Katherine4

We are doing a 6 day walking tour in the Cotswolds. It's a circular walk, so it begins and ends in Moreton-on- Marsh. After the tour, we'd like to rent a car and explore a different area for the remaining 4 or 5 days of our trip. It's got to be a location that is relatively close to the Cotswolds, but also one that will be a nice contrast to what we've already seen. What would you do with the remaining 4 days?

I've seen a lot of positive comments about Devon, Cornwall and Somerset counties. (not sure about distance from the Cotswolds, though) Wales appears to be not too far. I'm not sure what lies north of the Cotswolds, or for that matter, south east, but I am wide open to suggestions. I'd really appreciate some input. Another alternative is to go to London for the remaining days and see the sights there, but I prefer the idea of the countryside.

Thanks for your time!

buongiorno

We just returned from the UK and hopefully you're not planning on doing the walk too soon as that's part of the area hit by the bad floods.

Nonetheless, have you considered Bath and the surrounding area, Wells, Lacock, Glastonbury, etc.. You could also consider the lake district or the Scotish highlands which are beautiful.

Katherine4

Just when I decided to focus on the Cotswolds, I heard about the flooding. But we're planning on going in late September, so I'm assuming that everything will be OK by then.

Yes, Bath is definitely an idea. I don't know much about the surrounding area, though. Wouldn't the Lake District be too far from the Cotswolds, given that we've only got 4 or 5 days?

Thank you for your reply!!

crckwc

The drive from the Cotswolds to the Lake District takes the better part of a day -- 6 hours or more depending on your destination. Even allowing a day to get there and another day to get back, you still have a full 2 or 3 days in the Lake District. Personally, I would make the trip because it is my favorite part of England, the Cotswolds being a close second. Just a personal opinion, you understand.

crckwc

p.s. If you enjoy walking, and obviously you do, the Lake District can't be beat.

isplumm

Hi,

Lake District to Cotswolds is about 4-6 hours, depending on traffic.

You could drive up via Malvern & walk up on to the malvern hills - excellent views of the surrounding country & easy to get up to.

Mark

Katherine4

Wow, everyone seems to be in favor of the Lake District after the Cotswolds. I know it's supposed to be beautiful and all, but I'm surprised by the consensus. After all, there are lots of beautiful places in England.

Thanks very much! You've given me something to think about.

-Katherine

rickmav

I'll offer a dissenting opinion. I've never been that fond of the Lake District; I live in the Rockies, so lakes and wooded hills aren't my first priority in England. I have a number of suggestions, depending on how far from Moreton on Marsh you want to get:
- Stratford and the surrounding area is pretty, lots of estates, gardens and towns to see in 4/5 days;
- have you ever been to Oxford? Although I wouldn't suggest having a car in Oxford, you can always stay just outside and explore lots of intersesting villages, as well as Oxford itself;
- the area between Bath and Yeovil (Somerset) is lovely, again with lots of things both north and south to do in 4/5 days;
- more of a drive would be the area between Ludlow and Shrewsbury.

All of the above are doable, although both Devon and Cornwall are lovely, you would end up spending a lot of time driving. Other favourite areas of mine are Kent/Sussex and Suffolk, but they have the same driving issue.

If you want more information on any of the above, let me know or search this site. That's the great thing about England - you have so many choices.

Katherine4

Hi Rick,

Thank you for your suggestions. You write: - the area between Bath and Yeovil (Somerset) is lovely, again with lots of things both north and south to do in 4/5 days; more of a drive would be the area between Ludlow and Shrewsbury.

Can you tell me more about these areas? I do see your point about the Lake District. I like the idea of seeing an area that is distinctly English, as opposed to a natural area that I might see at home in the U.S.

On the other hand, having just come from the Cotswolds, I'll want to visit an area that has a slightly different feel than the Cotswolds. I'd love to get your thoughts and get some additional info about the above destinations.

Thank you so much!!

Katherine

rickmav

Hi Katherine. Will get notes together and post some info. later tonight. Mavis (the 'mav' in rickmav).

alya

Katherine4 - Where are you flying home from?

Kent, Suffolk or Sussex could be a good option if you are flying from Heathrow or Gatwick.

Save the Lake District and Scotland (and keep the Yorkshire Dales in mind) for your next trip

Devon and Cornwall are a better idea than the North of England but I agree with rickmav that is still a lot to do in the area around the Cotswolds that would be a contrast to your walking tour - Will you be happy driving in England?

Katherine4

Thanks, Mavis! I'd love to see the information you have when you've got the time.

Alya, we are probably flying in and out of Heathrow. You say Kent, Suffolk or Sussex could be good options. Can you tell me a little bit about those areas? Where would you go if you were me? Kent/Suffolk/Sussex or Devon/Cornwall? Or would you go to one of the areas mentioned by Rickmav?

Thanks, again!!

rickmav

Hi Katherine. Sorry I didn't get back to you last night, but I am having 'tooth' problems and didn't get it resolved until this afternoon.

I think I was the one to initially suggest Sussex/Kent and Suffolk. I've attached our trip reports for both, please feel free to ask me any questions. We did a lot of sightseeing so you could pick and choose for your 4 or 5 days. I think it's still a bit of drive tho', even if you are travelling through Heathrow.

suffolk - http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34941319

kent & sussex -
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34943207

I feel a bit sorry for Somerset, it always seems as if people are passing through it on the way to somewhere else. And it's a shame because it has a lot to offer and is a bit slower-paced than the Cotswolds to the north. Lots of farming goes on here and some of the scenery is so peaceful and 'comforting'.

I'm travelling there again in October (I'm staying at Shepton Mallet, between Bath and Yeovil – because from there I can get to a lot of places I want to visit). Below is my draft itinerary. Perhaps, you'll find some ideas that are helpful. I will have a rental car. Most of the estates noted below have lovely things to see, plus beautiful gardens and walks.

(Sa) - Drive to Shepton Mallet from Devon. On way see: *Knighthayes Court. Check into cottage.
(Su)- Visit Dyrham Park & Berkeley Castle
(M) - Take Park & Ride into Bath. Spend day wandering about. See: Roman Baths & Pump Room; Museum of Costume; Georgian House at #1; Bath Abbey; & Pulteney Bridge and Parade Gardens
(T) - Visit Sherborne Castle and Stourhead Gardens & House.
(W) - Visit Great Chalfield Manor and Lacock Abbey. If I have time check out the gardens at Bowood.
(R) - Visit Montacute House and Forde Abbey
(F) - Visit Avebury, including the Museum.

Although I've stayed in the general area before, I'm trying to see things I haven't seen, except for Bath and Stourhead (and Stonehenge, of course, a bit further on), which I've visited before. I like to drive, so I do a fair bit of it. You can check the places I've mentioned on a map and see what distance you might be comfortable driving. I buy a Great British Heritage Pass - all the places listed above are included – which means I pay one fee and then I only show the card to get in.

On a previous visit to Somerset, my husband and I stayed at Magpie Cottage (http://www.havenfarm.co.uk/). David and Zena, the people who own it are very, very nice and the cottage is right in the countryside. The only negative were that for the last ¼ mile the road was barely one lane. Got my heart pumping each time we went in and out. The lovely thing is that is was very peaceful. It's very near a town called Wincanton, which has good shops and services (the local library lets you use the Internet for free). A few miles from the cottage is a pub called the Old Red Lion. Very traditional, very good food.

On that trip we visited Longleat, Wilton House and Stourhead where we had a private ceremony to renew our wedding vows on our 25th wedding anniversary. Stourhead itself is worth the visit to the area (which is technically Wiltshire at that point. But the counties all run into each other.) If you go to Stourhead, you must stop at the Spread Eagle Inn, at the edge of the grounds, for tea or a pint.

As far as Ludlow & Shropshire, we've sadly only driven through on our way north, or into Wales, but I've always promised myself I would return. So, I'm going there after Somerset. You can do a search on Fodor's for both Ludlow and Shrewsbury and get some of the information I've been using to put my itinerary together. It will include places like: Hanbury Hall, Witley Court, Berrington Hall, Stokesay Castle, Wightwick Manor, Ironbridge Gorge & Museums, Attingham Park, and of course the Brother Cadfael walk in Shrewsbury.

Surely, an embarrassment of riches to choose from.

Have fun whatever you choose.

janisj

to follow on from rickmav's post - a very nice "two-fer" would be Somerset and Dorset. Not as far as driving all the way to Devon/Cornwall, but still lovely countryside plus teh Dorset coast.

4 days would be a nice break in Somerset/Dorset

Katherine4

Thank you so much, Mavis, for taking the time to put together all of that information for me. You are very generous! I really appreciate it!

OK, let me ask you this. Can you give me some defining characteristics of Somerset vs. Kent/Suffolk/Sussex? I will, indeed, read through your trip reports for the details, but I'm looking for generalities now.

As a side note, I LOVED the scenary in Sense and Sensibility (in all of the English productions, actually), but I believe that it was filmed in a variety of places.

Thanks, again, so much. Thank you, too, JanisJ!! I guess your vote is for Somerset/Dorset!

Katherine

bellini

I live on the edge of the Cotswolds in Stratford on Avon, almost re-named Stratford UNDER Avon this week. I'd echo the recommendation of Dorset= beautiful countryside and lovely coastal scenery. Try seafood at West Bay, walk the coastal path from Bridport to Lyme Regis, follow in the footsteps of Louisa Musgrove along the Cobb at Lyme (Jane Austen fans will know of this) and visit Weymouth for a good old-fashioned seaside experience.

hetismij

Even if you are travelling in September I would check on how things are at your accomodation in the Cotswolds. I doubt very much that things will be back to normal by then - the sheer volume of flood damage will means anywhere flooded will most probably still be uninhabitable then.
If it weren't for the recent flooding I would have suggest Hereford and Worcester as an extra area. I'm not sure how badly these areas have been hit by the floods.
How about the Isle of Wight? Stay in West Wight, visit the Needles, walk on Tennyson own, see Osbourne House.

rickmav

Defining characteristics, hmmm. Not sure as a visitor I'm really qualified to do that. I can tell you some of the sensory memories I have of each area, don't know if that will help.

Somerset - apples, cheese, birds singing, straight talking people, few tourists, rolling hills, Exmoor, silence, natural wonders, caves and gorges, rain, potent cider, myth, folk music, Glastonbury, Coleridge, restored railways, Roman baths, the Mendip Hills, King Arthur.

Kent/Sussex & area - literary, political, in the centre of history for centuries, independent, unbelievable gardens, incredible estates, seafood, movie/TV sites, Hellfire Corner, Canterbury Tales, beautiful weather, hops, the walks at Beachy Head.

Suffolk & area - amazing light, fish and chips, the ocean at Southwold and Aldebugh, exquisite villages tucked higgedly-piggedly along small streams, geese on the village green, piggeries, easy to get 'off' the tourist trail, fresh air, getting lost in the deep country, great pub meals, Cambridge, having tea at Grantchester, wanting to write something great while I was there.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

Katherine4

Thank you, Bellini! Dorset sounds lovely.

Thank you, too, Hetismij for your thoughts. I'm concerned about the state of the Cotswolds in September, too.

And, Mavis - Thank you for the interesting and beautiful descriptions of those areas! You make them all sound very appealing!! I'm going to have to think about all of the suggestions made on this thread, starting with whether or not the Cotswolds are even a possibility at this point in light of the flooding.

Thank you all very much!!

specs

I think the Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire region is a perfect counterpoint to the Cotswolds. I just returned from these areas on Tuesday and had a wonderful time

I've spent time in the Cotswolds for the last three summers. This year I added a few days to my trip to visit another area. The main criteria was finding an interesting area within a reasonable driving distance from the Cotswolds. (I considered the Lake District and Cornwall but decided the time spent driving to these regions would eat up too much vacation time.)

In the Cotswolds you will visit small, picture postcard villages tucked here and there amid the hills. Much of the architecture you will see here is from the 16th-17th century and was built for wooltraders and yeoman farmers.

In contrast, Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire contain many wonderful examples of 18th century estates which were built for wealthy gentlemen. In my opinion, this period is the heyday of the English country house, as I love Georgian architecture and landscape design. Many of these beautiful homes are filled with art and Chippendale furniture. As many properties are owned by the National Trust, restoration and presentation are top notch. The accompanying landscape parks are worth a visit on their own.

Driving through these counties is relatively easy and distances between sights are not far. Bath features everything from Roman ruins to a Jane Austen museum. A dip into Somerset & Wiltshire in the South gives you a wealth of stately homes and gardens to choose from. Travelling West into Wales for a day of castles is also an option from this area. Heading further East into Wiltshire will bring you to Neolithic sites such as Avebury and Stonehenge. We truly felt "spoilt for choice" as there were so many intriguing places to visit.

Except for Bath, none of these areas were crowded. Lots of time to meander and enjoy. Theoretically you could see many sites in a day. We decided to do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. With stops in villages for meals and a few meanders into shops, this was a relaxing pace.

I've been to Cornwall and Devon, but feel this is a trip best enjoyed on its own. There is a fair amount of driving to get out to Cornwall and it is a long way back to the airports near London. Parking in Cornwall can be irksome as well.

Enjoy your trip.