We are spending next Thursday evening at a hotel near Heathrow before meeting our son and heading to Shropshire the next day. We will be at the hotel mid afternoon and with the (hopefully warm!) long summer days would like to see something other than the immediate area if possible.

I know we can go into London or go to Windsor but are there any other options within a reasonable distance?

There are these
http://www.milesfaster.co.uk/information/heathrow-airpo...hrow-attractions.htm

or these http://www.aboutbritain.com/bed-and-breakfasts/click-be...kfast3017-nearby.asp

If you want something casual, light and inexpensive, try Wagamama in Windsor on the High Street across from the Castle entrance. www.wagamama.com

Not fine dining, but we loved the food. It is a chain that you will find in several UK locations.

For more expensive and nicer, we spent the night at a country hotel near Maidstone a few years ago and they had a very good restaurant (we met WendyAsh and Riccardo there - it was their recommendation). If that sounds interesting, let me know and I will look up the name.

Thank you for all suggestions.

Based on some suggestions, am currently thinking Hampton Hill - seems close and easy to get to by bus. Does anyone know it?

Do you mean Maidenhead, Pauline? The Maidstone I know is a bit far (in Kent!). Maidenhead is nice because it is on the river but is 17 miles from Heathrow.

Hampton Hill - know it well as it is very close to me! Easy to get to on the 285 from Heathrow, but beware: it takes a long time as it is a local stopping bus(stops everywhere, and through not particularly picturesque estates and warehouse areas).

Hampton Hill is a pleasant, but not particularly remarkable minor suburban high street. There are some restaurants and pubs - I don't know if you have had any particular ideas , if you want to bounce them off me.

A little further along on the 285 route is Teddington - there are many more eating places there, on both the Broad Street and the High Street end of town, and a bit more interesting (I am equidistant between the two and we would always tend to eat in Teddington). Teddington is also the first stop from Heathrow on the fast X26 bus route, which goes on to Croydon. The X26 is bafflingly underpublicised by the Transport for London site - it won't necccessarily come up in the Journey Planner on the TFL site, for instance.

Thank you so much for that Panda. Teddington sounds like it could be the preferred option.

All we are really trying to achieve is not to spend the afternoon and evening around Heathrow, without making any great efforts to go very far afield.

A nice town we could get to relatively easily, have a walk around, have a coffee and perhaps find a nice pub ideally with some outdoor space (weather permitting of course), or a restaurant. Is there any particular pub or restaurant you could recommend? We tend not to eat in very expensive restaurants.

Thank you too for the bus number information - great to know.

quote:

We tend not to eat in very expensive restaurants.

Rest assured - nor do we, if we can help it! For a nice walk around, Teddington has a Royal Park (Bushy Park) with deer herds , but what might be nicer for a flying visit is Teddington Lock - the furthest tidal lock on the Thames, with lovely walks on the opposite bank. The bridge over the river is interesting in itself. It is at the far end of the High Street (get off the 285 by the very large Landmark Arts Centre - opposite the pretty St Mary at St Alban church).

If you get the X26, the 285, the 281 and the R68 all go to the the church from the Teddington Broad street stop you would get off the X26 from - very frequent buses.

For places to eat:

Pubs; The Tide End near the Lock is quaint, and has some outdoor space and food, the larger Anglers is right by the water - big garden (although can get very busy with families on the weeekend) the King's Head in the High Street has a nice garden and good food - Shambles Wine bar in the High Street looks small and gloomy from the outside but has a big outdoor area out the back and very,very good cooking and reasonable prices(on the bar menu - the restaurant menu is nice but pricier). Not outside, but good food and reasonable are Bar Estilo and Red Peppers (opposite eachother ) on Broad Street.

There are lots of other coffee shops and restaurants - Teddington is somewhere people come to go out to eat (parking can therefore be tricky, but not a problem for you). There are also a good range of clothes and other shops to browse along.

I'll try and think of other ideas.

Thanks again Panda - just the information I was hoping for - we are looking forward to it!

Bit of clarification: my husband and I went for a walk along the High Street this afternoon and I noted to tell you that there is also a King's Arms, which I would not recommend! - not to be confused with the King's Head, which I mentioned before. The front of the King's Head is an expensive French restaurant (l'Auberge), but there is a normal and nice pub with a good garden behind.

quote:

Originally posted by felicity:
Do you mean Maidenhead, Pauline?

Yes - sorry about that, I should have checked my map. Maidenhead. It was a short drive from there to Heathrow.