I am back again as my trip is starting to take shape. Based on some advice on this forum and others I have tweeked my itinerary. Is this doable so far?

day 1 arrive at Gatwick. Take express bus to Oxford. Get there by noon. Do some walking tours at the University. I believe there are 2 tours of the university that day.

day 2 Bleinheim in the morning. More walking tours in the afternoon. Theatre in the evening.

day 3: I must get to Moreton on Marsh for late afternoon/evening. Either spend day in Oxford or ????

day 4/5/6 scheduled walking tour in Cotswolds

day 6 Head to Bath - overnight in Bath
. Torchlight Tour in the evening.

day 7 Bath - Jane Austen day - overnight in Bath

day 8 to Bronte -overnight in Haworth.

day 9 - Do some walking on the moor . Then head to Edinburgh or stay in or near York to Castle Howard.

day 10 -14 Still up in the air!

Option #1 - stay in Edinburgh for 2 nights and take a tour for two days and head to Manchester on the last day - Stay in Manchester overnight for flight the next day.

Option #2 - Leave Scotland for another trip and go to Durham. Use Durham as a base and travel around that area. Head to Manchester early morning on my last day in the UK.

How does that sound so far?

I could use some help in assessing if this seems to busy or sedentary. Will I have enough to do in Oxford? Is there somewhere between Oxford and Moreton on Marsh that I should stop in? I will have 3 full day in the Cotswolds to explore. This is prebooked.

I would like to get to a few castles. I am interested in history, art and nature.

Thanks.

Will you have a car or depend on public transportation?

If you have a car, I would recommend for those last 4 days a stay in NOrthumbria. Lots of castles and nature. Bamburgh and Alnwick are two castles that come to mind. A trip to the Farne Islands to see birdlife. A visit to Lindisfarne and hike out to the ruined castle. You are also close enough to visit the museums, fort and parts of Hadrian's Wall.

Then do an overnight in Durham on your last day as you head back to Manchester. Durham has both a castle and a cathedral as well as windy old streets that are fun to explore.

Castle Bolton is also a stop worth considering.

However, staying in the York area is worth considering. York itself is a great city to explore. There is a castle, a cathedral, several museums, and lots of little places to pop in and out of. If you have a car, there are lots of nearby places to explore--Ripon is a bit of a stretch from York, but I enjoyed exploring. (I showed up for the walking tour offered by the local tourist office and was the only one, but the very personable guide took me anyway. Friends of his were in their front garden as we passed and invited us in for a cup of tea and then showed me their back garden which ran down to a river where there were tiny ducklings.) Near to Ripon is Fountains Abbey--ruins and gardens.

Rivieulx is near York--very evocative ruins.

If your library has "James Herriot's Yorkshire", you might check it out and see his favorite places. By the way, his town of Thirsk is not far from Ripon.

Sorry, now I have made your choices even harder, I am afraid.

irishface - Unfort., no vehicle so I am at the mercy of public transportation. All good suggestions and either of your two suggestions would round out my trip nicely. And yes...more food for thought...but I appreciate it.

If you are at the mercy of public transportation, then I would think York might be your best bet. You could catch a tour from there to Castle Howard. I think there might be tours to Herriot country as well.

http://www.visityork.org is a website full of things to do in and around York. There are two bus companies which do day tours are listed.

In fact just plug in http://www.visit (name a city or town in the UK).org and you will get a ton of info. (I just found this little tidbit recently.)

You don't say when you're planning to travel.

But be aware that trains between Oxford and Moreton are subject to considerable disruption from time to time over the next few months.Details at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=3501

flanneruk - OH NO - I am travelling in July and August! I have to go check right now!

Thank you flanneruk - I just checked and I should be fine. Of course the rail system is another question for another day. I am so confused. In any case, would you or anyone else recommend a stopover anywhere between Oxford and Moreton on M Marsh?