travelinwifey

Hello travelers, this year my spouse and I will be visiting middle Britain and would like opinions of the nicest areas to stay along the way and hotel suggestions. Price range - we've budgeted for this so we prefer 4-5* lodging in historic hotels and manor houses. Our first city night is already booked in Manchester at the Victoria and Albert Hotel.

We have visited the Cotswolds before but never stayed over night, we are thinking 2-3 nights there at the Lygon Arms or the Dial House in Bourton-on-the-Water where our guide Mr. Mike Davies of Welsh Dragon tours has connections and possible room discounts.

Our main likes are castles and gardens. We also enjoy quaint less traveled towns and places for leisurely walking about.

So is there a town between Manchester and the Cotswolds to spend a few nights, or should we add another night to Manchester for sightseeing and keep the Cotswolds as our base? We've been to Oxford and Stratford a few times as well as visited Warwick Castle before so we will forgo it this time even though we love the areas.

On the 7th day we will travel to London for an overnight stay and following take to Paris for a week there, that portion is already taken care of with lodging.

Thanks for any suggestions, I really apreciate it!

janisj

You have lots of chopices, but what I'd probably do is spend 2 or 3 nights in the Peak District near Manchester and 3 or 4 nights in the Cotswolds.

The Peaks has amazing scenery plus Chatsworth, Haddon Hall and other great houses/gardens. A couple of places to check

http://www.theblenheimhouse.com/
http://www.fischers-baslowhall.co.uk/
http://www.ringwoodhallhotel.com/

In the Cotswolds, the Lygon Arms is very nice and if it is in you rbudget you'll be happy there. Other places to check out in the same price range or a bit less would be the Bear in Woodstock, and the Bay Tree in Burford

janisj

oops meant to include a couple other Peak District properties . .

http://www.thepeacockatrowsley.com/
http://www.riber-hall.co.uk/
http://www.eastlodge.com/

ElendilPickle

We had a wonderful time in the Peak District, albeit on a lower budget than yours. If you click on my screen name, you'll find my trip report.

Lee Ann

travelinwifey

Thank you so much Janisj and ElendilPckle for your responses. I've neaver heard of the Peak District and it seems to have exactly what we desire for an overnight stay! Yea, I'm going to start researching using Janisj's posted links. We got lucky this year because my spouse has a business associate which is allowing us to use their flat while in France helping us to save significantly.

Am looking forward to reading your review LeeAnn!

travelinwifey

Just wanted to follow up with our final itinerary, we originally wanted the Peak District for two nights but due to travel over bank holiday we tried to persue a route with less traffic getting to and from the attractions:

23rd Aug – Travel to Peak District. Stay in Buxton at the Palace Hotel

24th to 27th Aug – Travel down to Cotswolds and stay at Lygon Arms, Broadway

27th Aug – Get to Cambridge for early evening, stay at Cambridge Garden Hotel

28th Aug – Visit the Imperial War museum and transfer to London and catch the Eurostar to Paris.

Aug 28th - Sept 3 Paris staying at the flat of a business acquiaintence

Sept 3 fly back to Manchester and stay overnight

Sept 4 depart for home regretfully!


Thanks again Janisj and Lee Ann for your suggestions, I had never heard of the Peak District but now realize the area has much to offer. Can't wait to see it

tamarackidaho

I have a son in school in York, and have been in love with that little town since I first visited him last summer.

travelinwifey

Thanks tamarackidaho, looking quite forward to it

Anna1013

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread...

Janisj - wow! some of those places to stay at look incredible...to bad the exchange rate is so bad, and our budget so small

Have you stayed in any of these places?

Anna1013

travelinwifey,

We just returned from a 2 day stay in the Peak District. We chose to stay about 5 minutes outside of Bakewell, a very charming and cute town.

Bakewell is only minutes away from Chatsworth House, and since that was the point of our visit, we decided to stay near the town.

Please make a point to visit Chatsworth - I especially like the sculpture gallery and I love the grounds!

If you go to the Chatsworth website: www.chatsworth.org/ you will be directed to rental property on there property - you can even stay in the Hunting Tower! I'm not sure if you'll be into that, but our DF really wanted to stay there, but they were already booked.

The cottages on property look quite charming and they were a bit expensive for our budget, but I think it would fit in with yours!

travelinwifey

Thanks Anna1013, I took at the chatsworth.org web page, I had no idea the mansion was so opulent! I think it's the part I'm looking forward to the most at this point. I truly would have loved to stay in the Hunting Tower but it is booked for our dates as well as the other "on site" rooms. I didn't realize we were traveling over bank holiday which is limiting our hotel choices as many are already booked. Got a great deal on airfare though when traveline mid week

Mrs_Wilde

We toured the Peak District last October and loved it.

FYI - Chatsworth was one of the film locations from the most recent Pride and Prejudice film. The grounds there are well worth a nice leisurely walk, especially good views from an unusual rock formation atop a hill.

Have a lovely trip!

travelinwifey

I loved, loved, loved Pride and Prejudice, especially Mr. Darcy I really want to visit now! I didn't know the movie was filmed there, thanks Mrs_Wilde

ElendilPickle

While you're in the area, you might want to visit Haddon Hall, which is about three or four miles from Chatsworth. It's a medieval home which was also used in the newest Pride and Prejudice as the inn where Elizabeth and the Gardners stay, and it was Prince Humperdinck's castle in The Princess Bride.

I forgot to mention I have pictures of Chatsworth and Haddon at http://picasaweb.com/elendilPickle/R...utTheUKMay2007

Lee Ann

travelinwifey

Hi again Lee Ann, yes, we will definitely do Haddon Hall also, have the Haddon website bookmarked. I clicked your link and the photos didn't come up, does the link work for you? Also when I click your name I am having trouble finding your trip report though I'm probably skimming over it by accident, what is the title of the thread? Thanks

Maria_H

I don't know if you will have time but you might also like to see Lyme Hall, used as Pemberley in the BBC series od Pride and Prejudice. It could easily be visited en route from Manchester city centre to Buxton, as it's on the A6, the main road that runs between them.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main...ce/w-lymepark/

travelinwifey

Hi Maria_H, looks lovely. I think we should be able to fit it in on the way down and visit either Chatsworth or Haddon Hall. I am going to research the places we'll be visiting to fuigure out if it's worth it to buy a National Trust membership. We have a Heritage pass from last year too.

ElendilPickle

Sorry, I was away from home and trying to post quickly! http://picasaweb.google.com/elendilp...utTheUKMay2007 should work.

My trip report is called Roundabout the UK - it should be somewhere in the first couple of UK pages.

Lee Ann

janisj

Here is the E.Pickle trip report (and a great read it is)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35015831

(easier to click on the screen name than paging back through all the UK threads)

travelinwifey

Thank you both! Will read up now...