Southern England

Frank

Certified not a majority
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I think I go there this week for a few days. What are good places to stop by?
 
Depends which bit of southern England you mean ... south-east or south-west? Broadly speaking the further west you go from London the nicer things get (countryside + towns). [The south-east corner was nice about 30 years ago, but these days is incredibly densely populated by people with a lot of money and an attitude to match].

The South Downs are nice (just north-east of Portsmouth), as is the New Forest (SW of Southampton), and the whole south coast west of ~Portsmouth is lovely if you avoid the ports. If you can get as far west as Devon/Cornwall it's a real treat. These places will be packed with people at this time of year though.

Personally I try to avoid towns, but places like Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, Winchester are worth a visit once as are many of the other older towns. Places to avoid: Luton, Milton Keynes, Swindon, most towns south and east of London, and all of Essex!

Of course if you're looking for night-life and daytime tourism around one of the world's greatest cities, you don't need to leave central London!
 
Pretty much agree with nutball.

I'd make an effort to get to Bath and have a scout around - I really like it as a city and there's some interesting history. Go via Stonehenge. Then head down to the Devon coast - Dartmouth is very scenic. The Eden Project is down that way if you fancy heading even more west, but personally I'd head back along the Dorset coast - which is a World Heritage site. Make sure you catch Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Bournemouth is the Faliraki of the South of England, so if you like your women blonde, orange and tatooed plan for a night out on the way back to London. :cool:
 
mcsven said:
Pretty much agree with nutball.

I'd make an effort to get to Bath and have a scout around - I really like it as a city and there's some interesting history. Go via Stonehenge.
Or perhaps via Avebury + the long barrow and Silbury hill (if history is your thing).
 
MuFu said:
Now now geo, no need to show off. We all know you have a big house.

Well, all the different sets of china is a bit much, but the tapestries are quite nice. :smile:
 
I spent more than a few summers on the Isle of Wight as a kid, and I also recommend Devon. It's been more than a few years though, so I can't plug anywhere specific.
 
Cornwall is ace but it takes ages to get there from practically anywhere else in the country!

If you do find yourself in Cornwall though, avoid Newquay which is full of 16 year olds getting drunk and fighting throughout the course of the summer!
 
Really do need to get to Cornwall at some point. My paternal line people are from a mining town there.
 
Having travelled around the UK a lot, as a visitor you can't go wrong with what Nutball said. Bath is nice too, and Bristol, my town.
 
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I come from Kent which is in the south east of England and therefore according to nutball

"[The south-east corner was nice about 30 years ago, but these days is incredibly densely populated by people with a lot of money and an attitude to match]."

Yeah right, if I ever meet you remind me to park my Mercedes on your head. :D I think nutball comes from Essex and is jealous because they keep giving him a body strip at the QE2 bridge in case he is bringing over the lurgy from Romford and Southend. :)

Kent is great because

a) It is the garden of England
b) It is the part of the UK that grows a lot of hops for beer
c) You can visit Chartwell house where Churchill lived and drink a pint of Kent beer while imagining Spitfires darting above in the sky.
d) You can go to France for a day trip on the tunnel.
e) Leeds castle .

Have to admit that for my holidays this year I went to Devon though with the family :D You can have too much of a good thing......
 
and Bristol, my town.

Excellent for the red light district, being beaten up and then committing suicide off the bridge.You can also throw in, if you travel by car, being stuck on the M5 for about 6 hours around the M4/M5 interchange

SE of England is far better. They have not even mentioned pasties yet. Ask them what a pastie is and then see if you still want to go ? And no, it's not something women wear on their breasts to make them look attractive.

Actually maybe they do down there, amongst the big eared farm boys ;)
 
Excellent for the red light district, being beaten up and then committing suicide off the bridge.You can also throw in, if you travel by car, being stuck on the M5 for about 6 hours around the M4/M5 interchange

I'm visiting Bristol this weekend - are you trying to sell it to me?!? ;)
 
I shall not rise to earlier comments ;)

Enjoy the balloon fiesta - if that's what you're coming for.

Nah - I've heard about the balloon thingy and will take a look but I'm mainly down for the football followed by a night out! We'll avoid the nasty bars in Corn Street though!
 
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