First visit to England..we could use some tips!

[June Pickering]

Just a tip about driving in the UK... it always seems to take longer to get somewhere than the map would suggest. I'm an American living here now, and it was one of the first things I noticed when we on a trip. Leave lots of time so you can amble around and enjoy the scenery. If you're not used to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, that also adds to the excitement especially if renting a manual car rather than the rare automatic.

I'd like to ditto the idea for stopping in Durham if you can. It's a wonderful city and the cathedral one of the most lovely I've seen here.

One site for some B&B help is www.smoothhound.co.uk. It's come in very handy many times as I did planning.

Enjoy!!

[Andy Lynes]

especially if renting a manual car rather than the rare automatic.

←

I know we're a bit backwards around these parts, but if you book in advance and specify automatic you should have no problems getting hold of one!

Absolutely right about leaving plently of driving time. The route planner on www.theaa.com is very good indeed. I use it all the time and find that it gives reliably accurate journey times.

[Pontormo]

In the northern provinces, we found time to make a triangular tour, hooking York and the Lake Country together with a visit to Durham a worthwhile gambit. Although York Minster garners much publicity (and stages periodic fires to ensure same), we found Durham Cathedral a rather more soulful place. Besides, the Venerable Bede used to call it home, whereas York's only real claim to fame was having a New World village named after it.

←

Hear, hear, without knocking York since its Corpus Christi liturgical drama is extremely important. Wells is stunning and I'm sorry, but a pilgrimage to Canterbury is in order at least once. However, Durham represents the Norman English contribution to the development of Gothic architecture and has amazing columns in the nave, so dramatic that at least one scene of Elizabeth was shot there even though the location makes no sense.

Make sure you take the tour of the Bishop's palace since it begins in the kitchen. There's also an excellent little cookwares store in town where you can find aprons and sundry linens from Her Majesty's preferred textile producer in surprisingly bold patterns. The oven mitts make a wonderful gift for friends in the US since no one here produces anything like them: padded mitts for left and right hands that are connected by a length of fabric.

If you do change plans and go to Durham, while in London, check out the new British Library where some of its most important manuscripts are on display for the general public. My favorite of the Hiberno-Saxon works is often in the case, The Lindisfarne Gospels that were found in the casket of Saint Cuthbert of Durham. Afterwords, you'll find a few wonderful little independent shops to stop and have tea, or if I remember correctly, cappuccino at a very Italian place.

I fear straying too far off-topic, but also endorse your plans to see at least some of the countryside. I loved the moors, visited with a Bronte-loving parent. Some of the megaliths and other types of weird mounds and odd stones down south are interesting; I believe Stonehenge is a little more accessible these days than it used to be and might be worth a detour.

Also check out John Whiting's food blog for lively food markets if you haven't read it.

Edited April 13, 2006 by Pontormo (log)