Cotswolds and...?
 

I am thinking of renting a car in Oxford for 5 days and travel to Bath, Stratford... Where else do you recommend I should go? This is my first trip to England (except from a stay in London).

Take a look at some of the attractions and things to do at http://www.ukattraction.com <BR> <BR>There is so much to see and do that I'm afraid 5 days is unlikely to do your trip justice... a good excuse for paying a second visit! :-) <BR> <BR>Paul <BR>

There is so much to do in that area, you will not have time to do it all. Stratford is a bit of a tourist trap but it's great to go there in the evening for a play. Bath is an excellent choice with both Roman and Georgian sites. Other possibilities: Avebury - a very good Stonehenge-type site, Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle (my favorite English castle), tons of quaint towns to drive through (take a walk through the Slaughters or Stanway), go to Chipping Campden for lunch. For a bit of shopping - Stow-in-the-Wold or Burford. <BR> <BR>We really concentrate on walking when we go to the Cotswolds and slip the other sites in to break it up. If you're interested in walking, drive into Burford, stop in the newspaper shop and pick up a book or pamphlet on local walks. You can't really go wrong. <BR> <BR>Have fun.

Avebury is very interesting. I would also do the nearby West Kennet Passage Grave (if it is open - you walk thru a farmer's field and up the hill to get to it) Also Devizes is nearby - see the series of locks going up the hill. Lacock is interesting (all this easily in one day) <BR> <BR>Cheddar Gorge is intersting - also some caves can be visited. If you like cheddar cheese, the shops sell it based on how long it has aged - from weeks to years. The Cathedral at Wells is interesting and the drive between Cheddar and Wells is nice. <BR> <BR>Warwick Castle <BR> <BR>The White Horse chalk figure is different and a drive thru the nearby Valley of the Thorobreds (Lambourn) is picturesque. <BR> <BR>In the Cotswolds, try the backroads between Lechlade and Bibury

Woodstock, a little town right outside the gates of Blenheim Palace is very nice. The Town House B&B is THE nicest we've ever stayed in, US or UK. It's a vertical B&B, three stories, in town, squeeky clean and nicely decorated. The town is artsy and crafty, and is close enough to the Cotswolds and Shakespeare country to use as a center of operations. Woodstock is not far North of Oxford, very close to Bladen, where Churchill is buried.