# One day in the countryside of England - Where?



## 3kids4me (Mar 11, 2008)

A tour guide that I met through the trip advisor site (and endorsed by a TUGger!) has offered to take my daughter and me on a "day trip" into the English countryside during our time in London.  (I'll be paying 100 pounds for this, plus petrol...any comments on cost appreciated.)

I don't know that I want to make it a full day as my daughter does tire, and therefore that may affect where we choose to go.  He has said that Windsor won't work because the Queen will be there during our dates and so a good part of it will be closed, but suggested either Stratford, or Bath/Cotswalds, and towns around.

Having struggled to get through Twelfth Night last year in school, I doubt my daughter is going to be too interested in Stratford, although it is a pretty town. I've never been to Bath, but I know it's a bit far.

Suggestions anyone?  What would be interesting to a young teen that might make a nice little countryside trip?

Thanks!!

Sharon


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## lscott (Mar 11, 2008)

*Salisbury Cathedral & Stonehenge*

This makes a nice day trip.  We are more familiar with distances by train than by car for day trips.  Some daytrips we have done are:  Salisbury/Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor, Oxford, Cambridge (including the Duxford Air Museum..lots of WWi&IIplanes and other planes, exhibits) Brighton.  Personally, I would like Cotswold  but might not been as interesting for your daughter.


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## london (Mar 11, 2008)

*Bath is Wonderful*

Bath would be a great choice for a day trip. Adults and children can enjoy the town.

Lots to see just in the town itself, and the journey from London will be great for seeing the English countryside.


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## PStreet1 (Mar 11, 2008)

I'd look into the train fare from London to Bath--for me, the train would be less tiring than the car.  Seeing Bath is easy.  You certainly won't need a tour guide.  Since English is the language, being a tourist is so much easier in England that, for me, a tour guide is pretty useless.  I'd rather have a really good tour book and be in charge of my own schedule.  If I wanted a guided tour for anything, I might consider a tour from Bath to Stonehenge (only because there's no train, and parking is at a distance from the stones.  A tour bus might be able to drop you off closer to the stones--definitely worth asking about first because of the fatigue factor), but I wouldn't use a tour from London to Bath.


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## David (Mar 11, 2008)

Canterbury, Kent is very pretty and easily walkable.


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## nerodog (Mar 11, 2008)

*countryside*

Does your daughter like castles ?? Maybe a trip to one would be fun !! I am thinking of Warwick castle and the drive there is pretty !! You could cut through the Cotswold villages.. she might like Bourton on the Water with the little bridges... Arundel castle is in the south, pretty ! I agree on Canterbury.. Rye is a nice  village on the way to see...


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## tlwmkw (Mar 13, 2008)

Longleat would make a nice trip.  It is a large, old house owned by the Marquis of Bath.  You could tour the house and it also has many attractions for children (mazes, safari park, miniature train, boat ride on the lake, etc.).  Definitely worth a visit.


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## Laurie (Mar 13, 2008)

Is Rachel at all into ancient stone circles? We went to Avebury last year and loved it - it's huge! We stumbled upon a Druid Summer Solstice ritual, not actually on the Solstice, maybe there would be some festivities there around the time of your visit too. Just an idea... I'm trying to remember what I would have liked at her age; going to towns and seeing historical buildings and architecture wouldn't have been high on my list at the time. What are her interests?


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## Janie (Mar 13, 2008)

*When I was Rachel's age*

I lived in London for a year, as my dad was working there.  My very favorite day trip was to Woburn Abbey, about an hour north of London.  Yes, it's a tourist trap--a stately home with a safari park.  It's near a cute little village with fun shops and places to have tea.  If she's an animal lover, that might be fun.

http://www.discoverwoburn.co.uk/


The other places that were memorable were were Hampton Court Palace

http://www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace/


and  Winston Churchill's home Chartwell.  (I've no idea why that appealed to me as a teenager!)

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-chartwell/


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## 3kids4me (Mar 13, 2008)

Laurie said:


> Is Rachel at all into ancient stone circles?



This cracked me up, because I just imagined for a moment her saying to me, "You know mom, I really love ancient stone circles!"  Lol....

She loves theatre.  We've seen dozens of Broadway shows, and in that vein, I've pre-bought tickets to the Sound of Music for our last night in London.

She likes (or at least I think she still does) aquariums/animals and good IMAX shows...so a trip to the Science museum is on the list.  She likes American history but doesn't know anything about English history.  

Her processing speed can be slow so she isn't good in situations where there is too much sophisticated information coming at her too quickly.  She likes when things are relaxed!

She also really loves roller coasters and amusement parks in general, but this isn't that kind of trip....


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## IreneLF (Mar 13, 2008)

How about Brighton for a day at the "shore"?

Not really the country - but here's  another suggestion -  a boat ride down the thames to Greenwich - lots to see there, and you can take the Docklands Light Railway back...or the tube

(Also love the idea of the surprise theater night for Rachel; I'm glad you're doing this trip with her. )


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## "Roger" (Mar 15, 2008)

Bath would be wonderful (including the ... Roman baths), but I would think that would be somewhat of a waste of the offer to have someone take you on a tour of the countryside.  If you did Bath, I would make that a day trip via train instead of the trip to Paris that you were contemplating.

The Stonehenge/Salisbury Cathedral is an interesting combination.  Alternatively, if your daughter at all enjoys gardens, beautiful settings 
Stourhead followed by Longleat (or, just Stourhead if you find yourself having a marvelous time).  (This would involve some walking, but it can be done at a very, very leisury pace -- expecially if the azaleas and rhodadendrums are in bloom -- May -- absolutely spectacular.)

At the end of the day, I would take all the suggestions that you are receiving and ask the tour guide which he or she would recommend.


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