5 Places to go in England (besides London)

Don't get me wrong, I love London. It's a sifted blend of cultures, history, modernism, art, and literature wrapped up into one charming (and large) city. However if you're going to England and are looking to do more than just stick in the city of London, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to go. 

After living in North England and visiting many times since, I often get asked what are my recommendations of other places to see while on holiday. Hence I decided to create a list of some of my favorite spots in England that are - bonus - accessible without having to rent a car (if you're just not feeling brave enough to drive a car on the other side of the road). 

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Town: Bath, UK

Length of Stay: 1-2 full days

Travel: accessible via train from London Paddington to Bath Spa here

Favorite things to do: 

•          Touring Bath Abbey (free for inside, but pay the few pounds and do the private tour to the top- worth the incredible views)
•        Tea at The Roman Baths https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/afternoontea
•          Tour of the Roman Baths  https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/
•        We did a private Jane Austen tour which was just absolutely incredible. It was a historian who now does tours and we did a whole tour around the region via car and we even stopped at an adorable pub for lunch.

 Looking for a place to stay? For absolutely luxury and the most exquisite breakfast stay at The Kennard http://www.kennard.co.uk/ or if you’re looking for something that is a bit more affordable I’d recommend the Windsor http://www.bathwindsorguesthouse.com/

   

Town: Windsor, UK

Length of Stay: 1 day

Travel: accessible via train. Two stations: Windsor & Eton Central or Windsor & Eton Riverside
Favorite things to do:

• Windsor Castle. Don't short change yourself, this is fascinating and a stunning piece of history. You'll spend most of the day here (more info here)
• Walk around the actual town of Windsor and enjoy the modern shopping in an old world village. Be on the lookout for famous spots like the Crooked House of Windsor
• I had one of the best meals of my life in Windsor! It was a traditional Sunday supper where King Charles mistresses once lived and there are secret underground tunnels that went into Windsor Castle – Drury House Restaurant

Town: York, UK

Length of Stay: 1-2 days

Travel: accessible via train York Station 

Favorite things to do:

•           If you’re heading up to Scotland this is a fantastic stop. York Minister is one of the most fabulous cathedrals I have ever seen, it rivals the madame herself Notre Dame! Do the tour to the top and on clear days you can see Scotland from the top of the tower.
•           Stop for tea in the tea room Betty’s https://www.bettys.co.uk/tea-rooms/locations/york an iconic and historic tea spot
• Spend time getting lost in the catacomb streets of York that is sure to transport you back to another time and place. Pie shops, tea rooms, cafes, wool shops, antique shops galore in this quaint little village. 
• Take a tour (or a self guided walking tour) of the city walls 

Town: Newbury 

Length of Stay: 1 full day 

Travel: train + cab/bus - Newbury station (15 min cab ride), or Basingstoke (25 min cab ride) or Whitchurch (10 min cab ride)

Favorite things to do:

Highclere Castle

          If you’re a Downton Abbey fan then this is NOT to miss. However visiting here can be tricky and must be pre-planned. As noted on the website (here) they only have a number of "public" pre-reserved tickets and they are usually sold out months of years in advance. When I first saw this I was devastated and thought maybe I wouldn't be able to visit the background of my beloved show. But alas, hope was renwed when I email the Tourism center of Highclere Castle (yes, I'm that person) and inquired about visiting even though I didn't have a ticket.

Basically how it works is on public days (which isn't even day, so pay attention to their calendar), they have a select number of 'walk up' tickets available to purchase at the gate house. However once they're gone, they're gone. So my suggestion is get here as early as possible and stand in queue to reserve your spot. I was the first person in the queue (again, yes I'm that person) and I think they were either highly impressed or laughing at me because they let me into the grounds 30 minutes early. I literally had the entire state grounds to myself (minus the grounds keeper) and I was in h-e-a-v-e-n.

It's absolutely magical both inside the Castle and on the grounds. I spent hours in both and then ended my lovely Downton experience by stopping into the cafe and shop and getting a pot of tea and scone to enjoy outside in the garden. I had to pinch myself to really believe it was real. 

Town: Devonshire 

Length of Stay: 1 day 

Travel: train + cab/bus

Favorite things to do: 

• Visit Mr. Darcy’s “Pemberly” a.k.a ChatsworthHouse Lord and Lady Devonshire still live there! It’s stunning. You can spend the whole day wandering the house and gardens. Make sure you check out the beautiful scenery outside and walk up to the small chapel. 
• Make a reservation for afternoon tea in the lovely modernized carriage house

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Table For One Please

I asked for a table for one and the hostess halted for a second, "For one?" she repeated. I nodded. She seated me at a small table for two near the window and a few minutes later a waiter came over and said he'd bring me a water while I waited for my guest. "It's just me". He raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said "Oh sorry." I smiled back and started reading the menu.

I found a cute local spot for dinner. I went to the bar and pulled out a high top and sat down and smiled at the bartender. He slid a napkin and a wine list my way across the top and asked "accapella?" I said "excuse me?" and he simple asked if I was alone. Yup. 
Yup, I was alone.

In my years of traveling, mostly solo, I've become completely accustomed to doing things alone: going out to eat, working at a coffee shop, catching a movie, seeing a play, touring a museum, wine tastings, hitting up a bar, going for a historical tour. In fact, I'd venture to say sometimes I even prefer it. I relish in the quiet moments, my own timeline, my own agenda. When I first started traveling it definitely felt awkward to go out to dinner by myself; I was worried what others would think of me being alone. I was embarrassed to be solo. I didn't want to be that "pathetic" woman sitting by herself at dinner reading a book or that "lonely" girl at the movies who has no friends to hang with on a Saturday afternoon.

However as I became more comfortable and confident in myself I realized that its others who are awkward about my aloneness. Actually, I think my aloneness makes them uncomfortable! Has anyone else encountered this? It's like they don't know how to deal with me being alone... Do they acknowledge it? Joke about it? Ignore it completely? It's actually quite comical! 

It was while I was sitting at that coastal town bar when the bartender made a bad joke (because by definition accapella means singing without instruments in the background....which could be one person or a group of people. So fail Mr. Bartender. You should've asked if I was "monologue" or something...or maybe my sense of humor is abnormal), that I realized most people don't know how to deal with people who are okay with being alone. 

The thing is, you don't have to wait to travel to be comfortbable with being alone! You can go out by yourself in your own town. In fact, if you've never gone out to eat alone or seen a movie by yourself I sincerely encourage you to do it, you'll be surprised how much people really don't pay attention. Want to know a secret? We're a self-absorbed society. Shocker, I know. We're so wrapped up in our own thoughts of not being embarrassed or awkward that we often don't notice the people around us. No one is really looking at you. You should be so comfortable and secure in yourself that it doesn't matter if someone does think it's awkward. In my years of traveling I've never had anyone make fun of me (at least to my face ha) for being alone. Actually, I find that people are more inspired and inquisitive about my life than judgmental. So go out there girl and sit by yourself, eat by yourself, take yourself out for that drink or explore that new coffee shop. Be alone with yourself and embrace it!

So here's something from all us "solo-travelers" out there for those of you who don't know how to deal with our aloneness:

It's okay. 

We're okay. 

You'll be okay. 

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