I meant to say above that a side trip to another country was too expensive (not to the English countryside).

Also, I will be flying into Heathrow and would like to be able to take a train from there if possible.
Thanks for any advice!

From Heathrow , depending on where you wish to go, you might want to take a bus from the Airport to Reading, and then the train from there (To e.g. Bath, Salisbury, Winchester or Oxford).

I would also recommend Bath as a good destination. It has huge amounts of history (The Roman baths are one of my favourite historical sites in the UK), good architecture, interesting shops, and a wide choice of shops and restaurants. There may still be daily guided walks of up to 3 hours - these were free of charge, but exceptionally informative.

A lot of people are suggesting Bath....is it possible to go there and have the farmhouse experience I was hoping for?
Also, is there a way to get there direct by train or would it be train and bus (I have all my luggage...).
Thanks!

I was wondering about the Bath suggestions. You specifically mentioned countryside and farmhouses. Bath is an elegant small city. It is a great place to visit - but is not rural.

Now, there are small villages out in the countryside near Bath - but there is not much to see in them. They would be a base for visiting Bath - which again is a wonderful city, but a city none-the-less.

If getting into the countryside is your main criteria - I would take the train to Moreton-in-Marsh and staying there or a nearby Cotswold village. Unfortunately no trains go from Heathrow to anywhere but London. But there are bus and bus/train combos that can get you just about anywhere so once you decide where it is you are going, then we can tell you the easiest way to get there from LHR.

Thanks janis....Maybe I should think about going to one of the Cotswold towns, stay in a cute farmhouse, do a little shopping and drinking? I don't need museums or churches as I have had my fill. I'm looking for charming atmosphere, beautiful scenery, some cute 'English' shops, tea, pubs, etc.

I also want an easy connection since it will only be for one night, I will just have done a transatlantic flight, and will have my luggage.
Plus I would like to keep costs down.

What do you think?

You seem fixated on a farmhouse. Farms are usually at some distance from towns. You will have to take a taxi to get to the farmhouse and from there to a pub, town, etc. Also farms in November are kind of bleak places.

How about a cosy B&B in a nice small Cotswold town? Say one within easy reach of Morton-on-the-Marsh. Plenty of countryside around the town, easy access to pub, tea rooms, and so on.

That definitely sounds great. Do you have a recommendation?

I haven't had a personal experience, but have heard good things about Treetops, which is near the train station in Moreton. I looked at www.smoothhound.co.uk. Also looked for Burford, which sounds good on the other thread.

Other sources of B&B's: www.theaa.com and www.sawdays.co.uk.

Thanks so much! I'm going to do some reasearch and see what I come up with.

Is it possible to go via train from London to Hidcote Garden Manor in The Cotswolds? Is there some sort of shuttle? I can't find anything out from the website.