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Small town outside London.
Visiting London first two weeks of June. Its my wife, toddler, and Mother in law. Any suggestions on a small town South or Southeast of London to hang out at and relax for a couple days? Nature, parks, rivers and such to explore around. We fly out of Gatwick so the South and Southeast is easiest but open to other directions. We were planning on Brighton but it sounds like it would be crowded and doesn't seem all that interesting at first glance. Thanks in advance!
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Rottingdean on a day trip
Whistable Bexhill on sea |
Brighton not all that interesting?
It's one of the premier resorts in the UK with the Royal Pavilion, pier, i360 and not far from the south downs for walks etc. And that's just for starters. Lewes is close by with the castle for example. Walk the undercliff walk to Rottingdean and have a pub lunch (and get the bus back!) And June isn't prime visitor time (other than weekends) as the kids will be still at school. |
Winchester, the ancient capital of England? Easy to reach from London, an hour on a fast train from Waterloo or straight down the M3 motorway if driving. It has a fabulous cathedral (longest Gothic nave in Europe) and surrounded by beautiful countryside: rolling hills, rivers, large villages, perfect for country walks. Plus some great restaurants and pubs. If you’ve been in London, I would say it’s a perfect counterpoint to the metropolitan buzz, without being too sleepy. I love Brighton, but its nickname of ‘London-by-the-Sea’ has some merit. |
Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
(Post 30782200)
And June isn't prime visitor time (other than weekends) as the kids will be still at school. Good list so far everyone. Thanks! |
How about the white cliffs of Dover? |
Dover would be sub-optimal choice. Whitstable and Canterbury are much nicer Kentish options. I’d endorse Winchester Lewes and also suggest Salisbury. Pick wisely as there are plenty of small towns in the South that people pay good money to escape from. I know as I grew up in one 😉 |
It’s much closer to London but look at Richmond. Keep Gardens, Kew Palace, Richmond Park, River Thames, I think Hampton Court is not far away. Very easy access to London and to Gatwick. |
That should be Kew Gardens of course |
Originally Posted by bradleykhofmann
(Post 30782659)
Ill admit ignorance on this. Our Schools are out June 1 thru Mid August in the states. And we'd be there mid week.
Good list so far everyone. Thanks! |
Originally Posted by Hornetcoach
(Post 30782879)
It’s much closer to London but look at Richmond. Keep Gardens, Kew Palace, Richmond Park, River Thames, I think Hampton Court is not far away. Very easy access to London and to Gatwick. |
What do you mean by small town? Brighton has a population of about 250k I think - making it a very large town by U.K. standards (I think now it’s actually joined with Hove in city status). A “small town” here is probably somewhere with no more than ~20k people, and quite possibly a lot less. |
Originally Posted by Hornetcoach
(Post 30782879)
It’s much closer to London but look at Richmond. Keep Gardens, Kew Palace, Richmond Park, River Thames, I think Hampton Court is not far away. Very easy access to London and to Gatwick. If you’re spending 2 weeks in London I would not recommend any of the above for your 2-3 day country trip. |
Originally Posted by bradleykhofmann
(Post 30781848)
Visiting London first two weeks of June. Its my wife, toddler, and Mother in law. Any suggestions on a small town South or Southeast of London to hang out at and relax for a couple days? Nature, parks, rivers and such to explore around. We fly out of Gatwick so the South and Southeast is easiest but open to other directions. We were planning on Brighton but it sounds like it would be crowded and doesn't seem all that interesting at first glance. Thanks in advance!
Have you been to York. It's not south but might be just what you are looking for. I also Like Salisbury. The cathedral is amazing and you could always throw in Stonehenge. |
[QUOTE= .... I also Like Salisbury. The cathedral is amazing and you could always throw in Stonehenge.[/QUOTE]
Also been popular with Russian tourists recently because of the cathedral and its 123m tower and clock ... :D |
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