Eleanor
1000+ Posts
I think that may be a bit optimistic as it doesn't allow any time for finding a car park etc. 90 minutes may be a better estimate.
-
CONTACT US if you have any problems registering for the forums.
Small Towns and Villages in Southern England
- Thread starter artnbarb
- Start date
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
So now we too are toying with the idea of visiting Ireland for 7? 10? 14 days? If we flew from Bristol to Dublin at the end of July we could stay in Ireland, rent a car there in order to see more of the country, then fly from Dublin to Rome. So now I've complicated my plans even further!
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
@ weeks in Ireland sounds like enough - I think I would rather spend more time in England and I think our time in Ireland would involve more 2-3 night stays rather than an extended stay.
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
Okay, reviving this thread. We've decided to spend 10-14 days in Ireland, so we'd like 2 5-week rentals in southern England, visiting the area in between Exeter in the west and Canterbury in the east.
Since we arrive in Southampton, I'm using that as my 'dividing line' for the 2 stays. It looks like the area around Crawley is about 1.5 hours from Southampton, and it's about them same amount of time from Crawley to Canterbury, so that seems like a good area to concentrate on, at least to me. If I've forgotten to factor something, please tell me!
For our stay west of Southampton I'd like to stay around Bridport in the hopes that @Pauline might be able to have some insight! Pauline, do you expect we'll do more walking and less sightseeing/daytripping in your area? For some reason I seem to think so, but maybe that just because I don't know as many sites in that area.
We can always adjust the number of weeks for each rental, it doesn't have to be 5-5 it could be 6-4 or even 7-3. My feeling right now is that we could use more time in the eastern portion of our trip. Thoughts?
Since we arrive in Southampton, I'm using that as my 'dividing line' for the 2 stays. It looks like the area around Crawley is about 1.5 hours from Southampton, and it's about them same amount of time from Crawley to Canterbury, so that seems like a good area to concentrate on, at least to me. If I've forgotten to factor something, please tell me!
For our stay west of Southampton I'd like to stay around Bridport in the hopes that @Pauline might be able to have some insight! Pauline, do you expect we'll do more walking and less sightseeing/daytripping in your area? For some reason I seem to think so, but maybe that just because I don't know as many sites in that area.
We can always adjust the number of weeks for each rental, it doesn't have to be 5-5 it could be 6-4 or even 7-3. My feeling right now is that we could use more time in the eastern portion of our trip. Thoughts?
Ian Sutton
1000+ Posts
You're not planning on visiting Crawleygrad are you 
? It's a functional town, but IMO with little charm, though I have a vague recollection that the 60s/70s (unintentionally) soviet style shopping centre may have been demolished now. However nearby Horsham is much nicer and fine for a stroll around.
? It's a functional town, but IMO with little charm, though I have a vague recollection that the 60s/70s (unintentionally) soviet style shopping centre may have been demolished now. However nearby Horsham is much nicer and fine for a stroll around.
Pauline
Forums Admin
Definitely not Crawley. Lewes was mentioned before I think. It is a good town. Or Brighton or Canterbury. One thing to be aware of is that this area gets very busy. Lots of population, lots of traffic. Much of the area is within commuting distance to London. The driving changes when you get close to London! More intense.
Anything close to the M-25 is very suburban. Very expensive suburban. You want to be closer to the sea. You can drive north for days out.
There is more to see in Sussex and Kent, but good old Dorset is more relaxed and there is still plenty to do and see. From our area you can easily explore all of West Dorset and East Devon. Beautiful coastline, great villages. Yes, you will probably do more walking than sightseeing.
If it was me, I would spend 2 weeks in Kent, 2 weeks in Sussex and then 6 weeks in Dorset.
Anything close to the M-25 is very suburban. Very expensive suburban. You want to be closer to the sea. You can drive north for days out.
There is more to see in Sussex and Kent, but good old Dorset is more relaxed and there is still plenty to do and see. From our area you can easily explore all of West Dorset and East Devon. Beautiful coastline, great villages. Yes, you will probably do more walking than sightseeing.
If it was me, I would spend 2 weeks in Kent, 2 weeks in Sussex and then 6 weeks in Dorset.
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
I have to admit that last sentence caught me by surprise! I was expecting it to end up 6 weeks in the eastern part and 4 weeks in Dorset! Thank you for holding my hand and leading to me to where I need to be - I flounder when trying to decide where, and for how long, and your knowledge of the area is invaluable to me.
I'm going to take a look at some of the agencies you have on SE, then check AirB&B and HomeAway. 2 weeks in Kent and 2 weeks in Sussex (probably west?) is doable. 6 weeks in Dorset might be challenging - I think there will be fewer choices - but I hope I'm wrong!
Pauline
Forums Admin
Another option is to look at that sabbatical rentals website to see if there is anything well priced that you can rent for a few months and let that make your decision.
You probably need more opinions, because I am not a fan of the southeast. The weather is better there, but it is a very expensive area to live in because much of it is within commuting distance of London. It is more densely populated and traffic is more intense. I love the southwest - Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall - and the Cotswolds and East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire). I know very little about the north, but I think that would be an interesting area to explore too.
You like big cities more than me I think.
I am planning a week in West Sussex at some point, to see some of the famous gardens and sites. The last time we stayed in Sussex was 30+ years ago.
You probably need more opinions, because I am not a fan of the southeast. The weather is better there, but it is a very expensive area to live in because much of it is within commuting distance of London. It is more densely populated and traffic is more intense. I love the southwest - Wiltshire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall - and the Cotswolds and East Anglia (Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire). I know very little about the north, but I think that would be an interesting area to explore too.
You like big cities more than me I think.
I am planning a week in West Sussex at some point, to see some of the famous gardens and sites. The last time we stayed in Sussex was 30+ years ago.
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
I DO like big cities, but for this trip I would prefer smaller towns, especially for a base.
I understand what you're staying about the SE being more expensive and more congested. Those two factors matter a lot to me, so perhaps I'm not as close as I thought I was!
Regarding sabbatical stays, I assumed that those would only be an option in areas where there were colleges/industries, and wouldn't be possible in the areas we (thought we) were looking in. I'll go back to the website and do more checking.
I bought a few guide books for both England and Ireland, and I have a map coming in a few days. Perhaps being able to spread out a map will help me to figure out where we want to base, and how we want to divide our time. I too love the north of England, but for whatever reason I'm hesitant - I think it's the idea of driving so far - but driving on a larger motorway might be less stressful - until you get to the congestion around a big city. We gave up our plan to visit Windsor on our last day because we were both so stressed (even with GPS) trying to find our hotel near Heathrow!
I did find the TA cruise we would take - $509 pp from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton, arriving May 15, 2018.
I understand what you're staying about the SE being more expensive and more congested. Those two factors matter a lot to me, so perhaps I'm not as close as I thought I was!
Regarding sabbatical stays, I assumed that those would only be an option in areas where there were colleges/industries, and wouldn't be possible in the areas we (thought we) were looking in. I'll go back to the website and do more checking.
I bought a few guide books for both England and Ireland, and I have a map coming in a few days. Perhaps being able to spread out a map will help me to figure out where we want to base, and how we want to divide our time. I too love the north of England, but for whatever reason I'm hesitant - I think it's the idea of driving so far - but driving on a larger motorway might be less stressful - until you get to the congestion around a big city. We gave up our plan to visit Windsor on our last day because we were both so stressed (even with GPS) trying to find our hotel near Heathrow!
I did find the TA cruise we would take - $509 pp from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton, arriving May 15, 2018.
Barb, I've been following along with your research and planning for this trip and wanted to offer some other thoughts.
I would think about your objectives for your extended time in the UK. It sounds like you want to visit interesting sites, and England is full of those... historic homes, castles, gardens, beautiful villages, museums. I'm not sure how much you and Art want to do walking... I don't get a sense you're like Pauline/Steve or Kathy/Charley where going on walks would be a major pursuit.
To me, staying for more than two weeks in a place is something different... either it's an area rich with things to see and do (including some pretty obscure), or you want to do long walks several days a week, or you just want the experience of "living" in an area vs. passing through. Longer day trips (even an overnight trip or two) might also fit into an extended stay like that in one place. And there would probably even be days where you don't want to do anything significant... just putter around, read a book, grocery shop, fix a special meal, visit a pick-your-own farm. If you stay somewhere a month, you can even make some local friends, especially if you frequent the same pub or go to some local events.
I could easily spend a month in Pauline's area (partly because I know I could do great walks with them), Cornwall, London, the Cotswolds, Yorkshire, maybe Kent because I really love gardens. Also, wherever we are, I have work to do, so part of every day for me is doing my home-office work. I like grocery shopping and cooking too... just doing every-day things. At some point you can't sight-see all the time.
Given what I've picked up from your posts, it seems like you might enjoy more seeing different areas of England and perhaps two weeks (or even one) in any place should be your target. Maybe you can set your bases closer together and the driving on Saturdays to switch places won't be so long. When we started our long trip in 2004, we began with 13 weeks in the UK (England and Scotland) and stayed in one two-week rental (in London) then six one-week rentals. We also did our walk across England, which we've now done twice. We really enjoyed Yorkshire, and it wasn't that far of a drive (motorway) from the Cotswolds.
How to decide where to base? It might be your interests or perhaps a rental that catches your fancy at a great price, or a movie you once saw or a book or a few sites that you especially want to see, or the walking options.
I would definitely join the Royal Oak Society so you can visit National Trust sites wherever you stay. Many of these will be places you've never heard of, but I think they're mostly all quite interesting.
I would think about your objectives for your extended time in the UK. It sounds like you want to visit interesting sites, and England is full of those... historic homes, castles, gardens, beautiful villages, museums. I'm not sure how much you and Art want to do walking... I don't get a sense you're like Pauline/Steve or Kathy/Charley where going on walks would be a major pursuit.
To me, staying for more than two weeks in a place is something different... either it's an area rich with things to see and do (including some pretty obscure), or you want to do long walks several days a week, or you just want the experience of "living" in an area vs. passing through. Longer day trips (even an overnight trip or two) might also fit into an extended stay like that in one place. And there would probably even be days where you don't want to do anything significant... just putter around, read a book, grocery shop, fix a special meal, visit a pick-your-own farm. If you stay somewhere a month, you can even make some local friends, especially if you frequent the same pub or go to some local events.
I could easily spend a month in Pauline's area (partly because I know I could do great walks with them), Cornwall, London, the Cotswolds, Yorkshire, maybe Kent because I really love gardens. Also, wherever we are, I have work to do, so part of every day for me is doing my home-office work. I like grocery shopping and cooking too... just doing every-day things. At some point you can't sight-see all the time.
Given what I've picked up from your posts, it seems like you might enjoy more seeing different areas of England and perhaps two weeks (or even one) in any place should be your target. Maybe you can set your bases closer together and the driving on Saturdays to switch places won't be so long. When we started our long trip in 2004, we began with 13 weeks in the UK (England and Scotland) and stayed in one two-week rental (in London) then six one-week rentals. We also did our walk across England, which we've now done twice. We really enjoyed Yorkshire, and it wasn't that far of a drive (motorway) from the Cotswolds.
How to decide where to base? It might be your interests or perhaps a rental that catches your fancy at a great price, or a movie you once saw or a book or a few sites that you especially want to see, or the walking options.
I would definitely join the Royal Oak Society so you can visit National Trust sites wherever you stay. Many of these will be places you've never heard of, but I think they're mostly all quite interesting.
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
Thank you @Kathy ! One of things I do NOT want to do is move every week, or even every 2 weeks. I do want to settle in and experience living in an area. Perhaps SE England is too crowded/expensive, so I will try to open my mind to other areas.
Regarding walking: IF we were in an area where walking paths were easy and plentiful we would LOVE to take advantage of them. When we were in the Cotswolds we walked on day with Steve and Pauline, then did 2 other walks, but due to our limited time in the area we didn't walk as much as we would like. Being based in one place for several weeks would make that possible - I think.
We joined the Royal Oak Society back in 2015, and would definitely rejoin for this trip, thanks for the reminder!
Regarding walking: IF we were in an area where walking paths were easy and plentiful we would LOVE to take advantage of them. When we were in the Cotswolds we walked on day with Steve and Pauline, then did 2 other walks, but due to our limited time in the area we didn't walk as much as we would like. Being based in one place for several weeks would make that possible - I think.
We joined the Royal Oak Society back in 2015, and would definitely rejoin for this trip, thanks for the reminder!
Okay, well that's good to know about wanting to stay somewhere for a longer time. For longer stays, you're going to move beyond the things-to-do that are in a guidebook, unless it's a very specific guidebook. The Insight Guides have more detailed info on a narrow area... I've often picked up used copies on Amazon.
Maybe a map or list of the National Trust sites would also give you some ideas of other possible places to base that match up with your interests.
Maybe a map or list of the National Trust sites would also give you some ideas of other possible places to base that match up with your interests.
Pauline
Forums Admin
Our first trip to England was in 1988 and we spent 5 months. For 2 months we spent a week in each place - Sussex, Devon, Wales, Lake District, Scotland, Peak District, etc. Then we settled into one place for 3 months - but we picked a horrible place! A small town in Essex so that we could drive into south London regularly to see my Grandad. It worked for that, but I always wished we had stayed near Oxford or in the Cotswolds. We did some exploring from Essex - up to Suffolk, down to Kent, west to the Cotswolds. We needed to stay in one place because we had been traveling in Europe for 6 months, moving a lot and it was winter.
I think you could start with 2 weeks in a few places, ending up somewhere for a month. It is going to be difficult to find a rental for more than a month. I think you are going to want to explore more than you could from one place. I know this isn't what you want to do, but I am throwing it out there anyway.
Re: Sabbatical Homes - there are tons of universities here. Exeter, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge - and more - would all be a great base. Plus I bet many University people live in smaller towns outside the university town. It would be a whole different question I think if you were able to stay in someone's home for 2 - 3 months at a reasonable rent. Then you could do, as Kathy suggested, overnight trips to see things.
I think you could start with 2 weeks in a few places, ending up somewhere for a month. It is going to be difficult to find a rental for more than a month. I think you are going to want to explore more than you could from one place. I know this isn't what you want to do, but I am throwing it out there anyway.
Re: Sabbatical Homes - there are tons of universities here. Exeter, Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge - and more - would all be a great base. Plus I bet many University people live in smaller towns outside the university town. It would be a whole different question I think if you were able to stay in someone's home for 2 - 3 months at a reasonable rent. Then you could do, as Kathy suggested, overnight trips to see things.
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
You know what? I think you are 100% percent correct! You know how crazy I am when I start to plan a trip and this one - the one I thought would be EASY! - has turned out to be more difficult than I expected!
I DID like the idea of 3 one-month stays. I also liked the idea of staying closer to our arrival point (Southampton) which meant less driving. But now you all have filled my head with so many 'what-ifs' that I am wondering about the Lake District (we've never been) or Yorkshire beyond York itself.....or back to the Cotswolds? I am reconsidering this entire trip - the structure of it - not the trip itself! (I just put down a deposit on a transatlantic cruise for 2018! Arrives on May 15. $1428 for BOTH of us, including taxes AND gratuities!) And 2 weeks +/- in Ireland is also still included.
More travel guides and maps arrived today so I'll take a look and post again when/if I have a new plan!
artnbarb
1000+ Posts
Here are my thoughts so far: Even in the states I'm not a fan of car trips, and driving on the other side only makes it worse. BUT - I recognize that a car is a necessity to see all the cute villages and sites, so if I can survive the smaller roads hopefully the motorway won't be so bad. Here's another possible itinerary, and I welcome comments!
- May 15 - Arrive at the port of Southampton Spend one or two weeks in Lewes. I'd prefer two weeks. and assume there's plenty to see and do, this we won't be 'playing house' very much during this portion of the trip.
- End of May - drive to Yorkshire. From Lewes we can easily drive there in a day. I'm not sure where to base for this area, or how much time to allow - Surely we can spend 2 weeks here. We've been to York before and would love to revisit, but I'm not sure York itself would be the best place to base for 2 weeks. Thoughts?
- June 12 - Drive to Dorset and spend 6 weeks. A long weekend to the Isle of Wight could happen.
- July 24 - Drive to Bristol and fly to Dublin. (We have FF miles with AA to use)
- July 24 - Aug 7 - 2 weeks touring Ireland - but not Northern Ireland. This could also be shortened to 10 days, but I think 2 weeks is fine.
- Aug 7 - Fly Dublin to Rome