Putting together an Anglophile’s three week vacation

I was over there last about 7 years ago & then they had the actual stones roped off because they did not want people touching them anymore, my guess is that they were being damaged. When people open there houses to guests its called "Bed & Breakfast" (B & B for short). Travelodge is a pretty reasonable place to stay typically. There is a tube (underground) that goes directly from Heathrow into "The Smoke" (London).

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@Lash,

I honestly don't know, but it's a lot harder to get to them now the main road no longer goes past them. There used to be a free festival there, but Thatcher put a stop to that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Beanfield<br /> <br />

It might be easier going to Avebury, it's not far from Henge and I think you can still walk there.

https://c7.alamy.com/comp/A6YMNR/avebury-stone-circle-avebury-unesco-world-heritage-site-wiltshire-A6YMNR.jpg

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/<br />

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As an aside, if you're thinking of visiting the seaside, Bournemouth is a lot prettier than Brighton. It has a beautiful sandy beach unlike Brighton's pebble beach. It's further away from London, so it's a bit less congested and it's not that far from Henge.

http://wildabouttravel.boardingarea.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-12-at-6.22.04-pm.png

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@izzythepush,

Though I wouldn't stay in Bournemouth itself but e.g. in Christchurch or Poole (There are rather good guesthouses/b&bs in both towns, just minutes from away from Bournemouth but less expensive)

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@Walter Hinteler,

An aside: when I've been to Sandbanks for the first time, it was just known for the ferry* and as a small "mini-Eastbourne". But you could find a lot of quiet beaches and even more of spectacular nature.
Nowadays, it's just expensive.

*In 1964, I wanted to go on the other side, but didn't have money with me for the ferry ticket. So I swam ... and learnt painfully what "chain" in 'chain ferry' means.

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I wish I could send you presents for this wonderful information.

If either of you know of any dramatic hiking vistas near any of these areas, feel free to mention. I’m wondering if pubbing and shop-hopping is my main attraction in Edinburgh. I haven’t really done a lick of research.

Meantime, I have a hazy family connection to County Cork, Ireland. A Collins branch. I do think that may be my Ireland stop. Looks like all of my forebears were coast-dwellers. Must have come honest to love of the coast.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

If either of you know of any dramatic hiking vistas near any of these areas, feel free to mention.

Waking the Jurassic Coast
20 new circular walks to enjoy on the Norfolk Coast Path
Five of the best coastal walks around Edinburgh and East Lothian

7 of the best walks in London
27 Beautiful Country Walks Near London

More and other ideas from the National Trust: Walking

Apropos: depending on you want to do/visit, it could be a good idea to get the National Trust membership: you get free entry to all (actually: nearly all) National Trust sites (more than 500) and 50 per cent discount on entry to National Trust Partners (notably in London)

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@Walter Hinteler,

In the 60's, I wandered with two Londoners (Jehovah's Witnesses - we made the arrangement to convince each other about our religion) along the Cornish coastal footpath. One day, we had really difficulties to find it, until a miner from a copper mine (in days, quite a few were still working) showed us the really hidden 'entrance'. (Later, at a beach party, with a lot of drinks and "perfumed" cigarettes, I've got closer contact with the daughter of a well known Marquess in their beach manor)

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter, have you ever considered writing a narrative / travel guide about your experiences? With everything you write about this, I’m wishing you’d expand it with more details.

I suppose I should add some well-written travelogues re that area to my daily reading. You and Izzy are adding really lovely context to the area for me.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

Walter, have you ever considered writing a narrative / travel guide about your experiences?

No. But I've shared them.

Walter Hinteler wrote:

we made the arrangement to convince each other about our religion) along the Cornish coastal footpath.

An important "not" is missing here: we didn't talk about religion!

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@Walter Hinteler,

It came just up in The Guardian: Buckler’s Hard, New Forest: ‘A calm backwater but in a good way’
The New Forest is one of my favourite places since I've first been in England.
Even if you don't go there: the Guardian's section England holidays is an informative read.

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@Walter Hinteler,

I drive through there when I visit my dad in Somerset. It's not the quickest route, but I can avoid Salisbury which can be a real bottle neck, (especially recently.) It's little B roads all the way, I join the New Forest at Brook and then drive to Fordingbridge. Then I take the B3081 through Sixpenny Handley and Tollard Royal, finally arriving in Shaftesbury, then Gillingham Dorset, then the B3092 to Shepton Mallet. It's a really lovely drive.

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@izzythepush,

We've entered the New Forest from the Lymington-side last time (before from Ringwood) since we/I stayed in Dorset.

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@Walter Hinteler,

That's lovely too, there's lots of little routes, not all of them have animals roaming freely on the roads.

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@izzythepush,

Yes. Quite different these days than it was in the 60's. (And at that time, Bournemouth was in Hampshire.)

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@Walter Hinteler,

I only know that because I saw The Wrong Box yesterday and they say Hants when giving a Bournemouth address. It's still very funny.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrong_Box<br />

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@izzythepush,

izzythepush wrote:

It's still very funny.

I'd thought in those days it to be very funny that Wilts & Dorset operations were in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire and not at all in Dorset (there were the green Hants & Dorset buses).

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@Walter Hinteler,

I think they're both still going, plus a few others. More bus companies, not as many buses though.

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@izzythepush,

They do, but without conductor now and no smoking on the top deck (and no cigarette stubbers)

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It was a fun day. Went to play puppets and hockey with the grandbairn, talked a bit to my son about my proposed vacation, and he was a bit doubtful of my Kent anecdotes. He was gobsmacked by what he found, called his cousin, who related the details of his mom’s (my sister’s) recent DNA analysis (which I’d guessed pretty accurately before he told me).

All are on board for what is tallying up to a stupidly expensive GB sojourn for a hell of a lot of Brit/Irish/Norman/Vikings/Murricans.

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Putting together an Anglophile’s three week vacation

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