Where should we stay between London and Cornwall?
March 16, 2024 12:24 PM Subscribe
I need help planning for three full days and nights to spend “somewhere” between London and Penzance, Cornwall. See below for specifics.
Currently planning my biennial trip traveling from US to family near Penzance, Cornwall. Will have a car and planning to have some stops instead of usual direct drive or train (we have stopped at Stonehenge).
Looking for hotel/B&B recommendations literally anywhere in-between outside London up to Penzance. Farm-stays have always a big hit elsewhere (Scotland, Switzerland, Norway).
We love to eat vegetarian food, tea and cakes, pubs, small eclectic museums, art in general, gardens, hiking, beach-combing, and architecture.
Currently planning my biennial trip traveling from US to family near Penzance, Cornwall. Will have a car and planning to have some stops instead of usual direct drive or train (we have stopped at Stonehenge).
Looking for hotel/B&B recommendations literally anywhere in-between outside London up to Penzance. Farm-stays have always a big hit elsewhere (Scotland, Switzerland, Norway).
We love to eat vegetarian food, tea and cakes, pubs, small eclectic museums, art in general, gardens, hiking, beach-combing, and architecture.
Best answer: Not sure which route you are taking, but if you don’t mind doing the M3 then A303 then Winchester is great.
Hotel recommendation
Things to do: obviously the cathedral, the Science Centre is brilliant for K-12 children, and it’s generally a picturesque medieval market town.
Salisbury is also lovely, but if you have been to Stonehenge, you may have been there already.
If you are taking the M4/M5 route, then Bath, Glastonbury/Wells would be good options.
posted by tinkletown at 4:03 PM on March 16 [2 favorites]
Hotel recommendation
Things to do: obviously the cathedral, the Science Centre is brilliant for K-12 children, and it’s generally a picturesque medieval market town.
Salisbury is also lovely, but if you have been to Stonehenge, you may have been there already.
If you are taking the M4/M5 route, then Bath, Glastonbury/Wells would be good options.
posted by tinkletown at 4:03 PM on March 16 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Wells would tick lots of your boxes: stunning architecture, museums, nice places to eat. The Swan Hotel is a 600-year old building looking out over the cathedral.
For beaches you could try fossil hunting somewhere on the Jurassic coast. Lyme Regis has lots of hotels. For a more village-y feel, Charmouth up the road is right on a prime fossil beach and has a few AirB&Bs.
posted by greycap at 10:59 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]
For beaches you could try fossil hunting somewhere on the Jurassic coast. Lyme Regis has lots of hotels. For a more village-y feel, Charmouth up the road is right on a prime fossil beach and has a few AirB&Bs.
posted by greycap at 10:59 PM on March 16 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Totnes is really nice town in Devon which I'm sure has a lot of nice independent places to stay
posted by tardigrade at 1:51 AM on March 17 [1 favorite]
posted by tardigrade at 1:51 AM on March 17 [1 favorite]
Best answer: +1 for Lyme Regis which is lovely & very interesting if you’re even remotely into paleontology.
I also love the corner of north Devon that’s north of Barnstaple and west of Lynton & Lynmouth. The beach at Putsborough is beautiful, and it’s a nice walk around Baggy Point to Croyde. Take a boat trip to Lundy Island from Ilfracombe!
posted by rd45 at 3:04 AM on March 17 [1 favorite]
I also love the corner of north Devon that’s north of Barnstaple and west of Lynton & Lynmouth. The beach at Putsborough is beautiful, and it’s a nice walk around Baggy Point to Croyde. Take a boat trip to Lundy Island from Ilfracombe!
posted by rd45 at 3:04 AM on March 17 [1 favorite]
Best answer: +1 for Wells. Small scale to wander around, lots of places to eat, amazing cathedral - don’t miss the chained library. We stayed at Beryl Country House which was absolutely charming, highly recommended.
posted by paulash at 10:51 AM on March 17
posted by paulash at 10:51 AM on March 17
Best answer: If i was doing this, and I have quite a bit as I live in Cornwall, I would go for Dartmoor over Exeter, with perhaps a day trip back into Exeter if you want to see the interesting things others have mentioned. I'm not convinced the city needs more than a day. Sometimes I have to be in Exeter for work on consecutive days and when that is the case I aim to stay on The NE corner of Dartmoor. The Mill End hotel in Sandy Park is lovely, old characterful building but modernised and attractive. A few places around for food, the National Trust's Castle Drogo very close. There are some other nice places to stay and for food on the side of the Moor, plus you can go further in for other cafes for high tea etc. Big ticks for hiking of course. Lots of places doing cream teas.
The National Trust also has lots of other properties with attractive gardens throughout the SW. Some of these are good for a longish walk, you can visit the houses too, most will have an entry charge. Cotehele on the Cornwall/Devon border is nice, or Buckland Abbey, just SW of Dartmoor, which was Francis Drake's house.
If you do stay in Exeter, I stayed at the Rougemont about 18 months ago and found it a bit shabby and glum. The other Mercure in Exeter, the Southgate is a bit modern and characterless but also modern and up to date, and right next to the Cathedral close area.
Bicton Gardens is a nice botanical garden within about 10km of Exeter to the SE, well established garden, range of types, a nice miniature steam engine that can take you around the grounds.
If you decide on Totnes, then go out to the Dartington Hall Gardens, pretty substantial, and with some lovely elements.
posted by biffa at 2:46 PM on March 17
The National Trust also has lots of other properties with attractive gardens throughout the SW. Some of these are good for a longish walk, you can visit the houses too, most will have an entry charge. Cotehele on the Cornwall/Devon border is nice, or Buckland Abbey, just SW of Dartmoor, which was Francis Drake's house.
If you do stay in Exeter, I stayed at the Rougemont about 18 months ago and found it a bit shabby and glum. The other Mercure in Exeter, the Southgate is a bit modern and characterless but also modern and up to date, and right next to the Cathedral close area.
Bicton Gardens is a nice botanical garden within about 10km of Exeter to the SE, well established garden, range of types, a nice miniature steam engine that can take you around the grounds.
If you decide on Totnes, then go out to the Dartington Hall Gardens, pretty substantial, and with some lovely elements.
posted by biffa at 2:46 PM on March 17
Response by poster: I am overwhelmed with the wonderful suggestions!
posted by gryphonlover at 8:20 PM on March 19
posted by gryphonlover at 8:20 PM on March 19
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I don't have any personal hotel recommendations, unfortunately--the only one I ever stayed in there no longer exists--but I'm told the Mercure Exeter Rougemont is nice, and it's right in the city center.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:53 PM on March 16 [5 favorites]