Denise - I also recommend a day trip to Winchester which is an easy train ride from London. The Cathedral is stunning and an easy walk from the train station. Enjoy your trip - always enjoy your viv trip reports!

Salisbury is also an easy trip from London, by train. Beautiful cathedral, and they have an original copy of the Magna Carta in its own building.
https://g.co/kgs/m9i5xYqhttps://www....r/magna-carta/

Avebury can be reached by train and bus from London; it takes about an hour and 45 minutes. It's a large henge with three stone circles, older than Stonehenge. It has no formal entry requirements, as part of it is within the village of Avebury. I actually appreciated it more than Stonehenge.

I agree that Bath, Oxford, and Cambridge are well worth a visit.

Winchester is a great suggestion! I did a day trip there and was sorry I didn’t book a later return. It’s a great city.

I believe that Salisbury cathedral is the most sublime of cathedrals in the UK. But, don't approach it from the station. Get a taxi to take you south so that you walk up to it through the water meadows say from de Vaux Place. It gives you a better understanding of what it would have looked like back in the day rather sited in a busy town. Then walk back to the station and you can see the alternative modern view.

My husband and I happened by chance on the view from the water meadows when we were taking a walk to a village whose name I don't remember. It is definitely a memorable view.

Thank you all for continuing to share such great options…I’m spoiled for choices here. Tough decisions but I feel like we can’t go wrong no matter what we decide!

From Winchester, there's also an easy riverside walk to the Hospital of St Cross

https://hospitalofstcross.co.uk/

The first section of this old trip report of mine discusses some attractions of Winchester.

Winchester, London and Wales

Another vote for Salisbury cathedral, truly one of the most magnificent I have seen in the UK. I need to go back again to get the view from the water meadows bilbo and bvlenci talk about. In 2017 we went the traditional route, from the town.

Winchester too is a must-see, I loved our visit. Though the Magna Carta at Salisbury is a plus, that trip we saw two of them, at the British Museum and again at Salisbury.

Another vote for Bath. The city has stunning architecture, and there is even an amazing rooftop pool from where where you can see the whole city (Thermae Bath Spa).

Last summer we had an extended retirement trip that included 10 days in the England. We spent 5 days in London then rented a car and drove to Cambridge, Canterbury, Dover, Arundel Castle, Brighton and then South Hampton. Our mobility was limited, but our return trips to Canterbury and Dover were more enlightening than 30 years earlier. We toured Canterbury and strolled through the town, which was much larger than I remember. It was only a 20 minute drive Dover. We skipped the castle this visit but took a boat tour to view the White Cliffs. The view of the cliffs from the water versus the land made me even more appreciative of them. We had visited the tunnels / bunkers last visit, so just the boat tour and the cliff views were worth the trip from Canterbury.

Due to our mobility issues, we couldn't see a lot of Cambridge but had a lovely lunch at a French restaurant and visited another church. Our visit to Arundel Castle was only to walk the grounds as we were on our way to Brighton.