Recommend me a winter weekend away in the UK

Fresh out of ideas. Where’s nice to go for weekend away with Mrs Merman? Let’s restrict it to England and Wales. We’ve done all the cities. Where’s some left-field suggestions I haven’t thought of that can keep us entertained for a couple of days?

Forget the southwest of England, cos that’s where we are.

Aldeburgh in Suffolk
https://www.cleywindmill.co.uk/ in Norfolk
Assuming you’ve done the SW to death but not seen much of the East coast

Visitor Centre Tickets

Staying in Aberdyfi. Take a bike and ride Dyfi or walk up Caer Idris.

Double uplift day at BPW making sure you stay in a nice hotel.

ADDENDUM: Didn’t think it needed stating, but since this is posted in the ‘Chat’ and not in ‘Bike’ forum, weekend away is nothing to do with mountain biking.

Assuming you’ve done the SW to death but not seen much of the East coast

You assume correctly. Though we did have a weekend away to the Norfolk Broads already this year.

Losehill House Hotel, Hope in the Peak District.
Stunning hotel which does great food.
Lovely walking, a few good pubs close my and a few towns to explore too.

Though we did have a weekend away to the Norfolk Broads already this year.

I was going to suggest that a canal boat might be a sensible idea – you can stay warm and dry inside as much as needed, its relaxing whilst at the same time just using the thing provides entertainment etc – but if you’ve been to the broads already this year it may not appeal as much.

For weekends away – to me its about getting the sensible balance between sitting in the car getting there versus actually doing, so it will depend how far SW you are…

We’ve just done a weekend at Alnmouth in Northumberland, staying in a hut:
alnmouth huts
Probably not the thing if you like catered accommodation, or like loads of space, but just above the beach, wonderful coastal walks, nice wee towns nearby and very relaxing.
We loved it.

Forget the southwest of England, cos that’s where we are.
Eh…long drive though!

sensible balance between sitting in the car getting there

South Downs and/or Kent aren’t too many car hours away from the SW. Plenty of walking, esp in the SD, prior to a pint in front of a roaring pub fire.

Little Hill End Barn, Llangennith

Cracking little self-catering place, 5/10 minute walk to Rhossili beach and all the beautiful Gower walking around it

Northumberland. Coast. Castles. Towns. Beautiful area.

We just went from S. Wales to the far SW for a long weekend. Great time but I couldn’t help thinking 5hrs+ in the car was too much each way for a weekend. Whereabouts in SW are you?

Somewhere in the South like New Forest or Winchester/South Downs? We stayed in Arlesford for a long weekend a few years back when I did a bike race nearby and it was very nice.

The Northern Riviera for the lights and a couple of days out on the lash

How left field? Rochdale maybe?
Lavenham is a lovely not-a-city but a pain in the backside to get to. It all depends what you actually want of your weekend away doesn’t it?

Hope in the Peak District.

We’ve done Castleton recently. Gorgeous area.

Alnmouth in Northumberland,

Yeah, we’d like to do Northumberland, but it’s a bit of a shlep to get there for a weekend. Might be worth a week away.

South Downs and/or Kent

Done Arundel, Eastleigh (don’t ask), Brighton, Hastings, Canterbury and Margate in recent years.

Rhossili beach and all the beautiful Gower

That was our first weekend away 🙂 Nice B&B/pub in Llangennith.

Whereabouts in SW are you?

Stroud, but we feel we’ve pretty-much exhausted the SW.

Northern Riviera

Maybe not Blackpool, but was thinking: is Lancaster worth a look?

The Inn at Whitewell if you want rural Lancashire loveliness

I read this (https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/nov/22/lake-distict-walking-cumbria-england-coast-path) today. You can stay in a train carriage at the Ravenglass railway.

What about Weymouth? A few nice pubs with good seafood. Walking around Portland, coast would be spectacular in a winter storm

Slightly leftfield, but Winchester is a nice, small, city.

Weymouth? A few nice pubs with good seafood. Walking around Portland

Know it well 🙂 And walked round Portland when we did the SWCP.

Winchester is a nice, small, city.

Agreed 🙂 I’ve been there a few times (first when I rode the SDW) and we both visited a couple of years ago.

Keep them suggestions coming!

I’m going to assume you’ve already been, but Lyme Regis

Or Wells

Or Cardiff

Somewhere on Cranborne Chase. Has dark sky status. Must be some star gazing trip available capitalising on it.

Salisbury for a day time wonder if you want city stuff

Do you count Dorset in the SW? Lulworth cove might be my favourite bit of this island.

Oh, and not Cambridge, it’s busy enough thanks!

Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds or Newmarket (Horses on Saturday and Ely on the Sunday).

or Newmarket

I spent a few months working in Newmarket. It’s nothing special. At all

Lake District? Or is that too far?
The Angel Inn at Bowness on Windermere is rather nice

Oxford: good pubs and eateries, good museums, historic buildings, everything’s walkable and it’s nicer than Cambridge. Stay in a college?

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Lake District? Lovely place but stayed at an amazing place near Elterwater a couple of years ago.

Oxford? Mrs Merman went to Oxford Uni 🙂 And it’s day-trippable from here 🙂

Train to Edinburgh. A really great city to visit. Maybe the sleeper.

I’d say a few nights in Oxford even if you’ve done day trips. Based on being a wife who went to Oxford and lots of day trips.

I also loved Bath

I also loved Bath

Me too. I’m from Bath. Spent the first 20+ years of my life there 🙂

Is Lancaster worth a look?
For a weekend, yes although I’d add in Silverdale, Arnside and Morecambe, for the prom and the bay.

Teesdale or Weardale are both lovely. Remote enough to feel like you’re a million miles from anywhere but lots of little villages with pubs and cafes. More walking and cycling than you can imagine.

A good base for the wider area is Stanhope or even Barnard Castle (no kidding)

imo, once you’ve done all the city breaks you care about, stop looking for a 2nd wave and start looking for a reason to go.

A book/art/music festival. A photography course. A 10km run event. A museum exhibition. A theatre play. Something at least one of you really wants to go to….then base a weekend around that.

Kielder Skyden. Been a couple of times. It’s magical.

Ludlow – several good restaurants
Good suggestion above for the Inn at Whitewell in the Forest of Bowland which is relatively close to Lancaster

Ludlow – several good restaurants

Yep, we had a weekend away there in June 🙂

Thanks for the recommendations, fellers and felleresses.

Lancaster/Forest of Bowland, or Weardale/Teesdale will be duly investigated!

Hey IHN…..that’s our little escape in Wales, well the cottage next door anyway. We were the first to stay there must have been back in around 2000.

Recently had a weekend away in Rye, East Sussex, and had a great time.

https://www.visit1066country.com/destinations/rye

Historic old town, with some very nice pubs like the 600 year old Ye Olde Bell Inn, cafes and shops.
Castle, tidal nature reserve, beach walks and a small independent cinema if the weather is really bad.

Stayed here – https://www.regentsquarerye.co.uk/ Nice central house with parking.

Ok slightly left field (and bear with me): a two centre stay in Portsmouth (well, Southsea) and Chichester. The Historic Dockyard is really interesting. There’s also Spinnaker tower (I’ve not been up it) or even the fastcat to the Isle of Wight. Then you could continue along the coast to Chichester, much prettier than Portsmouth and either do the Witterings and harbour or the South Downs. Plenty of nice pubs to stay in.