My wife and I are spending the first two weeks of September in Great Britian. We would like to see London for 2-3 days and Edinburgh, Scotland. The rest of the time we want to rent a car and drive around the countryside, staying at B&B's. What places should we absolutely not miss? We would like to visit some castles - I hear you can stay overnight at some. Any recommendations?

Hello - Two weeks will really fly by. I don't have tons of information but I have
a few ideas regarding castles -

Amberley Castle: Built in the 12th century and passed from tenant to tenant. Queen Elizabeth I held
the lease between 1588 and 1603. Located in West Sussex near the village of Amberley which I was told was
probably the prettiest of the Sussex Downland villages. (It was quite beautiful) Near Arundel. The castle was purchased
by the Cummings in 1988 and I believe they are still running it. You have a selection of rooms all named after a different
Sussex castle. The Queen's room restaurant offers good food and wine. I would highly recommend a visit.

Arundel Castle: In Arundel, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Norfolk. Wonderful paintings by Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Reynolds and
some of the most beautiful tapestries in England. Arundel has lots of antique and craft stores to visit also. No sleeping rooms though.

Durham Cathedral and Castle: Durham is in the North East of England (look a little further north than York) on the River Wear. The river loops
around the city centre and the Cathedral and Castle. Work on the castle begun in 1093 and was completed within 40 years - It's the finest example of Norma
architecture in the world. Following the Norman conquest the Bishops of Durham were given the power to rule the North of England using their own armies but by
the 19th century this was no longer needed and in 1837 the Castle was turned over to the University of Durham which was founded in 1832. Durham Castle is home to over
80 students and staff and is now one of the twelve colleges within the university. The castle has a registered museum and offers guided tours. I would also highly
recommend attending a service at the cathedral and visiting the crypt. There is a small cafe, the "Alms House" located across from the castle that serves the best
bread pudding I have ever tasted. If you wish to try and stay at a room in the Castle contact the Acommodation Secretary, The Castle, Durham, DH1 3RW or call - (091) 374 3863.
I spent a great deal of time in this area and fell madly in love with Durham. It's beautiful!

Scarborough Castle: South of Darlington (and Durham) and east to the coast lies the castle built by Henry II. Climb to the top and you will have spectacular views along the coast
and inland towards the North Yorkshire moors. No rooms available though.

Langley Castle: Going north again to Langley-on-Tyne, Hexham lies Langley Castle which is also a hotel and restaurant. Langley was built in 1350 during the reign of Edward III and is
considered to be the only medieval fortified Castle hotel in England. There are 8 bedrooms with private en suite bathrooms. Tel (0434) 688888. I spent long afternoons sipping mulled wine
in the large Drawing room in front of a fire. There are beautiful stained glass windows, comfy chairs and even window seat nooks to curl up with a good book. Another one that I highly recommend.

Not a lot, but a few of my favorites. I hope this helps. Have a great trip.
Karen

We are going back for out 3rd trip the 3rd and 4th weeks of sept. If you're close don't miss York and the Yorkshire dales. Thirsk is the hometown of the late James Harriot of All Creatures Great and Small fame. Not much of a city but the vet practice is still inoperation by his son. There is also the ruins of Rivielue ( ? sp ) abbey outside Thirsk. Beautiful countryside. The Cotswolds are another quaint area, thatched roofs, etc. We accidently fell in to the town of Wells, just south of the Cotswolds. Absolutely charming city and cathedral. Stayed at the Crown hotel. Windsor Castle, if it's open after the fire is worth a day train trip. That's a rather brief but broad range. Enjoy.

See London first. Numerous day trips by train available.Then take AirBus toHeathrow and get a rental car for rest of trip. Suggest seeing Oxford and Cotswolds. Warwick Castle. Stoke-on-Trent for china stuff. Bounce over to Cambridge and East Anglia. Leeds Castle is great. Contact me for further details.

Plan 3 full days in London first. Then take airbus to Heathrow to get rental car. See Brighton Pavilion, Arundel Castle, north to Oxford & Cotswolds. East to Cambridge. Down to Leeds Castle & Hever Castle. Back to Airport and home.

As odd as it may seem, the War Museum in London we would highly recommend. We spent several days in London and on the last day we were scrounging around for something to do; we had already hit all the major sites. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip! It is not just weapons, planes, artillery, etc. Two highlights were 1)a simulation of the blitzkreig (sp?) of London at night; complete with motion and sound and visuals and 2)a simulation of being in the trenches and foxholes during a night attack. Outside of London we really enjoyed York, Bath for a one day visit only though, and Lincoln, primarily for the cathedral. Of course Stratford and Warwick Castle was excellent. Royce

Two weeks is not a long time to see Great Britain - there is so much to see. I have to recommend the city of York - you must see The Shambles, York Minster and The Castle Museum. I also would not miss The Lake District, particularly Keswick, Grasmere (where William Wordsworth lived), Ambleside and Windermere.