quote:

Well at least come back to the UK, where you will find many much more interesting destinations than the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds are nice but not great, despite the impression you might get on this Board.

Robert D posted this on another thread. I've traveled a fair amount in other parts of the UK, though I am one here who loves the Cotswolds and thinks they are great. But I agree that there are many other interesting destinations that are perhaps lesser-known.

I thought it would be interesting to see what other areas Robert and other recommend-- and why. Let's focus on destinations with rural characteristics (countryside, towns, villages)-- not the cities.

Kathy

I like the Cotswolds but I really find them dull compared with many other areas of England (and that's before I consider parts of Wales and my native Scotland, as well as the other isles such as the Isle of Man which is not strictly part of the UK).

So for England alone:

Kent - the garden of England
Sussex - Chichester must be one of the most charming towns in the UK
Dorset - the coast is a World Heritage Site and inland Dorset is also superb
Somerset
Devon
Cornwall
Shropshire - especially Ludlow

And I'm still in the South. I'm not a great fan of many of the English Midland counties except for North Norfolk, but I'm sure to be corrected.

When you get to the North you have the glories of North Yorkshire, the Lake District (Cumbria), Durham, and (England's great undiscovered county) Northumberland.

I love the landscape and the towns/cities of the UK but I feel that the undoubted pleasantness of the Cotswolds simply doesn't compare with much of the rest of the country. Its main attraction here is that it is easily accessible from London.

PS Kaydee, I know Knoxville very well. For many years I visited Oak Ridge, TN, about twice a year and I still recommend British visitors to go to The Smokies.

I used to love going to Calhoun's on the Pellissippi Parkway.

Kathy,

I was just reading Robert's comments and thought, ha what a opener for a new topic...thanks for the follow up topic, I too would love to hear from others on this...

Deciding whether to go back where one has been and loved or explore something new is always a thought and we try to mix n match. This was 5th trip to England and each time we spend a few days in London and then pick one other area. Looking at Robert's list, we have only covered four...and we never get enough of London. This time we made it to the Science Museum after a relaxing walk from Tralfagar Square but only had time for the 6th floor...

Cotswolds was just perfect this time for us four burnt out adults from Corporate America and University. Blockley especially pleasantly forced us to slow down and smell the air and take walks and end up in pubs and the cooler weather was very conducive for this; and not having a language barrier allowed for many interesting conversations in the pub. UK itself is always an opportunity for hubby and me to shamelessly wallow in the nostalgia of our growing up days in third world colonies, he in Kenya and me in Malaysia and our education system and the colonial food we grew up on......

Robert has made some great suggestions, but he left out Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) It's safe, has the most beautiful countryside and coastline, as well as friendly and welcoming people! check it out and also http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/

I'd vote for the NW: Lancashire and Cumbria. Beautiful rolling pastures, tiny towns with teas houses and pubs, well maintained roads among the hedge rows, friendly country people...and "by 8 A.M. the morning fog has flown."

LIke Robert I would thoroughly recommend north-eastern England, for example:

Durham: medieval city with vast Norman cathedral, castle, stunning location, easy road/rail transport.

Newcastle: Vibrant city on impressive river location, excellent road/rail links.

Northumberland: So many beautiful towns and villages, but you have the place to yourself (except in high season when it gets a little busy)! Rothbury, Bellingham are beautiful villages - additionally, there are many Roman remains including Hadrian's Wall and various forts. It's great walking country too.

Best of all, you get a very warm welcome as a foreign tourist since we don't get too many up here!

quote:

Robert D

LIke Robert I would thoroughly recommend north-eastern England, for example:

Durham: medieval city with vast Norman cathedral, castle, stunning location, easy road/rail transport.

Newcastle: Vibrant city on impressive river location, excellent road/rail links.

Northumberland: So many beautiful towns and villages, but you have the place to yourself (except in high season when it gets a little busy)! Rothbury, Bellingham are beautiful villages - additionally, there are many Roman remains including Hadrian's Wall and various forts. It's great walking country too.

Best of all, you get a very warm welcome as a foreign tourist since we don't get too many up here!

I would second Northern Ireland as a stunning destination and a warm welcome awaiting you. Additionally, they use UK GBP/Sterling, so you would not have to change currency if doing a UK/Ireland trip.

Why not do northern England and then get the ferry from Stranraer/Cairnryain (Scotland) to Belfast/Larne (Northern Ireland)? Now that would be a great adventure!

Apart from Robert's comment about the Midland's I agree with everything that's been written.

I don't think anyone has mentioned either Suffolk, Herfordshire, Hampshire or the Isle of Wight, all of which must count amongst the more attractive and interesting parts of England.

As for the Midlands, I recently spent a week in Northamptonshire and adjoining parts of Huntingdonshire and loved the area. A lot of the attractiveness of the Cotswolds (the same kind of stone) without the tourists.

And don't forget Rutland. Or Oxfordshire, or Warwickshire, or Derbyshire, or Lincolnshire.

So let's hear it for the Midlands!

In fact, when you come down to it most areas of England are pretty good. I can't off-hand think of any rural area that I would not like to holiday in and to get to know. I would even love to spend more time in Essex!

Hugh

I suppose nobody who has read my page or seen my google maps will be surprised that I should go for Yorkshire. We have two national parks in the region, some fine coast and masses of picturesque countryside.

Two of my Google maps shows all the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and, as I say there, in my view some of the areas excluded from that are streets ahead of some of those in South.

For me, the most beautiful place in the UK, probably the world, is the Lake District.
The mountains certainly arn't the highest and the weather can be a little damp, but there is something quite magical about this tiny area. It may be the legacy of Wordsworth,Potter and Ruskin, or walking the routes across the fells in the more recent Wainwright books, small pictorial guides with minutely detailed line drawings, or the views of clouds scudding across the skies from the tops, nothing to hear but the sound of sheep. I just love it.

Wordsworth's country is one of targets too; we spent a day there in fall few years ago and I added 'going back there when the daffodils are in bloom' to my list of things to do in my life time'.

How early in Spring can one go so it is warm enough for walks (and for me that means at least 15C :-) and are the trails as easy to ramble as in Cotswolds? What would be a good base if one prefers countryside to Lakeside. I am a little cautious of the Wainwright walks because since they target hilltops I assume they are steep...and let me tell you, I am fairly fit but I find that when the English say 'easy walk' the bar is set rather high :-)

This is a bit tricky! I have been sunburned in April and risked acute hypothermia in July.

The daffodils are generally at their best in April, and the weather can be perfect. I know what you mean about 'easy', but some of Wainwrights routes are for the more fainthearted like myself. My favourite walking area is around Derwentwater, Catbells and the Newlands Valley ('The same sweet arcadia it was fifty years ago.' AW.), also to stay at The Bridge in Buttermere and walk around the Lake and over Haystacks to Great Gable.
Another good walking guide is the Ordance Survey book of walks. I am in Italy at the moment but will post the details when I get home. My friend and I did a good low level walk from Ambleside to Troutbeck, very daffodilly, one spring, with the added bonus of a good bakers at the start to stock up!

The Yorkshire Dales are wonderful, spring for the lambs and streams tumbling over limestone, August for the heather and warm breeze over the fells.
Bradford Pothole Club put a winch down Gaping Gill pothole every Spring bank holiday, which is stupendous. A wonderful walk across the Ingleborough fells to get there.

Bradford Pothole club winch.

David X, I really like the Pennines around 'Tod' as well but the WEATHER!! One glimpse of Stoodley Pike on the horizon and the heavens open!

Julie

BUXTON!!!!

Do a search for Buxton (in Derbyshire) to read about my unexpected love affair with this pretty town.

I love Northumberland - I was there just last year, in early June, and was the only American until I landed in Alnwick. Gorgeous beaches, beautiful hospitality, and enough castles to make your head spin.

I would also highly recommend Wells - an easy bus ride from Bath, an incredible cathedral, and overall, an enjoyable place to visit. You can also tack on a day trip to Glastonbury while you're there - the Abbey ruins are a haunting reminder of the power royals once held, and the view from the tor is well worth the hike.

~britlily

I have to put in a word for Lincolnshire here.
Lincoln has one of the finest cathedrals in Europe. It was used to represent Westminister Abbey in The DaVinci Code. AND there is a castle next door.

Boston, which is where I live, is a wonderful town to explore with its narrow medieval streets lined with shops. It is full of historical places having to do with the Pilgrims. It was Boston where they made their first attempt to sail to Holland and were thrown in jail for their effort. St. Boltoph's Church which is over 700 years old is one of the finest churches in England. It was a former minister from St. Boltoph's who named Boston, Mass.

The Lincolnshire Wolds are beautiful any time of year with lovely vistas and beautiful, unspoiled villages.

Then the southern part of the county also has wonderful little villages and the town of Stamford, one of the most beautiful and unspoiled stone-built towns in England. This is where Pride and Prejudice was filmed.

I am sure I am not the only American living in Lincolnshire but I think I am the only one living in Boston. The people here are so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Lincolnshire is really worth a visit. You won't find mobs of tourists because it is just not that well known.

Hi, maybe someone could answer a question that's been puzzling me for a while, but what it the fascination with the Cotswolds? I would never critisise someone for going there but it's not a popular venue for Brits, why for the US? Just curious.

Hi Hedley, and welcome to Slowtalk! I'm not sure I agree about'not popular for Brits' - we live down in what the local tourist board calls 'the undiscovered Cotswolds' (the less heavily-visited southern bit), but I still see plenty of English visitors in the summer months.

But you were asking about US visitors, and there's an eloquent page of explanation over at Pauline's Cotswolder site. Pauline was the founder of the Slow Travel site and its messageboard (some years ago now...); she and Steve have been frequent visitors to the Cotswolds, and that linked page explains just why.

Jonathan

Thanks Jonathan, I shall have a good read.

I echo Jonathan's comments; maybe it is the economy and the weak dollar but during our recent stay in Cotswolds, in most places we noticed and/or were told that we were one of few Americans visiting; most of the people we met on town/city walks etc, were from UK and I got the impression it was a popular weekend and vacation getaway spot for people in UK too.

Cotswolds is certianly popular in this group but back in the US too, many people do ask me how/why we chose Cotswolds. This was our 5th trip I think to UK but the first time that we used Cotswolds as a base; we did this among others things because we wanted to see a play at RST (our first time) and also wanted to visit Oxford again(OK that was our 4th time and that is because we like University towns and book shops) and wanted a laid back vacation. We do like many other parts of UK too and hope to be back to spend more time in other places too....

I think Americans like the Cottswolds because they are beautiful, charming, quaint and we have nothing quite like them.

We certainly love the Cottswolds,( Heart of England), but saw very few Americans there this summer. We rarely see Americans in Europe the way we travel.

The weather was pretty bad this summer in the British Isles ( we visited Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and England). Not really rain so much, but dreary and very cold often. MUCH colder and dreary than winter in Spain!

We love Scotland for a recommended country destination, so many places, but Isle of Skye is a favorite and stands out. We loved the Highlandsa and lochs, but also loved the western sandy beaches and adored Findhorn.

We love the Lake District as well in England, again for it's beauty and charm.

We also enjoyed Northumberland and the Alnwick Castle was the best spot for our Harry Potter lover and a lovely place for all.

We enjoyed the country side near York where we camped at a tiny place next to cows with the friendliest people. We were there to visit a great kids museum, Eureka, but enjoyed the area very much.

Much of Wales is lovely and under visited. We especially enjoyed The Burren and Dingle in Ireland, but not UK, yet so close.

I agree that Lincoln cathedral is, architecturally, the finest in England. The landscape of Lincolnshire is very flat though but Stamford is a very fine town.

I'd like to second WT's comments, pretty much my own views exactly.

The Cotswolds are excellent if you're after the gentle sort of countryside, and it it very convenient for the London airports.

Personally I prefer a more rugged landscape so my reccomendations would be head either North or South-West. The Old Northumbria and Scotland, or Devon and Cornwall. (FYI Northumbria comprises Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland). Big rugged vista's, and if you have any interest huge amounts of industreal archaeology.

From the US it may be worth investigating flying direct to Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle.