UK 5 weeks How Far Can We Go!

Old Sep 14th, 2017, 12:54 AM
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UK 5 weeks How Far Can We Go!

Hi just need a bit of direction. Looking at predominantly traveling from London through Somerset
Through Dorset, Devon, Cornwall than head back along the south coast travel as far as Hastings and up
back up to London for 3 days. We are selecting what we want to see along the way but are mindful there are no highways through these counties. So appreciate suggestions to base ourselves within these counties, I would like to know if we could take in a bit more of Wales Monmouth..Caerphilly before heading south but with 5 weeks not sure if we would be rushing it. I have seen a bit of these
places a long time ago on a bus tour but want to see more as well as visit Redruth where my maternal family come from. Appreciate any guidance. Deb
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Old Sep 14th, 2017, 06:10 AM
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5 weeks will be nice -- not overly generous but certainly enough for a good tour through south Wales, Dorset/Somerset, Devon/Cornwall, the south coast and a few days in London. Driving in many of those area -- especially Devon and Cornwall -- will be very slow. Plan on averaging about 35mph. Even slower in some areas with very narrow and/or single track roads.

Do you also want to see Bath and/or the Cotswolds?

But just throwing out what would be doable say 4-ish days in South Wales, 7-10 days in Devon/Cornwall, 4-ish days in Dorset/Somerset. A week along the south coast (you'd have enough time to go all the way through Kent to Dover and including the marvelous gardens and castles in East Sussex/Kent) then up to London. That basic framework is about 4 weeks -- giving you 6 or 7 days to 'massage' things -- adding Bath, and/or more time in London, and/or the Cotswolds, and/or whatever
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Old Sep 17th, 2017, 09:39 PM
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Hi Janis this trip is driven through wanting to see where my great great grandfather came from around the Redruth/Ilogen area although I do not believe that is an area I should spend too much time in. I have seen a very small bit of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset from a tour 10 years ago. So just want to see a little bit of the star attractions I guess. Been to parts of the Cotswolds stayed north in Chipping Campden. Been to Bath. Actually seen a bit but there a many spots like Wells, Monmouth, re visit Caerphilly, Cheddar Gorge, Dunster. Just need to work out a workable route. I prefer the Shropshire, Worster areas and we tend to go into Scotland but decided to get out of my comfort zone and compromise see a bit of somerset - Wales and then do travel around the north of Cornwall (duck in and see Redruth) continue along the coast through Devon, Dorset parts of Sussex and back up to London. Love history and we love the outdoors. Probably would like an idea of where a good base would be in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset so we can branch out. Appreciate your help very much
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Old Sep 17th, 2017, 11:22 PM
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>>through Somerset
Through Dorset, Devon, Cornwall than head back along the south coast travel as far as Hastings and up
back up to London for 3 days. We are selecting what we want to see along the way but are mindful there are no highways through these counties.
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Old Sep 18th, 2017, 04:35 AM
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I really loved Iron Bridge Gorge, a World Heritage Site if going thru Shropshire:

https://www.ironbridge.org.uk/explor...OTlBoCcevw_wcB

Nice walks or can drive around or take mini-buses.
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Old Sep 18th, 2017, 09:36 AM
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A week along the south coast (you'd have enough time to go all the way through Kent to Dover and including the marvelous gardens and castles in East Sussex/Kent)>

And Battle, near Hastings, is a real nice small town that has the battlefield where William the Conqueror smote Saxon King Harold - walking paths run through it with interpretative signs. And there is a museum and other attractions:

https://www.visit1066country.com/exp...country/battle
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Old Sep 18th, 2017, 05:41 PM
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Hi Gordon I had only traveled down south on a tour bus 10 years ago and as your all over the place did not get a good comprehension of the time it took to get from A to B. When I first mentioned going south 2016 I was advised on this forum to be mindful of no highways and slower traveling times through these counties so that is where that came about. But knowing there are some A roads about that is good to hear. We travel early and when in the UK you are bound to drive in some very narrow laneways at some point. I think I am hesitant about travelling parts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset in particular because the coastal areas and weather is not unlike parts of Australia. Beautiful but I love the topography that the UK has away from these parts that quintessential british.
One of our trips was driven by Bess of Hardwick, went to Hardwick House, Haddon Hall stayed in Bakewell. Went into Derby where Bess is buried. Charsworth etc Built and itinerary around that which took us to Denny in Scotland. Another was predominantly Welsh and again ended up in Scotland. So we have always been able to take in a bit of each country where as with this trip we won't I need to move here for a while lol
Anyway I think if someone can suggest a good base or 2 in each of these 3 counties I will get a move on. Oh and Battle is definitely up there, tried last time but only made it to Arundel which was spectacular.
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Old Sep 19th, 2017, 02:53 AM
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Hi Janis this trip is driven through wanting to see where my great great grandfather came from around the Redruth/Ilogen area although I do not believe that is an area I should spend too much time in.>>

Thanks for the laugh, debs - as I sit here in my home which is approx 2 miles from Redruth!! of course I agree that it is not tourist central but there are a few things you might enjoy seeing, such as the mining centre at Heartlands, the Nat Trust mining engines at Pool, and the Cornish Studies Library in Redruth where you may be able to find out a little more about your GGF [and the station waiting room has some wonderful old photos of the miners lined up on the station platform ready to catch their train to America or S. Africa]

http://www.heartlandscornwall.com

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/east-pool-mine

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community...ary/?page=3743

if you were to stay somewhere like Portreath [coastal resort with lovely beach] for a few days you would be very well placed to explore the area, including Redruth and Illogan [pronounced "IllUgan" i.e. with the stress on the second syllable.]

Apart from that, I would suggest some time on the south coast [Fowey or Falmouth, or poss St Mawes] and some more time in the far SW - Penzance or st Ives. You could then go north and spend a few days [though a week would be better] in lovely North Devon. I'm not that familiar with Australia but I doubt that there is anything quite like Hartland Point or Clovelly, or indeed Exmoor. [we came across a pub recently which offered roast venison as part of their Sunday carvery which was a new one for us!]

Very happy to help further with ideas if you have more queries.
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Old Sep 19th, 2017, 02:54 AM
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BTW, it's wonderfully refreshing to read an itinerary which doesn't try to cram the whole of the British Isles into 2 weeks - I think that your initial thoughts about what is feasible are about right.
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Old Sep 19th, 2017, 09:19 PM
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Hello Annhig I hope you were not insulted by what I said about Redruth as a matter of fact I had a look and hope to locate where they live although I only have a Roskear address, 25 Albert St. Your not a an Angove by chance? Definitely looking forward to seeing the Tin mines. Thank you so much for the links. Cheers Deb
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 08:38 AM
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With Australian coasts you may have seen the Jurasic coast (a bit of a marketing thing) but worth walking along a bit. Then maybe Weymouth, up to Dorchester and then a few pre-roman hill forts across to Salisbury and the finest cathedral in the south of England.
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 08:53 AM
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Salisbury and the finest cathedral in the south of England.>

yes nice regional town with Old Sarum on its edge and Stonehenge not far away.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/v...ces/old-sarum/
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Old Sep 20th, 2017, 01:07 PM
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Hello Annhig I hope you were not insulted by what I said about Redruth as a matter of fact I had a look and hope to locate where they live although I only have a Roskear address, 25 Albert St. Your not a an Angove by chance? >>

no, not an Angove, and not Cornish; we've only lived here for 20 years. And no I wasn't insulted at all - the first time we drove through Cornwall we looked at Camborne and Redruth and just kept on driving till we came to North Devon which we found much more congenial. Funny that we should end up living here.
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