TeaLoverDenise

I've lived in London now for 15 months. Moved here in July 2003, married a wonderful Englishman July 2004. We're relocating to America (my hometown, Charleston, SC) to see what life is like there, and then I suppose at some point, will decide exactly where we want to live when we grow up. (ha ha We're both in our 40s.)

I've seen and done literally just about everything on my "Wish List" in and around London. Have also been to:


Chatsworth
Tintagel
Portsmouth
Torquay
Plymouth (Buckland Abbey, Dartmoor, etc)
(Have spent quite a bit of time in places around Devon)
Brighton
Chartwell
Chester
North Wales (Conwy)
And also spent a few days in Paris.


We only have about a month left here, and because my husband is still working Mon-Fri, there are only week-ends left.

We have a car so getting around isn't a problem. It's the time element and, to some extent, budget.

A few places still on my Wish List are:


Bath

Oxford (thinking of doing the 6-mile Walk from the book "Thames Valley Teashop Walks", which includes a visit to the Ashmolean)

Glasgow (the Mackintosh tearoom) and Edinburgh, although time-wise/budget-wise we don't see how this one can be accomplished.

And, being a tea lover, the York (Betty's Tea Rooms) area is appealing.

East Anglia is also appealing, but not sure what the big "draw" would be over there.

And my stepdaughter lives in Ebbw Vale in South Wales and we haven't been there yet.


Considering my situation, would love some feedback on what everyone here thinks would be "must see" places/daytrips before I leave the UK.

And what great do-able destinations have I left off the list?

Both my husband and I love musueums, concerts, art galleries, theatre, walking, etc.

Cheers.

flanneruk

You can't predict how the next 50 years will pan out, but it's not a bad bet you'll be back here once or twice. And that, almost certainly, will involve travelling to London and to wherever you're most likely to have major family rites of passage. When, if you're coming from the US, you'll probably be a bit pressed for time.

So doesn't it make sense to give lowest priority to places easily reached from London, Heathrow or Gatwick? So in your shoes, I'd dump Oxford and Bath. I'd put East Anglia top of the list - not because it's that's stunning but because it's out of the way, the place you're least likely to visit later, and repays quiet meandering. See Suffolk and Ely for example.

I'd see a real British city. This country's real achievements have been its passing on its core values to the rest of the world. All through its great Victorian seaports. Glasgow wasn't the greatest, and Liverpool's contribution to the world has been far, far greater. But central Glasgow's better looking and the Burrell is one of our greatest museums.

Bettys has to be one of our most overrated honeypots

PS: With all the good stuff here, do you honestly think that on your death bed you'll whisper "if only I'd seen more tea shops"?

caroline_edinburgh

North Yorkshire - the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and Whitby.

caroline_edinburgh

If you're going to Ebbw Vale, the South Wales valleys are interesting from an industrial heritage point of view. South Wales also has Cardiff with its castle and newly regenerated bay area (we love Cardiff and go at least a couple of times a year), Laugharne for the Dylan Thomas home, the Gower & Pembrokeshire for natural beauty.

IMO Betty's tearooms are less overrated than the Mackintosh ones - dull food, very poor service and you can see more and better Mackintosh interiors at the Mackintosh House by the Hunterian museum/gallery.

But since you haven't been to Scotland at all, I'd assume you'll want to come back & do it justice over a week or two rather than trying to cram it into a weekend ?

Gardyloo

Edinburgh, use BMI or EJ if you're close enough to an airport; otherwise take the train, even if it's for one or two overnights. Shouldn't miss it. I agree with flanneruk on the Burrell too, also on East Anglia. Too much agreement.

Nix on Betty's in York. Instead, go for the original in Harrogate. Food's okay (probably over-rated, yeah, but so are a lot of places that end up on many "must-do" lists. YMMV.) I like Betty's not for the food but for the people-watching - helmet-haired Harrogate ladies unabashedly embracing the 1950s middle class lifestyle. The Welsh Rarebit is pretty good, actually.

Plane tix over the water are dirt cheap as a percentage of average household income nowadays; if you can travel north to Raleigh you can ride to LGW quite inexpensively, so I wouldn't lament not having future opportunities.

ssachida

windsor

ingy

Denise,
Myself and my two children spent a month in Britain August 2003. My favourite places were not shops or tea rooms, but scenery and castles. Loved walking in the hills of Derbyshire, absolutely beautiful. Yorkshire was also very nice. Took the train from Glasgow to Oban. Unbelievable scenery. Going through the Grampian Mountains was beautiful. Took a boat ride over to Mull and visited Duart Castle, quite interesting but the scenery is what caught my attention. Edinburgh is nice, you should really go there. You can catch a train in Edinburgh or Glasgow to go anywhere in Scotland quite easily. I have heard that the museums are really great in Glasgow.

Daisy54

Well if it were ME, I'd be going for historic sites - Windsor, Hampton Court, Canterbury, Winchester, Warwick etc. etc. Of course Stonehenge is a must-see. I also loved the Royal Pavilion in Brighton - over the top tacky but still awesome - I loved the dragon chandelier in the dining hall.

IMO Glasgow is dull; if you go to Scotland, Edinburgh is much more interesting. York is great too though we didn't make it to Betty's tea room, the Minster itself was worth the visit.

jules39

Definately some of the historic sights that Daisy mentioned. These just do not exist outside of Europe.
Clovelly is a beautiful little town in Cornwall and well worth a visit.
If you want to go across the water I would highly recommend a weekend in Brugge Belgium

Whatever you do have a lot of fun!

sheila

How could you not come to Scotland?

Fly to Inverness and have a weekend in the mountains. Then we KNOW you'll come back

Judyrem

YES the Minster is my very favorite Cathedral and I loved York. Also enjoyed Castle Howard and Fountains Abbey nearby. Wanted to do the Beamish Life Exhibition near Durham but did not get the opportunity, Are you sure you want to leave??? I agree with Flanneruk, the UK's biggest achievments, has been passing on it's core values and thank God they did!

laverendrye

This is a bit off topic, but here's a check-list for your English husband to tell when he is becoming "Americanized", (and perhaps for you to see how much you have become Briticized in the past 15 months).

http://www.britishinamerica.com/goingnative.html

seetheworld

Visit Cambridge and go punting on the river Cambs then grab a pint!

HuisClos

York and Lincoln to the north, Canterbury to the southeast, perhaps Dorset.

ms_go

I was going to suggest Cambridge, but seetheworld beat me to it. It's a fast, easy drive or train ride from London, and a terrific place for a weekend visit! If you can possibly get a little further afield, then I'll second (and third) the vote for Edinburgh. It is one of my favorite cities, anywhere.

Rexs_Daughter

Dear Denise,
I wanted to mention something that no one else seems to have put up here. If you are really pressed for time and cash, it might be worth your while to consider a Scotrail "ShortBreak." These trips start from London and go to a lot of different places in Scotland. You sleep on the train and the trains leave late Friday and get back early Monday, hopefully meaning your husband wouldn't have to miss any work. They include pre-arranged 3 or 4 star accomodation, recommendations of what to do, and usually some extras or discounts (=less planning and work for you if you're pressed for time). For the low season they are around £200 or less. The website is www.scotrail.co.uk/shortbreaks
Good luck making decisions!
-Rex's Daughter

mclaurie

I won't give you any specific advice but I will agree with flanneruk's <i>concept</i> of thinking through where you're likely to go/visit anyway on future trips based on where family is located. As an American married to an Englishman whose entire family is in the UK, we're over there quite often, but our trips always revolve around seeing family. We've actually had a number of trips where we never set foot in London, or only for a day or evening (b/c none of them live there any more). So if your step daughter is in South Wales, I'd assume you'll be going there regularly. Not to say you might not go to say good bye now

ddgattina

Since you will likely return to London and can always see the same towns and museums (permanent exhibitions) sometime soon, I would concentrate on performances (musical and theatrical) AND on special exhibits at museums (the ones that change after a few months) . These are the things that probably won't be there when you do return to London, and you may not (probably will not!) find the same range/ quality of performances in the US. For example, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden is on a roll-- in the last few years they have staged performances that you can't experience anywhere else in the world.

circa2

Just a passing thought....since I have a &quot;soft spot&quot; for WWII history.

1. Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon

2. Duxford...just outside Cambridge.
The tribute to WWII American flyers at Duxford is second to none.

lyb

TeaLoverDenise,

I envy you...you get to live in London for 15 months, and then go back to your hometown, Charleston, SC.

I fell in love with Charleston in 2001 and just recently added London to my favorite cities....How did you get so lucky?