London and the South of England - 2012

Here is a draft itinerary of our planned two week trip to England.

June 27, 2012

Overnight flight to London (BusinessFirst Class -- thanks United credit card mileage points!)

June 28, 2012

London

After an overnight flight from Washington DC (IAD-LHR) we have four nights in London to explore some of its highlights, including: Tower of London, Borough Market, 'Henry V' at Globe Theatre, London Eye, open top double-decker bus city tour, Transit Museum, V&A, street markets, strolling Royal parks, bookshops, museums, and pubs. (Chris' first visit to London)

June 29, 2012

London

June 30, 2012

London

July 1, 2012

Depart London by car for a week of exploring the south of England.

Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire

(near Marlborough, Wiltshire). Exploring the Avebury Stone Circle, West Kennett Barrow, and Silbury Hill.

Stonehenge, Wiltshire

We have a special access permit to the inner stones of Stonehenge for up to 1 hour at sunset (9:30pm). May also visit Salisbury and Old Sarum while here. Would like to visit the site during operating hours, too, to use audio guide, if possible.

Chippenham, Wiltshire

Overnight stay in Wilshire area at a pretty little B&B in Chippenham.

July 2, 2012

Bath, Somerset

A few hours to stroll through historic town of Bath, see the Roman baths, and have tea and a Bath bun at the Pump Room.

Cheddar, Somerset

Visit to beautiful Cheddar Gorge, a Cheddar cheese farm and cave, and Cheddar village area.

Wookey Hole Caverns, Wells, Somerset

A brief visit to the silly fun of the Wookey Hole caverns and amusement center.

Glastonbury, Somerset

A early evening visit to see the ancient Glastonbury Tor.

Wells, Somerset

Dinner, drinks and overnight in a historic tavern/B&B in the beautiful village of Wells.

July 3, 2012

Exeter, Devon

A brief stop in Exeter on the way to the west coast of Cornwall.

Tamar Otter Sanctuary, Cornwall

(near North Petherwin, Launceston, Cornwall) A private rescue and sanctuary for the local river otters found in abundance in the southwest of England.

Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle, Cornwall

A brief stop in the coastal town of Boscastle -- to visit the Museum of Witchcraft (boo!).

Tintagel Castle, Cornwall

A stop to see the spectacular ruins of Tintagel Castle, which some say is the birthplace of King Arthur.

Newquay, Cornwall

A brief stop along the long, wide beaches of Newquay.

Penzance, Cornwall

Our two day visit to Cornwall is based in pretty little Penzance -- hoping to see the pirates... :-) Also want to visit St. Michael's Mount, and nearby beaches and coastal villages. And pubs.

July 4, 2012

Kynance Cove, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

A morning visit to the beautiful Cornish Lizard Peninsula in far south Cornwall, and to spectacular Kynance Cove and Lighthouse. And happy 4th of July to our Colonial friends back home.

Land's End, Cornwall

Vists to the nearby Land's End cape -- southmost point of the U.K., for spectacular scenery. Also visits to nearby villages of St. Ives and Sennen.

St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, Cornwall

A visit to this island citadel just offshore of Penzance -- we have to go at low tide.

July 5, 2012

Eden Project, Cornwall

(near St. Austell) A visit to St. Austell and the nearby Eden Project biodomes.

Plymouth, Devon

A visit to see the place where the Pilgrims departed England for the New World.

Cerne Abbas, Dorset

(near Dorchester, Dorset) slight detour to see the (infamous) 'rude giant' carved into the chalky hills near Cerne Abbas.

Southampton, Hampshire

After our drive from Cornwall across the foot of England, we'll overnight in the port city of Southampton.

July 6, 2012

Birling Gap, Sussex

Driving along the coast at Birling Gap for spectacular views of the chalky coastline and cliffs along the English Channel.

Brighton, Sussex

Stopping for a short visit to see the famous beach resort of Brighton.

Hastings, Sussex

Driving through the towns of Hastings and Battle, site of the 1066 Norman invasion of England.

Bodiam Castle, Sussex

(near Robertsbridge, E Sussex). A visit to the majestic medieval moated Bodiam Castle.

Dover, Kent

Driving along the south Kent coast to Dover, with promenade overlooks of the busy harbor and famous White Cliffs. Time permitting, a visit to the Roman Painted House in Dover.

Canterbury, Kent

Time permitting, we may make a brief stop to see the beautiful Canterbury Cathedral.

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Arriving into pretty Southend on Friday evening, for our 2 night stay at a beautiful B&B near the famous Southend Pier. On Saturday, attending the late afternoon wedding of Richard Miles & Keighley Tansley, with evening reception and pub crawling to follow.

July 7, 2012

Richard & Keighley's Wedding in Southend.

July 8, 2012

Greenwich, London

Driving back into London from Southend, with a stop in Greenwich to see the Royal Observatory, then a Sunday roast lunch at the Greenwich Union pub in Royal Hill/Greenwich.

Westminster, London

Something I've always wanted to do... driving into London from Greenwich, crossing the Thames at Tower Bridge, back across at Southwark Bridge, and then across Westminster Bridge to the foot of Big Ben and Parliament. Then onward back to our London hotel near Paddington to drop off our luggage, then onward a short ways north to WB Studio in Watford for the Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour.

Warner Brothers Film Studio, Watford, Hertfordshire

A late afternoon visit to the Harry Potter 'behind the scenes' exhibit at the Warner Brothers film studio north of London where it was filmed.

London, England

Two more days back in London to finish up exploring the city, shopping, and then an early morning Tuesday flight back home to Washington, DC (LHR-IAD)

July 9, 2012

Last full day in London....

July 10, 2012

early morning flight back to USA

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