xxxx's England 2005--The North and London
Nov 15th, 2005, 11:03 AM
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xxxx's England 2005--The North and London
Our long-awaited trip to England has come and gone. It always seemed to be looming in the future and it doesn’t seem possible that it is already over. We were extremely fortunate to be able to spend the first weekend with friends we’d made on a previous trip to Jamaica. They live in Stockport, outside of Manchester, and were gracious hosts.
We only had two very minor glitches in the trip and they happened right away. First, despite getting seat assignments back when the flight was booked in March, we found that according to AA, we had none. That was rectified by an early (3 hr.) check in and a gate agent who graciously assigned us bulkhead seats. Second, the Marriott Courtyard O’Hare is no longer offering parking to Marriott Rewards members for $50. I had confirmed via telephone several weeks before that this arrangement was, indeed, true and also had the name of the gentleman to whom I spoke. However, we arrived to be told the service had been discontinued and the employee no longer worked there. While I expected to have to pay for a Park ‘N Fly room that I would never use, we were kindly told that we could simply pay the $50, but to know it would not happen again.
The flight over was very full, but uneventful. We were met at the airport and spent the day napping and getting reacquainted with our friends. Having the chance to stay in their home gave us a unique opportunity to compare and contrast circumstances in each of our home lands. Frank discussions on salaries, the cost of living and property values were eye-opening for all of us. Although all of us have traveled and we not learning earth-shattering information, it is interesting to see how such differences impact others in daily life rather than in discussions on travel chat boards .
Saturday was a big day. We had private box seats to the soccer match between Huddersfield Town and Swindon. In addition to the seats, we were able to join the luncheon for that day’s game sponsors, have a tour of the stadium and were presented a signed team jersey by that day’s man of the match after the game. Not that we have much experience with box seats anywhere, but we were surprised that fans are not allowed to stand during the game (except immediately after a goal) and that no alcohol is allowed in the stands. Even inside the box, if you wanted to drink, you had to close the blinds!
Sunday we went to Chatsworth. I believe it is the home of the Duke of Devonshire—but don’t quote me on that. I am certain, however, that Chatsworth is featured in the new movie “Pride and Prejudice.”
Monday morning it was time to leave our friends. We picked up our rental car and headed for York. It was not my first time driving on the left, but it always takes some getting used to and requires concentration. We used a park and ride and took the bus to the city center. That was a great idea, except for the fact that it took us several tries to get the correct park and ride that coordinated with the driving directions to our B&B. We walked all over specifically going to York Minster, the Shambles and the York Castle Museum. We spent this night and the next at the Granary in Stearsby. I came across this suggestion in another trip report here at Fodors. The hosts are so wonderful and friendly. The setting is very serene and truly at the edge of no where.
Tuesday was reserved for Fountains Abbey. This was a highlight of our trip. The day was cut short, however, because I did not feel well. Wednesday we visited Castle Howard. Robert, from the Granary, gave us directions that took us through several small villages along the way. The drive was almost as enjoyable as the home. Our intention that afternoon was to stop at Jervaulx Abbey on our way north. We never made it. We were back and forth, over and under the town of Leyburn and took every conceivable road out of it, only to find it was never the right road. Finally, tempers were wearing thin and darkness was coming quickly, so we pushed on to spend the night at a very less-than-memorable Travelodge at Scotch Corners and dined on Burger King. So, it wasn’t exactly what we envisioned, but it suit the bill for a quick start to the next day.
Thursday we stopped at Barnard Castle and Egglestone Abbey. Both were unplanned additions to the itinerary. By noon, we were on our way north to Haltwhistle and the area along Hadrian’s Wall. Thursday and Friday nights were spent at the Centre of Britain Hotel in Haltwhistle. We had a two-room, two-level suite with a fireplace. It was huge! Although the room was the priciest of the trip, by this point some extra space was appreciated. There were 2 pubs very nearby, stores to get water and snacks and a take away place just next door (great fish & chips and doner kebabs—huge portions, too much to eat). Plus, the hotel did my laundry for only 5 GBP (self service option also available). We went to many of the Roman ruin sites in the area—Housesteads, Corbridge, Chesters, Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. We both agreed Housesteads was the most impressive. However, it was the only site that made you pay to park. I also missed the fine print about how the site itself was a ¾ mile walk uphill. It probably would not have been quite so bad if we hadn’t left the umbrellas in the car! The blue sky upon our arrival was cruelly deceiving! The area is also active grazing land. The idea of sheep walking through ancient ruins was amusing. I also had to admit that I felt a bit sorry for the Romans who found themselves posted to the far northern reaches of their empire—they must have wondered what they’d done wrong to find themselves so far from their warm Mediterranean climate.
Saturday we wandered back toward Newcastle. We went a bit north to Warkworth. This was another unplanned stop. The castle ruins are quite extensive and came with an audio tour. From there we headed to Belsay. We found the “castle” there to be in the process of being refurbished. The house is completely empty. But the road it was on led directly to the airport in Newcastle. We had to return our car to the airport as it was the only place available on Saturday night or Sunday morning. It took us a bit of an effort to find a gas station to fill up before returning, but other than that, it could not have been easier. We dropped off the car, took the Metro to Central Station and spent the night at the Royal Station hotel. Our room was dreary, but was very convenient as we had a 9 am train to London the next morning. The hotel connects to the station saving us from walking in the steady rain. The view of the rooftop was not much, but we could see fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day that lasted for hours.
On Sunday our 9 AM train for London left promptly-only to sit in York for 1 ½ hours for work on the tracks. Fortunately, we had no real plans that were impacted by the delay. We took a taxi from Kings Cross Station to our hotel, The Regency, in South Kensington. We’d stayed here before and liked the easy proximity to the tube station, stores and restaurants. We had tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys this evening. Even though it is very short, we enjoyed the pageantry and tradition. The Tower had an entirely different “feel” to it at night.
We only had two days planned for London. Monday we went to Hampton Court. We arrived back to London for the perfect time to board the London Eye. We were treated to a clear evening with twilight views. This was another unplanned event that I believe turned into my favorite part of the trip. Tuesday we left unplanned with the idea of spending time in the area around our hotel. We went to Kensington Palace. I was disappointed to find that Diana’s dresses were not on display as they are being moved to a different exhibit. We also had a wonderful, but rather pricey, tea and sweets at the Orangery. In the afternoon, we went to the V&A Museum.
We had a 9:20 BA flight to Chicago on Wednesday. Other than a rather hard landing, it was also an uneventful flight. We had upgraded to World Traveller Plus. Although I don’t remember exactly what we paid (I think around $100-120 pp), it was well worth it.
We got great use out of our Great British Heritage Passes. They were valid everywhere we went except Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum.
Unlike most posters here, we did not have a great experience booking with Just Airports. After never responding to an email inquiry, I simply called the day before we left for our trip. The man on the phone was very abrupt and told me the price would be 25 GBP rather than the 19 GBP quoted on the website (today the website quotes 21 GBP). Even so, I made the booking. When I called to confirm the booking the day before we were to leave London, I found there was no booking at all for us or our hotel at the specified time. In the end, I made the booking when I called to confirm. The next day, the driver showed up exactly on time and was courteous. I’m sooo glad I made that call.
If you have questions, please ask. In addition, I’d like to thank the many Fodorites who provided suggestions and ideas as I was planning the trip.
We only had two very minor glitches in the trip and they happened right away. First, despite getting seat assignments back when the flight was booked in March, we found that according to AA, we had none. That was rectified by an early (3 hr.) check in and a gate agent who graciously assigned us bulkhead seats. Second, the Marriott Courtyard O’Hare is no longer offering parking to Marriott Rewards members for $50. I had confirmed via telephone several weeks before that this arrangement was, indeed, true and also had the name of the gentleman to whom I spoke. However, we arrived to be told the service had been discontinued and the employee no longer worked there. While I expected to have to pay for a Park ‘N Fly room that I would never use, we were kindly told that we could simply pay the $50, but to know it would not happen again.
The flight over was very full, but uneventful. We were met at the airport and spent the day napping and getting reacquainted with our friends. Having the chance to stay in their home gave us a unique opportunity to compare and contrast circumstances in each of our home lands. Frank discussions on salaries, the cost of living and property values were eye-opening for all of us. Although all of us have traveled and we not learning earth-shattering information, it is interesting to see how such differences impact others in daily life rather than in discussions on travel chat boards .
Saturday was a big day. We had private box seats to the soccer match between Huddersfield Town and Swindon. In addition to the seats, we were able to join the luncheon for that day’s game sponsors, have a tour of the stadium and were presented a signed team jersey by that day’s man of the match after the game. Not that we have much experience with box seats anywhere, but we were surprised that fans are not allowed to stand during the game (except immediately after a goal) and that no alcohol is allowed in the stands. Even inside the box, if you wanted to drink, you had to close the blinds!
Sunday we went to Chatsworth. I believe it is the home of the Duke of Devonshire—but don’t quote me on that. I am certain, however, that Chatsworth is featured in the new movie “Pride and Prejudice.”
Monday morning it was time to leave our friends. We picked up our rental car and headed for York. It was not my first time driving on the left, but it always takes some getting used to and requires concentration. We used a park and ride and took the bus to the city center. That was a great idea, except for the fact that it took us several tries to get the correct park and ride that coordinated with the driving directions to our B&B. We walked all over specifically going to York Minster, the Shambles and the York Castle Museum. We spent this night and the next at the Granary in Stearsby. I came across this suggestion in another trip report here at Fodors. The hosts are so wonderful and friendly. The setting is very serene and truly at the edge of no where.
Tuesday was reserved for Fountains Abbey. This was a highlight of our trip. The day was cut short, however, because I did not feel well. Wednesday we visited Castle Howard. Robert, from the Granary, gave us directions that took us through several small villages along the way. The drive was almost as enjoyable as the home. Our intention that afternoon was to stop at Jervaulx Abbey on our way north. We never made it. We were back and forth, over and under the town of Leyburn and took every conceivable road out of it, only to find it was never the right road. Finally, tempers were wearing thin and darkness was coming quickly, so we pushed on to spend the night at a very less-than-memorable Travelodge at Scotch Corners and dined on Burger King. So, it wasn’t exactly what we envisioned, but it suit the bill for a quick start to the next day.
Thursday we stopped at Barnard Castle and Egglestone Abbey. Both were unplanned additions to the itinerary. By noon, we were on our way north to Haltwhistle and the area along Hadrian’s Wall. Thursday and Friday nights were spent at the Centre of Britain Hotel in Haltwhistle. We had a two-room, two-level suite with a fireplace. It was huge! Although the room was the priciest of the trip, by this point some extra space was appreciated. There were 2 pubs very nearby, stores to get water and snacks and a take away place just next door (great fish & chips and doner kebabs—huge portions, too much to eat). Plus, the hotel did my laundry for only 5 GBP (self service option also available). We went to many of the Roman ruin sites in the area—Housesteads, Corbridge, Chesters, Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. We both agreed Housesteads was the most impressive. However, it was the only site that made you pay to park. I also missed the fine print about how the site itself was a ¾ mile walk uphill. It probably would not have been quite so bad if we hadn’t left the umbrellas in the car! The blue sky upon our arrival was cruelly deceiving! The area is also active grazing land. The idea of sheep walking through ancient ruins was amusing. I also had to admit that I felt a bit sorry for the Romans who found themselves posted to the far northern reaches of their empire—they must have wondered what they’d done wrong to find themselves so far from their warm Mediterranean climate.
Saturday we wandered back toward Newcastle. We went a bit north to Warkworth. This was another unplanned stop. The castle ruins are quite extensive and came with an audio tour. From there we headed to Belsay. We found the “castle” there to be in the process of being refurbished. The house is completely empty. But the road it was on led directly to the airport in Newcastle. We had to return our car to the airport as it was the only place available on Saturday night or Sunday morning. It took us a bit of an effort to find a gas station to fill up before returning, but other than that, it could not have been easier. We dropped off the car, took the Metro to Central Station and spent the night at the Royal Station hotel. Our room was dreary, but was very convenient as we had a 9 am train to London the next morning. The hotel connects to the station saving us from walking in the steady rain. The view of the rooftop was not much, but we could see fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day that lasted for hours.
On Sunday our 9 AM train for London left promptly-only to sit in York for 1 ½ hours for work on the tracks. Fortunately, we had no real plans that were impacted by the delay. We took a taxi from Kings Cross Station to our hotel, The Regency, in South Kensington. We’d stayed here before and liked the easy proximity to the tube station, stores and restaurants. We had tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys this evening. Even though it is very short, we enjoyed the pageantry and tradition. The Tower had an entirely different “feel” to it at night.
We only had two days planned for London. Monday we went to Hampton Court. We arrived back to London for the perfect time to board the London Eye. We were treated to a clear evening with twilight views. This was another unplanned event that I believe turned into my favorite part of the trip. Tuesday we left unplanned with the idea of spending time in the area around our hotel. We went to Kensington Palace. I was disappointed to find that Diana’s dresses were not on display as they are being moved to a different exhibit. We also had a wonderful, but rather pricey, tea and sweets at the Orangery. In the afternoon, we went to the V&A Museum.
We had a 9:20 BA flight to Chicago on Wednesday. Other than a rather hard landing, it was also an uneventful flight. We had upgraded to World Traveller Plus. Although I don’t remember exactly what we paid (I think around $100-120 pp), it was well worth it.
We got great use out of our Great British Heritage Passes. They were valid everywhere we went except Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum.
Unlike most posters here, we did not have a great experience booking with Just Airports. After never responding to an email inquiry, I simply called the day before we left for our trip. The man on the phone was very abrupt and told me the price would be 25 GBP rather than the 19 GBP quoted on the website (today the website quotes 21 GBP). Even so, I made the booking. When I called to confirm the booking the day before we were to leave London, I found there was no booking at all for us or our hotel at the specified time. In the end, I made the booking when I called to confirm. The next day, the driver showed up exactly on time and was courteous. I’m sooo glad I made that call.
If you have questions, please ask. In addition, I’d like to thank the many Fodorites who provided suggestions and ideas as I was planning the trip.
Nov 15th, 2005, 12:31 PM
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I chuckle at your comments about Housesteads! Our 7 year old son thought he could make friends with the sheep by chasing after them as we climbed up the hill. And we also commented on the poor Roman soldiers that found themselves at the end of the civilized world, with cold weather and the blue-painted savages, the Picts. It was probably not a choice post.
Nov 15th, 2005, 06:01 PM
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Nice report, xxxx!
I, too, stayed at The Granary (near York) - maybe it was my trip report from July 2005 that you read?
After reading your report (and vicariously traveling with you), I feel a "need" to share a Housesteads story...
Ten or so years ago my husband and I went on a spur-of-the-moment trip to England during Thanksgiving week. We rented a car and drove up to the Hadrian's Wall area.
Loved it, especially Housesteads. But, when we walked back down to the parking lot, we realized that another tourist had inadvertently (we assume) left the gate open. The gate that separates all of those cows and sheep from the parking area.
Predictably, the cows had discovered this "breech" and were out and about, milling around in the parking lot and wandering into the road.
Not being up on our "cow etiquette," the two of us did our best to try to herd those cows back into their field, but it was impossible. (Partly because there was a line of cows on the other side of the fence, just waiting for a chance to escape into the parking lot. So, we couldn't leave the gate open and one of us had to stand near it and try to shoo the cows in the field back, but stay far enough away that we wouldn't scare off the cows that we were trying to get through the gate. Whew!)
We finally gave up, but were very distraught about the thought of the cows being hit by cars (and the people in those cars that might be hurt by running into a cow).
So, we closed the gate firmly and RAN up the hill to the museum/gift shop that sits up on the ridge. They were just getting ready to close, but let us in and listened to our story.
Apparently similar incidents had happened in the past (the gate was well-posted, so I'm not sure why this concept is so difficult!), so they had the farmer's phone number handy.
While they called the farmer, the two of us ran back down the hill and did our best to keep the cows off the road until the farmer arrived (about 10 minutes later).
He was grateful, and we were glad that no cows or humans had been harmed in the process.
We'll never forget the sight of those cows in the parking lot. Several were "standing in line" for the (closed) snack bar (this was late November, remember). Five or six others were hanging around each of the 2 or 3 cars in the lot. A couple more were standing the middle of the road, just hanging out. And the rest were just here-there-and-everywhere.
Thanks for bringing back a great memory!
Gayle
I, too, stayed at The Granary (near York) - maybe it was my trip report from July 2005 that you read?
After reading your report (and vicariously traveling with you), I feel a "need" to share a Housesteads story...
Ten or so years ago my husband and I went on a spur-of-the-moment trip to England during Thanksgiving week. We rented a car and drove up to the Hadrian's Wall area.
Loved it, especially Housesteads. But, when we walked back down to the parking lot, we realized that another tourist had inadvertently (we assume) left the gate open. The gate that separates all of those cows and sheep from the parking area.
Predictably, the cows had discovered this "breech" and were out and about, milling around in the parking lot and wandering into the road.
Not being up on our "cow etiquette," the two of us did our best to try to herd those cows back into their field, but it was impossible. (Partly because there was a line of cows on the other side of the fence, just waiting for a chance to escape into the parking lot. So, we couldn't leave the gate open and one of us had to stand near it and try to shoo the cows in the field back, but stay far enough away that we wouldn't scare off the cows that we were trying to get through the gate. Whew!)
We finally gave up, but were very distraught about the thought of the cows being hit by cars (and the people in those cars that might be hurt by running into a cow).
So, we closed the gate firmly and RAN up the hill to the museum/gift shop that sits up on the ridge. They were just getting ready to close, but let us in and listened to our story.
Apparently similar incidents had happened in the past (the gate was well-posted, so I'm not sure why this concept is so difficult!), so they had the farmer's phone number handy.
While they called the farmer, the two of us ran back down the hill and did our best to keep the cows off the road until the farmer arrived (about 10 minutes later).
He was grateful, and we were glad that no cows or humans had been harmed in the process.
We'll never forget the sight of those cows in the parking lot. Several were "standing in line" for the (closed) snack bar (this was late November, remember). Five or six others were hanging around each of the 2 or 3 cars in the lot. A couple more were standing the middle of the road, just hanging out. And the rest were just here-there-and-everywhere.
Thanks for bringing back a great memory!
Gayle
Nov 16th, 2005, 03:00 AM
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It's worth noting that it's not a very good idea to travel by train on a Sunday.
That's when they repair the tracks and it's not uncommon to be delayed or to have to make part of the journey by bus.
That's when they repair the tracks and it's not uncommon to be delayed or to have to make part of the journey by bus.
Nov 16th, 2005, 04:07 AM
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Yes, Leonberger, it was your trip report that I read. We thoroughly enjoyed the Granary and the Turl's hospitality. We didn't encounter any cow issues, but I did irritate a sheep who was not pleased about being in a photograph.
MissPrism, we heard your very same advice--unfortunately, as we were sitting on the train. Fortunately for us, there were no pressing plans waiting on the other end of the journey.
MissPrism, we heard your very same advice--unfortunately, as we were sitting on the train. Fortunately for us, there were no pressing plans waiting on the other end of the journey.
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