thursdaysd

Some background: I'm a late-sixties, solo, female traveler. I grew up in England, although it has been many years since I lived there. My recent trips have mostly been about family and London, and this time I want to spend more time in the countryside. I won't drive, and I would like to get some walking in - two to four hours, not rugged, and not too much elevation gain. My interests include architecture, history, arts and crafts, and scenery.

I'll arrive from the US at Heathrow on a Thursday morning, after not sleeping in economy class. I have room reservations for all of this, all but the university ones can be canceled. While I'll be visiting Dorset, which I think previously I've only driven through, I am not a Hardy fan, although I am an Austen fan.

<b>Bournemouth (1)</b> By coach, principally to break the journey south and recover from jet lag. Possibly visit Russell-Cotes, evening fireworks in Poole?

<b>Lyme Regis (3)</b> By train and bus. Would like suggestions for walks to vist the cliffs. Have read that the Coast Path in this area is in poor shape.

<b>Weymouth (3)</b> By bus. Considering visits to Lulworth and Abbotsbury.

<b>Oxford (4)</b> By train. Sleep Christ Church. One day to visit family. Botanic Gardens and revisit Ashmolean. Tour of Radcliffe and Bodleian. Maybe train to Charlbury for a walk in the Cotswolds - flanner posted a link on another thread - or is there a good walk along the river?

<b>Worcester (4)</b> By train. Visit Gloucester and Hereford and possibly Tewkesbury. Walks?

<b>Shrewsbury (1)</b> By train. Ludlow was too expensive... Malvern Hills?

<b>Conwy (4)</b> By train. One day for Conwy and Llududno (Great Orne - nostalgia). One day for Anglesey - Beaumaris Castle and Plas Newydd. Possble trip by train and narrow gauge railway to Porthmadog/Portmeirion and back through Caernarfon (have seen the castle more than once). Bodnant Gardens.

<b>Chester (2)</b> By train. Any boat trip possibilities?

Spend August Bank Holiday weekend with my elder sister, arrive by train, leave by coach.

<b>Cambridge (3)</b> Sleep Sydney Sussex. Visit Ely. Visit Sandringham and/or Audley End. If i walk to Grantchester can I get a bus back?

<b>London (3)</b> Sleep LSE Grosvenor House. Any exhibitions or plays of note? It will be Sep 2-5. Anyone in town for a mini-GTG?

Cathinjoetown

Thursday,

I can comment on parts of your itinerary. The Russell Cotes in Bournemouth was re-furbished about 10 years ago, it's an excellent small museum which only takes an hour or two. There are fireworks on Friday nights in summer, I thought east of Bournemouth pier, which you could see from up on the west cliff. Don't know about Poole. The cities have eccellent regional bus service so depending on the weather you could get to the best vantage point.

Lyme Regis, I've just been down on the cobb, don't know about the coastal path, to the east but about 30-40 minutes by car, the Great Orne is in good shape with stunning views. Great walks and views around Lulworth Cove.

Will post this now but have to run. More on Wales later.

thursdaysd

Thanks. I'll be in Bournemouth on a Thursday, but I found a reference to fireworks in Poole on Thursday nights - http://www.pooletourism.com/go.php?s...I483EBDEDB0560. Would be nice if I could see them from Bournemouth.

I won't have a car anywhere.

PalenQ

Your train trips are short so fairly cheap - though there is a BritEngland Railpass that lets you hop any train anytime I don't see any really long train trips and you have buses too so unless you want unfettered hop on hop off mobility just buy tickets as you go for the short runs and www.nationalrail.co.uk for discounts on longer ones. the flexipass runs for 8-days out of a longer period $50 a day or about 30 quid a day.

Your trip is so well planned and great - I based in Shrewsbury and day tripped to Ludlow and another day in the Iron Bridge Historical Park - if you have not been there it is amazing place - start of the iron age in building things like the Iron Bridge - the original iron structure here - visit the old shops - I walked all around - several miles. Took bus from Shrewsbury and train back from Tetford.

Check www.seat61.com for the best info on British trains.

thursdaysd

I just ran the numbers, and there are two trips - Shrewsbury to Conwy and Chester to Milton Keynes (don't ask) - that I need to buy ahead, and a Senior Railcard will save me 24.10 GBP over its cost on the whole lot. Nothing is over 30 GBP even without the Railcard.

Glad that you like the trip. I don't remember the last time i spent this long in the UK, but I decided Iceland on the way over was going to cost me too much, given I hadn't booked far enough ahead.

tower

KW:

as usual, all I can offer you is a photo session. Some of the places you've mentioned are herein. I've been to several other places you brought up...but pix will have to do for Chester and North Wales. Have a delightful time. I just love the way you've always traveled (to our benefit!)

Pix below:

Stu

tower

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Wales#
I'm not up on any train or bus info...always drove.

PalenQ

Milton Keynes (don't ask)>

I suppose to see those famous cows?

https://www.google.com/search?q=milt...HTZgCE4QsAQIKA

thursdaysd

Thanks stu! There should be a TR.

Absolutely not, PQ - how did you dredge that up?

Cathinjoetown

Thursday,

Not sure you could see the fireworks from Bournemouth, Poole Quay is sort of around a bend. Think you could get there by bus, depending on location of your hotel. May be kind of a late night for day 1.

I don't know much more about North Wales than you despite having been several times. You've mentioned most of my favorites. Hope the liburnam is in bloom at Bodnant.

My husband's cousin swears by the bus service, he's gone all over the area by bus, we've used it from Llandudno along the coast, very reliable and clean. We loved mid-Wales, Powys Castle and gardens are not far from Shewsbury. Ludlow is interesting with all its preserved half-timbered buildings.

Beaumaris is a favorite, lots of nice places for lunch, we had a good one at the Old Bull's Head near the castle. Interesting parish church.

Dukey1

Well, Thursday I, for one am very VERY interested in your upcoming trip report and I will endeavor to be as hospitable in my comments on yours as you were on my own to Australia and New Zealand. Cannot wait!!!!

welltraveledbrit

HI Thursday - I'm not sure I can be much help but I was so interested to see your itinerary. Some friends are moving to Dorset so we may be down near Lyme Regis soon .

My grandfather was a canon of Worcester cathedral and I went to school in Malvern for many years so that area of the country is very familiar, though my information is all decades out of date! Malvern has of course the Elgar connection and was an old spa town. Lovely places around there would include Tewkesbury which you mentioned, as well as Upton on Severn and Evesham.

As an fellow Arts and Crafts person I wondered if you've visited Kelmscott Manor one of William Morris' homes? We've always intended to go but somehow have never made it, it may be difficult by public transport.

https://www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor/

Sounds like another interesting trip. As mentioned we may be following in your footsteps to Dorset - but not till December, when it's darker, colder and all the National Trust properties have closed for the year, our trip sounds like a well designed plan doesn't i?!

flanneruk

<i>Tour of Radcliffe and Bodleian. Maybe train to Charlbury for a walk in the Cotswolds...or is there a good walk along the river?"

Truncation is never a good idea in Britain. The Radcliffe Camera's a great deal more interesting to observe from outside , especially as part of the Radcliffe Square streetscaping, than to tour within. The newly rebranded Weston Library (nee "New Bodleian") now includes a book exhibition gallery second only to (and sometimes rivalling) the British Library's Treasures display. Currently, its exhibition (free) is branded "Treasures".

Oxford has three "walks along the river": the eastbound and westbound Thames Paths (both slightly walks alongside marine superhighways, but both within a hundred yards along the Meadows from your room in ChCh), and the northbound Oxford Canal: slightly trickier to get to, but there are a couple of green paths from ChCh, and much more like most people's ideas of walks through dappled country paths along an idyllic, tree-shaded, silent waterway. If time's tight, look at walking as far as Tackley or Heyford and getting the train back - but there are VERY few trains making that conection.

THe round trip to Charlbury then back to Oxford - or even to Woodstock for a bus back - will be well outside your time budget.

<i>Any exhibitions or plays of note?</i>
Dozens, even though you're visiting during the junk season (the good stuff has to wait till we're all back). Little point recommending any blind. Time Out's your friend.

bilboburgler

Given the poor quality of the hotels in good positions in Bournemouth, or perhaps the good quality ones in horrible positions I would hesitate to stay there. I grew up in Poole and recently had to find a hotel in the area and struggled.

No, you will not see the fireworks from Bournemouth. BTW do you know the term "grockle".

You can stay in a Poole Hotel on the Quay. I've never been so cannot advise. You might prefer to stay on the High Street where there used to be the odd pleasant pub, which I assume have now been gentrified.

The train into Bournemouth does go onto Poole (the front 4 carriages in the old days) and the Station to the Quay is about a 15 min walk, faster by Taxi.

Getting about by pub tran http://www.traveline.info/

thursdaysd

Thanks everyone!

<b>Cathinjoetown</b> - I deal with eastbound jet-lag by sleeping for two-three hours in the afternoon, so there's a good chance I'll be up for 10:00 pm fireworks, I'm more concerned about the crowds. Thanks for the lunch recommendation in Beaumaris.

<b>welltraveledbrit</b> Dorset in December? The wave action should be good, but you might get a bit chilly watching it! Thanks for reminding me about Kelmscott - I had come across it in one of the guidebooks, but it doesn't seem very accessible. Interesting that your grandfather was a canon of Worcester - I'm looking forward to visiting the cathedral. Probably evensong as well.

<b>flanneruk</b> Thanks for the info on the "Treasures" exhibition and the recommendation against touring the Radcliffe Camera. I would still like to see the inside of the "old" Bodleian.

I was basing the Charlbury idea on this comment from you on another thread:

"The best single-microtown website for walking is http://www.charlbury.info/walking. Trains from central London are hourly, taking about 75 mins, or 15 mins from Oxford." But I like the idea of the quiet canalside walk.

<b>bilboburgler</b> I'm only spending one night in Bournemouth. I always thought of it as a retirement destination, but according to Lonely Planet it is now overrun with hen and stag parties on weekends, so I'm leaving before they arrive. Turns out Lyme Regis will be hosting a Regatta and Carnival, but that's what I get for traveling in August. And had never heard of "grockle".

I have a reservation here:
http://www.derby-manor.co.uk/

Bit above my usual price range, but I'll be coming off a night flight. Newish hotel, convenient for the coach and train stations, and good reviews on TA (and not from one-post wonders). I hadn't thought about staying in Poole instead, although I certainly don't want to stay on Poole Quay if there's a party going on outside!

bilboburgler

Don't know the hotel, but certainly the street is where the old go to die.

Yes the centre of Bournemouth is where the cheap drink party goers go.

Poole quay is pretty good and I'd rather be there than on Derby Road, but it's new and at least you get a bath in your bedroom....

Hooameye

I'll put you out of your misery.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/wo...e-word-grockle