Britain Itinerary 2024

(As a side trip see more of Ireland, and the Vermeer at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin).

Financial note: To with draw funds free of charge in Britain with a Wise card go to Link ATM - use their ATM Locator website.

Bristol
Maybe see the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club match at the Bristol County Ground in Ashley Down, Bristol (their home ground). See their fixture list for 2024 here. ( Montpelier - map) Take bus #70 from Temple Meads to Seat Unique Stadium.

Bristol harbour - see Brunel's Great Britain steam ship, and a reproduction of John Cabot's Matthew. Also see the Visit Bristol website. Accommodation in Bristol, see AirBnB re stays close to Seat Unique Stadium - I found 5 within walking distance that were under $100 per day.

Somerset & Wiltshire

Cider county — good article: 7 Places to go cider tasting in Somerset. Bere Cider, and Somerset Cider Brandy are fairly close together.

Somerset Cider & Apple Juice map

Grinling Gibbons:
Petworth House, West Sussex. Hours: 10:30-16:30 ( Pulborough)
Wren Library, Cambridge University ( Cambridge)
Trinity College Chapel, Oxford University ( Oxford)

Portsmouth
Visit the National Museum of the Royal Navy and especially tour HMS Victory,  HMS Warrior and  the Mary Rose Museum. (The museum is a 5 minute walk from the train station.) Hours: 10:00-17:00. Nearby is the Submarine Museum, including a tour of WWII-era HMS Alliance. Hours: 10:00-16:30. Also Grinling Gibbons at Petworth House as noted above. ( Portsmouth)

From International Living: "Indulge in French cooking at Bistro Pierre or sample more than 300 wines from around the globe at Le Vignoble, an independent wine merchant and tapas bar."

Portsmouth side trips:
Tripadvisor suggests a tour of the Isle of Wight is a popular side trip from Portsmouth. There is also a steam railway! Take the ferry from Portsmouth to the Fishbourne ferry port then a taxi to Havenstreet (about 9 minutes) where the railway begins. 

Winchester Cathedral, the magnificent edifice built in 1079, is also the burial site of many Saxon kings. Also visit the Great Hall of Winchester. Hours: 09:00-17:00 ( Winchester)

South Devon Railway is a heritage railway. ( Totnes)

Check for any steam railways in the south.

Portsmouth, Winchester, Salisbury, Warminster

Lullingstone
A magnificent Roman Villa dating from the 2nd century AD, this rich man’s farmhouse is one of the key sites of Roman Britain. Hours: 10:00-17:00. Location: Lullingstone Lane, Eynsford, Kent ( Eynsford)

London - see London Itinerary

Heading north:

Oxford
Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, is a grand palace worth a visit. Located near the town of Woodstock. Note Grinling Gibbons above. Hours: 10:30-16:45. ( Oxford; take Stagecoach bus S3 )

Ironbridge
Ironbridge in Telford, Shropshire. Mon-Sun 10:00-17:00 ( Telford Central) 

Stamford
Burghley House is England's greatest Elizabethan house. One of its highlights are the room and staircase that depict, respectively, heaven and hell, painted by Antonio Verrio. Hours: 10:30-16:30. Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire ( Stamford)

Haddon Hall
Visit a medieval house in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Times: June 20-Sept 30, 10:00-16:30 (last entry 15:30). Located on the A6 about half way between Bakewell and Rowsley. Take the Transpeak TP3 from Matlock Rail Station to the Haddon Hall stop.

Hardwick Hall
Visit the house called an "Elizabethan masterpiece." Location: Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. There is no direct public transport to the hall. Take the Pronto bus from Chesterfield rail station to Glapwell Young Vanish (the nearest stop to Hardwick Hall). Cross the road, walk up the hill and take 1st right following signs to Rowthorne & Hardwick. Continue toward village then take 2nd right & 1st left, arriving at Rowthorne gate. Continue straight to access Hardwick Hall. About a 10 minute walk. ( Chesterfield). 

Worcester
The Postal Order, 18 Foregate St., Worcester. Libertarian Drinks on the third Wednesday of every month. ( Worcester Foregate St.) (Good AirBnB nearby - Lynda's Place)

The Regimental Museum of The Royal Welsh in Brecon, Wales. Museum highlights the Zulu Wars and has many artifacts including the flag from Roarke’s Drift!

 

The Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is part of Scottish Canals. It is a half-hour walk from Camelon rail stop ( Camelon, 30 minutes from Edinburgh, Waverly) 

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CIDER FESTIVALS:

See my Cider Festivals entry on my cider page.

ENTERTAINMENT

Derren Brown tour 2024 — TBD

Dylan Moran tour 2024 — TBD

Dara O'Briain tour 2024 — TBD

Henning Wehn tour 2024 — TBD

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Organized tours of Britain concentrating on southern England – Evan Evans Tours.

London Itinerary 2024

If you want to store your luggage for the day consider a left luggage service like Excess Baggage Co located at the Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports and most rail stations. Pay for a few hours or for days. Also available in Edinburgh and Glasgow. (Also check Stasher.com who provide information on select left luggage locations around the world.

Taste of London Food Festival is held in early June each year. It is "five days of fun-fuelled feasting in London’s iconic Regent’s Park." It brings together restaurants and chefs from around London.

Globe Theatre tour and play. London Walks also does a "Shakespeare's London" tour: every Mon and Sat at 10:00am. ( Cannon Street)

Leighton House. Home of Lord Leighton especially showing the design of various rooms based on influences from his foreign travels. 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ. Wed-Mon 10:00-17:30

Westminster Abbey
Opens at 9:30 - be there early or it will be crowded! Buy tickets online ahead. London Walks has a Westminster Abbey Tour every Monday and Saturday (tour cost includes Abbey entry ticket). Grinling Gibbons: marble monument for Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, located in the south choir aisle. ( Westminster Station)

The British Museum. (Good afternoon tea!) Also try the Museum Tavern opposite the B.M. - very good pub, 49 Great Russell St. Open Sat-Thur 10:00-17:30, Fri 10:00-20:30. Use Rick Steves audio guide for tour! London Walks does a tour every Wed at 14:00. ( Holborn or Tottenham Court Road) 

Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, Hampstead, Greater London (i.e., north London). Vermeer’s The Guitar Player (also Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gainsborough, Reynolds, van Dyck, Turner & Boucher). Open daily 10:00-17:00 ( Golders Green or Archway - Northern line, then bus 210)

Sir John Sloane's Museum - a quirky museum, according to Rick Steves, that also is usually not busy. Free entry and no pre-booking. Wed-Sun 10:00-17:00 ( Holborn - Central and Piccadilly lines)

Tate Britain gallery, Millbank St. See The Boyhood of Raleigh by Millais, and Saint Eulalia by Waterhouse and others. ( Pimlico)

Sambourne House, 18 Stafford Terrace. A unique example of a Victorian townhouse with almost all furniture and fittings untouched since the late 1890s. ( High Street Kensington)

Lord's Guided tour 1½ hrs (starts in MCC museum) Times: M-F 12:00 & 14:00. S&S 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 ( St John's Wood - Jubilee line; Warwick Avenue; and Baker Street) map

Cabinet War Rooms, Churchill's WWII underground offices used during the Blitz. Open daily 9:30-18:00. ( St. James or Westminster) map

Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road. Times: 10:00-18:00 daily. ( Lambeth North - Bakerloo line)

Victoria & Albert Museum. Hours: Sat-Thur 10:00-17:45; Fri 10:00-22:00. London Walks does a V&A Museum Tour every Fri at 10:45am. ( South Kensington) map

Sherlock Holmes Museum, 221b Baker St. ( Baker Street) 

Grinling Gibbons:
St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Paul's Churchyard ( St. Paul's, Central line)
Hampton Court Palace (see Day Trips from London below)
Church of St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill ( Cannon Street, Circle and District lines)
Church of St. James, 197 Piccadilly ( Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines)

Banqueting House. Designed by Inigo Jones and site of the beheading of Charles I in 1649 at the end of the English Civil War. Charles had commissioned Rubens to paint the exquisite ceiling which is still on view today. ( Westminster, Embankment or Charing Cross) map

London Walks has dozens of guided walks around London. They cover everything from historical tours to those related to popular cultural. They also have inside tours of museums and other public venues. They more recently added walks located outside of London.
The walks are a good deal, starting as low as £15 and usually lasting 2 hours. They are available every day throughout the year except Christmas Day. Some interesting ones to check out:
The Famous Square Mile - every Sunday and Thursday
In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes - every Sunday
Westminster at War - every Sunday
Shakespeare's and Dickens' Old City - every Sunday and Tuesday
Westminster Abbey Tour - every Monday and Saturday.

Shopping

Check out leather goods at Ettinger, 215 Putney Bridge Road, London ( East Putney)

Check out accessories at Turnbull & Asser, 71-72 Jermyn St, St. James's, London ( Green Park)

Portobello Road Market - one of the oldest markets for buying everything from antiques and collectables to vintage clothes and bric-a-brac. See also VisitLondon's article on Best London Markets. ( Ladbrooke Grove - Hammersmith and City lines.)

Restaurants
See my London restaurant page here.

Borough Market
From Clarissa Dickson Wright's video, History of British Food, the Borough Market in south-east London has great fresh (and old-fashioned) seafood to sample: welks, winkles, prawns, jellied eel, etc. 8 Southwark St. ( London Bridge)

Day Trips from London:

Bletchley Park (by rail from Euston Station to Bletchley)

Chartwell House, Mapleton Road, Westerham, Kent. Daily 11:00-16:00 ( Sevenoaks or Oxsted, then taxi to Chartwell, or No. 246 London bus from Bromley South Station ( Bromley South) to Chartwell)

Hampton Court Palace. Mon-Sun 10:00-17:30 (by rail from Waterloo to  Hampton Court) Be sure to see the Hampton Court Maze.

Windsor Castle. Royal palace, also near Eton. Advanced purchase of tickets recommended. Hours 10:00-15:00 (Nov-Feb); 10:00-16:00 (Mar-Oct). (by rail from Paddington to Windsor & Eton Riverside)
The Royal Windsor Steam Express is a steam train that runs from Victoria Station to Windsor. This is a special trip with first and standard class and with a dining option. Book well in advance — it is very popular. ( Victoria)

Leeds Castle is a Tudor style castle south-west of London. Lots of sites, exhibits and tours to enjoy. ( Bearsted; take taxi or coach run by Spot Travel to the castle)

Accommodation

See my London accommodation page here.