Don't laugh. I'm taking my daughter ( age 8) to London for a week after Christmas to visit friends who live in the city. I've been there many times and feel like we'll be well entertained while in London.
But the girlfriend I'm visting and I want to take a day off (leave kids with her husband!) and see a great village, a town, a castle, a country inn or something.
We both love history, churches, ruins, etc. and I have seen York, Salisbury and Bath, though would love to return to one of those perhaps.
Anyone have any other suggestions for a 24-hr getaway out of London that would be no more than 3 hours on the train to get there and worth the day-trip?
Thanks!

I love Bath so would probably go there again. But also consider Canterbury...easy to get to, easy to walk around.

SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor
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Yes, Canterbury is quite a good idea. You can visit Canterbury Cathedral and see the place where Thomas a Beckett was murdered, and walk through the winding cobbled streets of the centre of town. I found this interesting website with pictures of everything but the cathedral area here.

One place you might also consider is Leeds Castle. It is unlike any other castle I’ve ever come across and it is not far from Canterbury.

A Norman castle, it has been owned or visited by virtually all the monarchs from Edward I through to Henry VIII and beyond. The last owner, Lady Olive Baillie bought it in the 1920’s from the Fairfax family and set about restoring it. She engaged the services of a french interior designer for the living quarters (all done in art deco) and the result is a castle which is both historically and architecturally impressive and, strangely, quite homely – in the old fashioned sense of that word. It’s certainly the first castle I’ve ever covetted! The castle is set in vast gardens which include an aviary full of exotic birds. Their website is here.

You could therefore spend half a day in each place or devote a whole day to either spot. We only spent an afternoon at Leeds Castle, but could quite cheerfully have spent a whole day.

Beebee

We took a day trip out of London that included Leeds Castle and Canterbury. It was a very nice trip. The gardens at the Castle are beautiful.

Thanks for the replies!
My girlfriend loved the suggestions and we're checking out the links you sent, too.
NOW...
any place you'd recommend to stay for one night- charning country inn or city inn that you remember?
thanks again!

Sorry, I can't help with that one. It's close enough to London that I have never needed to stay in a hotel around there.

Beebee