We've just had a lovely break down in Twickenham, stayed at Travelodge which is right next to the station and travelled into London on the train, only £8.90 for day travelcard which you can use on bus, train and tube. I had no idea what a lovely place Twickenham was, especially down by the Thames and there's a multitude of restaurants, pubs and other eateries.

Liverpool is also a great place for a city break, great history, culture and shops if you're into that. The museums are excellent as are the regenerated docklands, been a few times and would go back definitely.

My mate went to University in Durham and I visited him one weekend. We went in the pub over the road from his digs (bit rough looking) and met some really freindly people and had great cheap beer. He had never been in before as all his housemates were terrified of the Durham locals.

Thanks guys some really good ideas here.

Impossible to find a pub showing RL though !!!!

It is a pity that the rest of it is full of second hand shops and boarded up houses.

I would reccommend Lincoln as being well worth a weekend. Historic with some lovely little boozers and restaurants.

Ely is similar.

Hereford is well worth a visit and if you have wheels not too far to Hay On Wye with al it's bookshops. I could spend a weekend just going around the book shops.

Bristol is interesting and Gloucester is similar to Hereford.

If it's pubs you are looking for St. Albans is good. 20 mins to London on train if you get bored. Or 6 minutes to Harpenden.

If it's pubs you are looking for St. Albans is good. 20 mins to London on train if you get bored. Or 6 minutes to Harpenden.

Canterbury is nice

Anyone mentioned Stratford-upon-Avon?

'twas mentioned way back.

And they have RL on in quite a few pubs..O'Neills for one, you could even visit the mighty St.Albans centurions whilst you're down


Nice Saturday market in St.Albans and good shops/pubs/restaurants, Hatfield House and the Galleria not far away either for more outlet/retail therapy if you fancy it. And as Dally says on the doorstep of London.
There are some very pretty villages round and abouts mid Herts.

If you really fancy splashing some cash there's Brocket Hall, nice restaurant there. My fave place to eat when I'm in that there London is the Michelin starred 'pied a terre', you can get a 6 course offer menu for lunch or early dinner for only £49(until end of March)..absolute bargain!! std 2 course for £27.50 which is just silly cheap really.
I love going there for early nosh before going into town..the service is absolutely immaculate and being in the industry myself I'm a stickler for these things.

I'd recommend Exeter - small historic city with quayside in easy walking distance, excellent award winning museum, lots of decent local ales. Further afield you have Dartmoor and Exmoor on the doorstep, plus lots of nice seaside towns like Exmouth and Sidmouth.

Hull.

We're doing a week here in the summer. Southampton one week and Canterbury the second in our caravan. Having to tell people twice where I am going on holiday this year



I have been to more places in the UK in my 'van then I would ever have dreamed of. We have some pretty little places on this Island that I am glad I have seen. There is so much to see in this country that people don't realise.

As for my most favourite place in the whole of Britain it has to be Scarborough. Especially this time of year. Eating Jaconellis in winter, just bliss!

Just had a lovely weekend in Liverpool, went to Another Place at low tide and got some photos, sunny but cold.

Harrogate is not a bad spot.

The OP wanted some ideas for the South. The thread seems to be drifting North!

Bristol is great, city centre shopping in Broadmead, Cabot's Circus and St Nicholas Market, or up Park Street into Clifton Triangle. Take a trip on a river taxi to the SS Great Britain and M Shed, and sample a great choice of real ales at The Severn Stars, The Bridge, The Cornubia,The White Lion and The Old Fish market.

I've always enjoyed Glastonbury and the surrounding area. It's a wonderfully bizarre and eclectic mix of ancient and modern, encompassing a vast range of beliefs and cultures from Christianity to Spiritualism, to Druids and The Goddess. I'd recommend the simply wandering round taking in the Abbey, Chalice Well, the high street shops and backstreet courtyards, The ancient George & Pilgrim Hotel, the white spring well & temple, the Gog & Magog trees (though one has died) and simply absorbing the surroundings - and of course the Tor and its labyrinth. Dozens of weird & wonderful little shops and attractions to visit - google is your friend. The Rifleman's Arms was one of my regulars when a family member lived there.

Plenty to see within a reasonable drive - Cheddar Gorge, Wells and the Cathedral, Cadbury Castle, Bath - depends how far you're willing to go. Certainly enough to fill a weekend.

Might be a bit far but i found Dartmouth in Devon a lovely little place when i went, wish i could have stayed longer....there's also Brixham, Totnes, Newton Abbott in that vicinity which, again were all cracking little towns.

I'm researching this area whilst doing my family tree at the moment. My family moved from here to Hull to set up Hellyer Brothers the fishing fleet. Its looks a lovely little town. Just wished I'd known last year when we were down there. We enjoyed Salcombe in South Devon and Plymouth too.

I'll always remember going to Salcombe on holiday because we were there when Wigan beat Saints 65- 12 at Knowsley Road, 1997.

Brunel did the Tamar Bridge aswell as his other stuff.Its great down here, IMO you cant go wrong practically anywhere in Devon and Cornwall (i m not too keen on torquay though).Plymouth hoe and barbican areas are great places to be especially if the weathers right,history, boat trips to the dockyards plymouth gin museum ,pubs, food etc etc etc .lovely
Shame about Dawlish because that coast line on the train is lovely(should be the local and tourist line and a new inland line put in for access up the line and back down)
hope you enjoy where ever you end up though.

Try Ironbridge in Shropshire