A weekend in Oxford, but where northward for a week?

[Terry]

I posted back in February about a getaway weekend from London with my son and family. So as the dates get closer, we are starting to solidify some plans. Our air tickets are bought! We will be arriving in London in mid-June and mid-week. We'll stay in London with my son for a few days before we all get away together for the weekend. It turns out that we will have a car rental, as the kids (son/DIL/1 yr old grandson) will be bringing a few items that would be too cumbersome for a train.

I think we will go to Oxford. This will turn out to be a 2-day weekend getaway for them, so not a far drive after a hectic work week. Gifford Circus will be in town, and I think that is something we would all enjoy. Nice walking, shops, food, a little history. This should be the perfect getaway.

Son and family will return to London by train at the end of the weekend, and my husband and I will keep the car rental for the following week (we can store some of the more cumbersome items the kids are bringing in our trunk til we return to London at the end of our jaunt).

So, where to go? We could explore other parts of the Cotswolds (we spent a week in Chipping C about 4-5 years ago and loved it, but would want to go someplace new). The Lake District or someplace north (Yorkshire Dales?) is also beckoning, and very much on my radar screen. We would like to stay in a nice town or village for the week as a home base, similar in size and vibe to Chipping C, with some eating options/shopping. Prefer self-catering/vacation rental in town if we can find one. We like to take day trips from there. Interested in easy hiking, but nothing overly athletic, and history/ruins/stones. We love to take beautiful nature walks and learn about the local and ancient history.

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences you can share.

 

[Eleanor]

Thinking about the Yorkshire Dales, either Settle or Hawes spring to mind as being good centres and about the same size as Chipping Campden. Both offer the possibility for day trips and walking. There is the ruined castle at Middleton and another castle at Skipton. There are the ruins of Bolton Abbey with very good walks along the river Wharfe. There is also Skipton but that is quite a bit bigger. There are also Fountains and Jervaux ruined abbeys. There is Hardraw Foss waterfall and Malham with the cove, Goredale Scar and Janet's Foss is not far away. Have a look for ideas for walks here and here.


I'd also wondered about the North York Moors which don't get quite as many visitors as the Dales. Helmsley with its ruined castle, would make a good base here. There's lots of history with the ruined abbeys of Byland, Rievalux and Whitby and another ruined castle at Pickering. There is also the small folk museum at Hutton le Hole and the North York Moors Steam Railway. York isn't far away either. There are ideas for walks here.

Have you see artnbarb's thread on the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales as there is lots of information there.

It is a long time since I visited the Lakes and my knowledge is out of date now. I'm hoping someone else can come in here...

Your final decision may come back to where you can find accommodation as June isn't that far away!

 

[Terry]

Thanks, Eleanor. A lot to chew on. Appreciate your info very much.

 

[Pauline]

There are vacation rentals everywhere in the UK. They are called holiday rentals or holiday cottages usually. There are many good local agencies as well as HomeAway or AirBnB. I have some agencies listed on the site:
https://www.sloweurope.com/travel/england/

I would push for you to come south, to Dorset, to our area, but we will be in Brittany for the second half of June, so save it for another trip

Zak wrote a nice trip report for a trip to visit gardens in Yorkshire.
https://www.sloweurope.com/community/threads/uk-castles-and-gardens.1382/

 

[Terry]

Thanks, Pauline. I’m exploring. Lots to check out. It’s reassuring. Thanks also for the TR link.

A visit to Dorset definitely next time.

 

[Chris]

I'll be in London June 11-15 with Sharon Johnson. Any chance that corresponds with your London time? It would be nice to finally meet you!

 

[Terry]

Oh yes! We’ll be arriving on the 12th, evening. Let’s make some plans!

 

[Chris]

I just sent you an email!

 

[Terry]

Our trip is less than 2 weeks away, and I have not touched base here in a little while. A lot has changed since I last posted. We had originally planned on going to Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. Although it was impossible to find a rental due to our late planning (I was very surprised about that, but you were right, Eleanor), I was able to find a nice B&B to stay at.

But, to make a long story short, we will now have my year-old grandson with us (alone) for the week. Not wanting to be too far from London, we decided to stay in the Cotswolds instead. We will still spend the weekend before in Oxford with my son/DIL/grandson, as originally planned, but when son/DIL return to London on Sunday, we will drive up to Stow-on-the-Wold with our grandson, where we will have a lovely holiday rental for the week. We probably (definitely) will not do as much touring and exploring as we are used to, but we will have the opportunity to live more like locals. There is a petting farm nearby, and of course many gardens to explore. I am really looking forward to our trip and family time.

Thanks for all of your input. I will save some of the ideas offered for our future trips to UK.