4 nights in Southhampton Area?
 

I need some ideas. We've been to most of England and always wanting to see something different. This will be after a cruise the first week of May, and we can hire a car or use the train. We'll fly back from Heathrow.

Do you have a favorite in this area?

Absolutely - Not IN Southampton but just across in the New Forest. It is a beautiful area and there is a ton to see in the area.

The Forest villages/free roaming ponies, Beaulieu, Bucklers Hard, Exbury gardens, the docks/Mary Rose in Portsmouth, a day trip to the Isle of Wight, all along the south coast and into Dorset.

I'd probably stay in Lymington. And read Edward Rutherfurd's "The Forest" if you get the chance.

Here are some sites to get you started:

http://www.bucklershard.co.uk/
http://www.exbury.co.uk/exbury/index.htm
http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/
http://www.maryrose.org/
http://www.visit-dorchester.co.uk/
http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/
http://www.lymeregis.com/
http://www.britainexpress.com/counti...e/lulworth.htm

You should get a lot of replies on this. I prefer the train, but you can do more in a car. Portsmouth for a visit to see "Victory", Nelson flag ship. West of Southampton near Wool, is the Tank museum and Monkey museum.

How encouraging to have replies so quickly! Thank you for taking the time.

janisj,
What a plethora of websites! That will keep me busy and out of trouble for a long time. I have read "Sarum" by Rutherford. It is one of a handful that I have read more than once and I keep a copy in my library when it isn't loaned out. I also read "London" but it didn't have the same attraction for me. I expect the "Forest" will be based on the New Forest in the Southampton area? I will surely read it.

We've never been to the Isle of Wight, but have sung the words along with the Beatles. We have been to Exeter and Topsham (wonderful tea shop there) for several days so won't want to return there. I think they are quite near Portsmouth, but we didn't venture there due to weather.

I will search Lymington for accomodations. We want to have a base and not move accomodations.

rogeruktm,
I prefer the train also. I realize you can go more places with a car - some villages aren't on the train or the bus anymore. BUT - the tradeoff is:
my head in the map and searching for the elusive road signs and my DH becoming tense and terse driving a new vehicle on a different side of the road!

I'll check the train to see where it does stop.Years ago we had a Britrail pass for 25 days and loved using it. 8 years ago we got regional passes (Took us to East Anglia and Exeter - for a change from London in the middle)

Thanks for your opinions.

Exeter and Topsham are quite a distance, over to the west in Devon. You may be thinking of Plymouth (which is also in Devon) instead of Portsmouth

There is plenty to keep you busy closer to "home".

A car will be easier - but there is quite good rail coverage along the south coast and in the New Forest. So you could do much of it by public transport - maybe consider renting a car for a day or two.

Going over to the Isle of Wight is MUCH cheaper w/o a car but then you'd have to rely on local buses to get around. Very doable - you'd just have cut back how much of the island you could see in a day. W/ a car you really could see a lot from Osborne House to Shanklin to the Needles.

Beaulieu may be too small for a week's stay, but The Montague Arms is one of my favorite hotels in Britain. You can walk to Bucklers Hard from the hotel.

And, definitely read Rutherfurd's 'The Forest'.

I was going to suggest the Isle of Wight too. Would be good.

Alternatively, have you thought of Dorset? One of the most beautiful counties of England (Yorkshire, of course, being number one!).

Do-able by bus if you stayed somewhere like Poole, but much better (I can't believe I'm saying this) if you have a car. There are so many places to discover and you can spend hours and hours just wandering around the Poole hinterland on the back roads with Ordnance Survey map in one hand and a copy of Pevsner in the other. On the back roads there isn't much traffic. You might get stuck behind someone but that's OK. You're not in a hurry; you're on holiday.

You'll find thatched pubs, and old stone bridges; water meadows and Iron Age forts; ruined castles; stately homes and gardens; fabulous views. And there's the seaside too. Lulworth Cove, Weymouth and Swanage. I particularly like Wareham (an ancient settlement that was once an important port) whence you can return to Poole on a chain ferry.

Most of these places (and many smaller ones) are mentioned in he Domesday Book).

And May is a brilliant time to be there. All the hedgerows will be starting to green, and with luck the sky will be blue.

I can also recommend a lovely flat in Wimborne Minster (a destination in its own right with the Abbey). I stayed there for a week May 2008. The unit is lettable by the week but you may find it very affordable even if you only stay four nights.

Cheers.

As well as those already mentioned, from Southampton you are also within 25 minutes train journey from two of the great cathedral cities of England - Winchester and Salisbury. Both have been frequently discussed here so a search on either name should bring up plenty.

If castles are more to your taste then there are several in the area - Porchester (near Portsmouth) is my favourite - Original Roman walls plus the Norman keep - it is not a romantic castle like Arundel (also within easy reach) but a great slab sided fortress - good views from the top. The Ruins of Corfe Castle in Dorset are also very beautiful - in fact the whole area around corfe is well worth a visit: Very pretty countryside and villages - and some excellent coastal pathways if you like hiking.

Winchester is 20 minutes on the train from Southampton Central.

Romsey's about the same and salisbury a bit longer. All are worth a visit.

I grew up in the area and visit regularly. I suggest you draw a circle that encloses Salisbury, Dorchester, Chichester and the Isle of White.

So much to do but a list could include the Fossel coast from Lulwurth. Kiting in Weymouth. Prince Charles's village in Dorchester (look out for the brass plaques in the street to catholics killed during the religious wars period). Then all the towns like Swanage, Corfe (with castle ruin) Blandford, SHaftesbury, Poole and Brownsea Island. Salisbury CAtherdral

Then the forest

janisj,
I have found the place we hope to make our base in Lymington. Thank you for that recommendation. Now if we can just figure out how to get there from the cruise docks of Southampton! I believe there is a train (2 changes) and a bus (1 change) and a taxi(probably out of our budget).

We thought about a car-hire, but decided against it. I need to find a good site for train travel and plan around that. One time we stayed in Brighton at the end of a trip, and then took the train right to Gatwick. So convenient.

But this time we are returning to Heathrow and I can't find a train connection with out 3 (THREE!) changes. So we may just get back to the National Express in Southampton and do that.

When I get an itinerary put together, I would appreciate your comments.

And yes, I was thinking of Plymouth - and they were all in Devon. (great creme teas & cider - not at the same time, though!)

historytraveler,
I did look into the Montague Arms but (strangely) it was booked full for my dates. (Not until next May)But thank you for the suggestion.

afterall,
And Dorset sounds very tempting! But I think we will keep our minds focused on the area close by Southampton since we just have 4 nights - and 3 1/2 days.

willit and cholmondley_warren:
Thank you both also. But we have spent time (overnight) at both Salisbury and Winchester. One funny memory that I have is trying to get on the train to Salisbury and the attendant wouldn't let me board until I said it (Salisbury) correctly!

Bilboburgler,
And I do like the idea of the circle around the area. We have planned trips like that, but I hadn't thought of it before for this stay. It will have to be a small circle, but I will see what it will encompass and probably be surprised.

I was so shocked to come back and find answers - on Saturday, even! Thank you all for your help.

You won't find any trains to Heathrow w/o changes - since the only trains to LHR come from Paddington in London.

So - just take a train into London and then get to LHR either on the train or tube.

OR

probably easier/cheaper -- Return to Southampton and take the express coach right to the airport.

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/...outhampton.htm

I thought Southampton Central to Lymington should be a direct train, but apparently you need to change at Brockenhurst.

I agree about using National express - cheaper and easier than the alternative (Train to Woking, then bus from there - you can buy it as a single ticket, but it is expensive).

The National express station is about 5 minutes walk from Southampton central rail station

If the train schedule from Brockenhurst to Lymington leaves you w/ too long a wait -- just take a taxi. It it is less than 5 miles.

Prince Charles's village in Dorchester (look out for the brass plaques in the street to catholics killed during the religious wars period).>>>>

That's Poundbury and my mum lives there. It's not worth the trip - there's not really anything there. Just some houses and a pub and a couple of shops selling spendy tat.

"Poundbury ..'s not worth the trip "

I've been told by some it's worth it to see the sheer banality of the Prince's ambitions.

That apart, there IS a Roman burial ground there, with apparently interesting early Christian finds - which you do find scattered around southern England, but rarely fully documented.

Does anyone know how visitable the burial ground is? I occasionally find myself passing through or round Dorchester but the traffic's always such a mess I lose the will to try and find the place and end up just taking the pooch to get terrified by the savage sheep on Maiden Castle. Which, BTW, Bhahmama is one of the few things worthwhile along this coast that can't easily be accessed by public transport.

I'm not excited by Poundberry either but I think the concept is interesting and if interested in how spaces effect people a usefule standard.

I think Maiden Castle is worth a major investment of time but maybe not for everyone.

Dorchester itself is hard to visit but worth a walk through and the statue to William Barnes an oddity to make you think.

Finally the view down to Weymouth is good.

But I think the OP is going to be at the S'ton end anyway