Day trip OUT of London

[RubyFakeLips]

DH an I have a day off together this week and fancy heading out of London. We want to go on public transport as DS is using our car that day.

Only for the day, just the two of us. We would probably prefer a city/town than countryside but could be tempted. Not desperate for shopping.

Any suggestions?

Coventry. Currently City of Culture so plenty on. Old (ruined) and new (1950s) cathedral to see. Just over an hour from Euston on a fast train and station is ten minutes walk from the cathedrals.

@RubyFakeLips

Canterbury and Winchester both look lovely. Any specific tips for either?

We've both spent quite a bit of time in Cambridge and Oxford and have to confess I'm not a fan of Brighton.

I am literally allergic to Brighton. Everytime I go something goes drastically wrong.

Canterbury is lovely to wander around, can make it quite far around the city walls. The river goes through town and you can do a good loop too.

The library had a really lovely museum upstairs, a real Mish mash of bits and bobs.

The Cathedral is with a look if that's you're sort of thing, not as expensive as St Pauls and the ticket lasts a year. The area around the cathedral has some ace shops and cafes, we went to one that specialised in sausages and it's own brewed beer.

The goods shed by the train station (think it's the one you come into) is a great food market with cafe/restaurant -check what's open the day you visit as not sure it's all open every day.

Also love the veg box cafe which is a great veggie cafe that has a lot of vegan food and ferments and picked food and make amazing kombucha.

I know you're doing a day trip but the youth hostel is a short walk away and has great wooden pods that sleep 6 en suite for about £70, it had been a Christmas tradition to stay over between Christmas and New year. In the grounds of a decent sized house with his indoor facilities. Just in case anyone else is interested

Ah, I feel the same about Brighton!

Winchester is really lovely. There's the cathedral, the old bishop's palace (basically ruins; v nice bookshop nearby), the NT old city watermill. Plenty of scenic places to wander - along the river path to Winnall Moors is nice. Reminded me of both Oxford and Cambridge but less busy and more friendly.

[Canterbury] Cathedral is worth a look if that's you're sort of thing, not as expensive as St Pauls and the ticket lasts a year.

You may need to book. And check that it won't be closed for a special event. There was a degree ceremony on recently, for example.

Agree about the Beaney (the library) too - lots of different things to see.

And there are currently no French school parties!

Much closer to home: St Albans, a lovely small city with a beautiful minster, amazing Roman remains, a market, probably lots of seasonal events now. DP and I had a brilliant day there last year.

I'd say Brighton, too. And when I lived in London I always used to love Southend for days out - it's got a great pier.

Don't do Cambridge on weekend days - it's always so bloody heaving that it's hard to walk down the streets.

Hythe in Kent.

Canterbury: Goods shed next door to railways station is a must - great for snacks and obscure bits and pieces, and if you plan to go back quite late then it is a cracking choice for dinner - the evening menus are always totally fab. There’s also a couple of really good Arabian places to eat - Azouma & Mauresque (first is Lebanese, second is Moroccan) or there is a tiny place called called Notorious on Palace Street that does very wicked things to burger & chips (I cannot begin to describe how good their crispy duck & hoisin fries are).
Another place to poke your head in is the cathedral shop (a couple of doors down to the right if you are facing the main entrance) - much more than a place to buy church stuff, it has loads of unusual gift ideas (eg tapestries). And a couple of doors on from there is a tiny place with the most ridiculously fabulous children’s things (called ‘wrapped’ or something) - half my nieces and nephews must own one of their cuddly octopi.

Hope you had a good day wherever you went OP.