") were hived off into a separate, Protestant-ruled state. Which was then run a la Alabama 1952 until a series of civil rights marches by Catholics in the late 1960s (inspired by events in the USA) which then led to The Troubles, Bloody Sunday (50th anniversary just passed) etc as the British troops sent in to maintain order rapidly became aligned against the Provisional IRA and its supporters (from memory the death toll was something over 3000 - not insignificant for a nation of 1.5 million people; the father of the current leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (ie Protestant), Arlene Foster, had her father shot in the head by militants (he was a part time policeman). Everyone had a story like this - on both sides. Every major English city had at least one major bombing attack - some with several thousand pound homemade bombs (ie bigger than any bomb the Luftwaffe dropped on Britain in WW2).

So you have British nationalism (aka patriotism), English nationalism, Scottish nationalism (ebbs and flows), Welsh Nationalism (Plaid Cymru is not the party of government in the Welsh Assembly but in things like the revival of teaching the Welsh language, they arguably have made real progress since the 1960s). Polls suggest that fewer people identify themselves as "British" and more as one of the constituent nations.

There are strong regional divisions within England (which is probably the most highly centralised state in Western Europe - there's no regional government to speak of). Cornwall for example (Cornish was an ancient language related to Welsh & Breton, went extinct in the 19th century but various attempts to revive) sees itself as quite separate. So too does "the North" from London & the Home Counties. But Yorshire is not Lancashire is not Merseyside (Liverpool) is not Northumberland.

Rules of a thumb as a foreign visitor:

- everyone is British and that's easier than trying to decide whether an unfamiliar accent is Scottish, Welsh or Geordie, say (Northumbria)-- or a New Zealander whose been in the old country for a while. Unless they tell you otherwise. Don't call a Scotsman English, for sure!

It's a bit like the Canadian/ American thing. Don't presume, ask them where they are from, and wait to be told "T'rana" (Toronto in local accent) ;-).

- Northern Ireland is "the North" and that avoids someone telling you whether they are Catholic or Protestant. *Everyone* has taken losses in that struggle (and the US was instrumental in negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which has brought a fragile peace). Also you might find they are from the Republic (Eire) rather than NI.

Anybody's guess what happens to NI & Scotland in the next 20 years. One or both could leave the United Kingdom.

When HM the Queen dies (editors of major newspapers carry a special alarm which will go off only when that has happened) and "Operation London Bridge" (aka once the biggest secret in Westminster**) commences, then one of the chief things which emotionally holds it all together, will be gone. She is 96, but her mother did live past 100.

** very British Civil Service in its detail. How many portable restrooms will be needed for the queues of mourners that will file past the coffin in the middle of the night as she lies in state? etc. Didn't Michael Lewis say that much of government is preparing for disasters that may never happen? Well, this one will.
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blackburnian
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Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by blackburnian »

I thought I would post a travel report in case anyone stumbles across this thread looking for suggestions.

We ended up staying for 4 days in Dursley, on the western edge of the Cotswolds (between Bristol and Gloucester), and then a week in London. We went to Dursley because they were hosting a walking festival. (There are walking festivals all over the UK: https://www.walkingpages.co.uk/events/festivals.html.) It was a very low-key affair with a few walks a day attended by local folks. They were thrilled to have visitors from the US! This part of the Cotswolds is little visited by tourists but very scenic, and there was an excellent Nepali restaurant in town.

We traveled by train--bought advance-fare tickets online. For anything you might want to know about trains see https://www.seat61.com/index.html. You can get train tickets from any train line (we rode the Great Western but got tickets from Transport for Wales).

In London we stayed in Pimlico at the Luna and Simone (https://www.lunasimonehotel.com/info), which I recommend if you aren't looking for luxury. Rooms are small but exceptionally clean, and the staff is very friendly. Easy walk to Victoria Station or Pimlico station. We bought Oyster cards for transport, but they aren't necessary--you can just tap your credit card when getting on the bus or Tube. Here are just a few things we did in London:

Shakespeare and Dickens walk with London Walks: https://www.walks.com/
British Museum (Elgin Marbles and Benin Bronzes)
British Library (fantastic display of early printed books)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Boat ride to Greenwich with Thames Sightseeing: https://www.thamesriversightseeing.com/
Wonderful Syrian film (Nezouh) in Soho (part of London Film Festival)
Visit to Middle and Inner Temple
Bus ride to Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill
Lots of wandering by foot and bus.

We returned to Heathrow by tube, which was cheap and easy (we had only carry-on luggage--it might not be so easy with a big suitcase).
deserat
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2019 4:08 am

Re: Travel recommendations for England?

Post by deserat »

Thanks for the trip report - sounds like you packed it in and were able to use some of the tips from this thread.

I offer the following for others who may re-visit this thread on some other England ideas:

I have been to the UK five times in a year; I did hike three days along Hadrian's wall - very interesting and loved the pubs along the way. The Roman ruins of the different forts and just seeing the ruins of the wall, walking along the expanse as well as the location, I marveled even more at the Roman engineering prowess. That had been a 'bucket list' item for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I then went to Liverpool and Meols - I was very pleasantly surprised with Liverpool. It was a beautiful city with a lot to see; two cathedrals, a Catholic and Protestant. The Catholics call the Catholic one Paddy's Wigwam. It is a very modern building with modern interpretations of flying buttresses. Inside is a large domed room with stained glass ringing the clerestory space. It is a very interesting contrast to the Protestant cathedral which is traditional and beautiful as well. I had also just seen the cathedral and basilica in Reims the week before, so had much in mind to compare with regard to cathedrals. The Liverpool museum had some great displays and frankly the view out of the top floor window facing northward was stunning. Matthews street, where the Beatles played at the Cave (as well as Eric's where my fave band OMD started) was a cool place to go as well. It is alley sized and of course touristy, but you get the idea of the environment where so many famous bands were born. I also went to Crosby Beach and got some great pictures of the Gormley statues at sunset. Great beach and great views from there as well. Meols, across the Mersey River, was more sleepy but nice in itself. I rented an e-bike and biked along the coast and on the beach; I found a great pub (the Plasterer's Arms) and enjoyed the ciders.

Lastly, I just returned from a three day hiking trip along the northern Northumberland coast; Embleton to Lindisfarne. What a gorgeous coastline. The beaches are vast expanses of nice sand, the inland rolling farmland with sheep and cattle, the small cities along the coast pristine with nice cottage-like houses, and castles littered along the coast. Amazing area that I don't think many Americans know about. The last day I hiked along the causeway to Lindisfarne and the Holy Island; I did not do the Pilgrim's way which goes across the sands which is underwater half of the day (so is the causeway due to the tide). I did push it a bit and have some fairly large blisters on my feet, but it was worth it for the views. This area is also a golfer's paradise; some of the route was along some golf courses that are situated on the coast and the views were stunning. The ironic thing about this trip is I did it because the man sitting next to me on my flight to Newcastle for the Hadrian's Wall hike went on and on about Northumberland and how he had moved there from London and loved it; I finally told him I would come back.

For the two hiking trips, I used tour companies that book your hotels and drag your bag between the hotels. Every single one of the hotels was a B&B and an outstanding place to stay; breakfasts were excellent (small to huge, what you wanted, cold or hot on the menu - standard English breakfast and all also offered smoked salmon with eggs as well). Some also offered dinner to purchase or you could go to some restaurant in the local area and you could also order a pack lunch to take with you on your hike. The two companies were comparable in price and what you received. They sent you a packet with all of your itinerary, a water proof map of the route you were hiking (love that!), and ideas for what to see along the way. If the hotel you were staying at was not near the trail head, they set up a taxi to pick you up and take you to from the trail head. They also had a taxi service take your luggage to the next hotel. All you had to do was get to the first hotel or pick up place on the itinerary. The two companies were Hill Walkers (based in Ireland) and Contours (based in England). I would use both again in a heart-beat. I've been a DIY traveler for many years, but as I get older, figuring out the intricacies of hotels, bag-drag, etc, have become boring and tedious, so I appreciate anyone else doing the logistics. Contours even changed the hiking itinerary for me so I could end up on the Holy Island as I wanted to visit there.

In any case, there is a lot to do on the islands up north. I have loved my various trips there this year. I plan to go back after I finally retire and hike around for 3-4 months in the different areas that I haven't already.
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