Things to do outside of London

[dmr727]

Hello all! I fly to London every other month or so, but I always spend my time in town. Absolutely love the city, but I thought it might be fun to hop a train and venture out a bit. My next trip has me arriving Monday morning on the 20th, so after a quick nap I'd have from noon until the end of the day (I can get back late) to explore. Of course I can google around, but I thought I'd ask you fine folks here. I don't want to rent a car, so I'd want it to be something accessible by public transit, and I'm very happy to walk a lot too!

One thought was to go check out the White Cliffs of Dover, but I'm sure you all have plenty of good recommendations!

 

[Bodhitree]

Oxford has some nice museums and the university to take a look around in. I liked the Ashmolean in particular. It’s also a nice example of a smaller English town.

Canterbury is fun too, it won’t beat London for shops but it has the Cathedral and a large pedestrian area.

 

[laptech]

Hello all! I fly to London every other month or so, but I always spend my time in town. Absolutely love the city, but I thought it might be fun to hop a train and venture out a bit. My next trip has me arriving Monday morning on the 20th, so after a quick nap I'd have from noon until the end of the day (I can get back late) to explore. Of course I can google around, but I thought I'd ask you fine folks here. I don't want to rent a car, so I'd want it to be something accessible by public transit, and I'm very happy to walk a lot too!

One thought was to go check out the White Cliffs of Dover, but I'm sure you all have plenty of good recommendations!

Your request is too vague because there is tons of stuff to go see and do outside of London but it requires more input from you as to the kind of things you like to see and do because there are excellent garden's to walk around, museums to go to, castles to see, iconic buildings to visit, military history to visit and see. Your likes and dislikes would also be dependent on travel because to get to most places by train in the UK can take 1hr or more, especially if your staying in London and want to travel to places up North because it can take upto 3-4 hours by train just to go from London to the West Midlands.

Also the time of year limits your options because it now get's very dark in the evenings and also colder which means many places will be closed or closes early due to the lack of day light. For example, your in London, you want to visit a site up North but it takes 3-4 hrs by train to get there. To get any value from the visit you would have to leave London around 8am. Get to the location in 3-4hrs time, then walk or take a bus to the actual venue which could mean you getting there at 1pm. You then got a good solid 3 hrs to do what you want to do before it starts to get dark and then you have to think about the long journey home. This is why I say you need to be a bit more specific in what you want to do whilst in the country.

 

[dmr727]

Oxford has some nice museums and the university to take a look around in. I liked the Ashmolean in particular. It’s also a nice example of a smaller English town.

Oooh...that's a great idea. That'd scratch a couple of itches - I would love to see the campus and also roam around in a smaller environment. It also doesn't appear to be too difficult to get to, which ties into the next response:

Your request is too vague because there is tons of stuff to go see and do outside of London but it requires more input from you as to the kind of things you like to see and do because there are excellent garden's to walk around, museums to go to, castles to see, iconic buildings to visit, military history to visit and see.

I completely understand. I'm struggling to be specific because my interests are all over the map, but I love the idea of seeing more of the countryside, exploring smaller towns, and perhaps even walk through a castle. You mention the weather and that's certainly a good point, but walking around a cool town (gardens are great!) is more my speed than being indoors at a museum. I land at 7am so I can push myself to hit the ground running, but I think the chance of me hitting a wall after being up all night is too great - I'd rather stay closer to London and have the advantage of a 2-3 hour nap.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oxford has some nice museums and the university to take a look around in. I liked the Ashmolean in particular. It’s also a nice example of a smaller English town.

Canterbury is fun too, it won’t beat London for shops but it has the Cathedral and a large pedestrian area.

@dmr727: I agree with @Bodhitree:

Both Oxford (which is a little over an hour by train from London - the train is a good idea if you would like to sip a beer in an atmospheric pub) - and Canterbury are excellent ideas.

If you like cathedrals and history (which are my personal preferences), Winchester and Salisbury are also easily accessible from London, (by train) and are very interesting places which are well worth a visit.

 

[laptech]

Oooh...that's a great idea. That'd scratch a couple of itches - I would love to see the campus and also roam around in a smaller environment. It also doesn't appear to be too difficult to get to, which ties into the next response:



I completely understand. I'm struggling to be specific because my interests are all over the map, but I love the idea of seeing more of the countryside, exploring smaller towns, and perhaps even walk through a castle. You mention the weather and that's certainly a good point, but walking around a cool town (gardens are great!) is more my speed than being indoors at a museum. I land at 7am so I can push myself to hit the ground running, but I think the chance of me hitting a wall after being up all night is too great - I'd rather stay closer to London and have the advantage of a 2-3 hour nap.

If seeing more of the countryside and exploring smaller towns, some locations which I think would be perfect for you would be Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole caves and their surrounding area, both are in Somerset. The next would be up North, the Peak District (hills and more hills) and the Lake District (waterfall after waterfall), perfect for those that like walking and the scenery. If you like a bit of medieval history then Leeds Castle in Kent is well worth a visit. Staying in Kent there is Canterbury as already mentioned and not so popular but an excellent place for a walk and visit which is Reculver Bay near Herne Bay. Getting off the train at Herne Bay and taking the picturesque walk along the sea front to the 12th century Roman Fort.

 

[dmr727]

If seeing more of the countryside and exploring smaller towns, some locations which I think would be perfect for you would be Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole caves and their surrounding area, both are in Somerset. The next would be up North, the Peak District (hills and more hills) and the Lake District (waterfall after waterfall), perfect for those that like walking and the scenery. If you like a bit of medieval history then Leeds Castle in Kent is well worth a visit. Staying in Kent there is Canterbury as already mentioned and not so popular but an excellent place for a walk and visit which is Reculver Bay near Herne Bay. Getting off the train at Herne Bay and taking the picturesque walk along the sea front to the 12th century Roman Fort.

Fantastic, thank you!!!

 

[scubachap]

If you're limited to train travel - Bath could be good. Bit touristy but very pretty. The train trip west goes through a fair bit of countryside.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If you're limited to train travel - Bath could be good. Bit touristy but very pretty. The train trip west goes through a fair bit of countryside.

Agreed, Bath is amazing, very pretty, and, at this time of year, would be a lot less "touristy" than in summer.

Gloucester - what an amzing cathedral - is also historic.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

Outside London???

There is NOTHING outside London other than a barren, desolate wasteland populated only by the tortured souls of the undead.

You are travelling to the Greatest City on Earth™. As a Londoner, I have yet to see all of what London can offer, and I'm over 50. There is so much to see and do, you can spend a lifetime and you still won't have done much more than scratch the surface. You have some of the finest art galleries and museums in the world. Fantastic concert halls and music venues. Incredible history. Engineering. Architecture. Countless worlds firsts and best. Iconic sports stadia. Nightclubs catering for every musical taste imaginable. And not everything has to cost; every single day and night, there'll be something amazing to experience, for free!. The public transport system is the envy of much of the world; a bus ride will take you past many iconic sights, and cost very little. The Underground or Tube is a living museum; itself an amazing collection of art, architecture, graphic design and engineering. We have some fabulous public parks, from Greenwich Park (where Time itself was invented), to Hampstead Heath, via Kew Gardens, the Royal Parks and a veritable cornucopia of wonderful little parks and gardens. In short, London has something to offer anyone and everyone. It's the most inclusive and diverse city on the planet, too. Whatever you colour, creed or preference, you can find a welcome here. Did I say it's the Greatest City on Earth™? It is.

 

[dmr727]

Outside London???

There is NOTHING outside London other than a barren, desolate wasteland populated only by the tortured souls of the undead.

You are travelling to the Greatest City on Earth™. As a Londoner, I have yet to see all of what London can offer, and I'm over 50. There is so much to see and do, you can spend a lifetime and you still won't have done much more than scratch the surface. You have some of the finest art galleries and museums in the world. Fantastic concert halls and music venues. Incredible history. Engineering. Architecture. Countless worlds firsts and best. Iconic sports stadia. Nightclubs catering for every musical taste imaginable. And not everything has to cost; every single day and night, there'll be something amazing to experience, for free!. The public transport system is the envy of much of the world; a bus ride will take you past many iconic sights, and cost very little. The Underground or Tube is a living museum; itself an amazing collection of art, architecture, graphic design and engineering. We have some fabulous public parks, from Greenwich Park (where Time itself was invented), to Hampstead Heath, via Kew Gardens, the Royal Parks and a veritable cornucopia of wonderful little parks and gardens. In short, London has something to offer anyone and everyone. It's the most inclusive and diverse city on the planet, too. Whatever you colour, creed or preference, you can find a welcome here. Did I say it's the Greatest City on Earth™? It is.

Ha! I absolutely love London and I realize there's a million things for me left to do and see there, but I decided to choose this upcoming trip to get on a train and see the countryside a bit. Depends on our routing, but many times our arrival into LHR has us following the south coast, then hooking north to the airport, and while looking down at the coast (when it's not cloudy, that is!) it occurred to me that venturing out of the city would be a nice change of pace.

 

[Bodhitree]

I don’t know if, exactly, London is the greatest city. I used to live near London and I would only rarely day trip there on the weekends. The rain can make London dreary and dirty and feel cramped. It takes forever to walk places. Whereas I always enjoyed the expansiveness of the countryside and the colourful market towns. I like something of a more human scale, like Oxford.

 

[madmin]

The best route in and out of London is probably west along the Thames. So many places, but off the top of my head I can think of Richmond, Teddington, Windsor, Bray, Marlow and Henley before you get to Oxford. If you go further west places like Bath and Stroud are worthwhile as are many parts of Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and Gloucestershire.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

I don’t know if, exactly, London is the greatest city

No it is.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

I decided to choose this upcoming trip to get on a train and see the countryside a bit

Did you see the dragons?? 🤯

 

[dmr727]

Did you see the dragons?? 🤯

My trip isn't for another week, but I'll be sure to let you know if I do.

 

[Moakesy]

Coastal side is Brighton, only a short hop South.

Cambridge is also a good day out, then Bath (as mentioned above) is well worth a visit. Lots of good suggestions above and what you don't do this time you can do another.

The main thing is the weather, as you've probably worked out on previous visits. As this time of year it's around 11 degrees C (so 52F), damp and windy. That can make most of the best places seem dull and unpleasant. But, there is always a good nice pub (hopefully with a fire going) to make you feel better.

 

[dmr727]

I don’t know if, exactly, London is the greatest city.

I feel like it's akin to declaring a favorite food - not only is it subjective, (at least in my case) the answer will change depending on my mood at that moment.

 

[dmr727]

Just boarded a train to Oxford! Lots of fantastic ideas, and decided to go with the first one in the thread for this trip. Got myself a bit of a nap and am ready to explore.

 

[scubachap]

Just boarded a train to Oxford! Lots of fantastic ideas, and decided to go with the first one in the thread for this trip. Got myself a bit of a nap and am ready to explore.

The Ashmolean (excellent) has been mentioned but the Pitt Rivers museum is worth a look too.

 

[dmr727]

The Ashmolean (excellent) has been mentioned but the Pitt Rivers museum is worth a look too.

Appreciate it - both were great. The Pitt Rivers museum was really interesting and unusual. I also walked the Queen's Lane, which made me wonder what life is like for students that actually took their academic careers seriously.

I'm now at the Turf Tavern having a pint. What a great out of the way spot, and love the low ceilings.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Appreciate it - both were great. The Pitt Rivers museum was really interesting and unusual. I also walked the Queen's Lane, which made me wonder what life is like for students that actually took their academic careers seriously.

I'm now at the Turf Tavern having a pint. What a great out of the way spot, and love the low ceilings.

Enjoy.

Sounds brilliant.

In winter, nothing beats sitting in an ancient, splendidly atmospheric pub to sip and savour a beer or a proverbial pint.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Appreciate it - both were great. The Pitt Rivers museum was really interesting and unusual. I also walked the Queen's Lane, which made me wonder what life is like for students that actually took their academic careers seriously.

I'm now at the Turf Tavern having a pint. What a great out of the way spot, and love the low ceilings.

I forgot to add that in the dreary depths of winter, nothing, but nothing, beats sitting in an ancient, wooden beamed, low ceilinged, cosy pub - a pub that comes with a real, open, fire, (perhaps with a date - one from several centuries ago - carved into the stone mantelpiece) one with flickering flames that blaze with welcoming warmth - sipping and savouring a beer, a pint, an ale.

 

[scubachap]

I forgot to add that in the dreary depths of winter, nothing, but nothing, beats sitting in an ancient, wooden beamed, low ceilinged, cosy pub - a pub that comes with a real, open, fire, (perhaps with a date - one from several centuries ago - carved into the stone mantelpiece) one with flickering flames that blaze with welcoming warmth - sipping and savouring a beer, a pint, an ale.

The problem with all that warmth and tired legs isn't the initial quiet pint of IPA etc... it's the four noisy ones that always seem like a great idea after the first one...

 

[dmr727]

I forgot to add that in the dreary depths of winter, nothing, but nothing, beats sitting in an ancient, wooden beamed, low ceilinged, cosy pub - a pub that comes with a real, open, fire, (perhaps with a date - one from several centuries ago - carved into the stone mantelpiece) one with flickering flames that blaze with welcoming warmth - sipping and savouring a beer, a pint, an ale.

It's so true - I absolutely love it, and it's the kind of thing I can't really get back home.