Recommendations for UK break

[TheDutchHouse]

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Im looking to have a midweek solo break 4/5 days.

Beginning of October, avoiding half term holidays.
little bit of a wish list , if driving then within two hours of M25. But happy to do longer if train travel.

Would like a small town to wander round , quirky shops, nice cafes etc

Maybe a place of interest to visit on one of the days , within half hour of said town/village .

Prefer it not to be coastal.

Any recommendations?

Winchester? Not sure there’s enough there to keep you busy for 4 days but lots of nice cafes and restaurants.

Lewes? Lovely to wander round. Quite quirky/arty. There’s Lewes Castle and museum, Anne of Cleves House, Lewes Priory, among many places worth visiting in or near the town. It’s also a 15 min train journey or 30 min drive to Brighton - which is coastal, granted, but full of things to do!

I’d go for Bradford on Avon. It’s got buckets of character and lots of independent shops, cafes and galleries. It’s close to Bath (I definitely recommend the Jane Austen museum and Sally Lunn’s tea shop) and Glastonbury which is brilliant for quirky and unusual.

I like Bradford on Avon too. I stayed here:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/42853567?source_impression_id=p3_1754937882_P3nvNp2S9sQ8guZd

Lavenham? A beautiful, historic village. Plenty of other places to visit nearly (even coastal!).

Would recommend this place to stay;

https://theswanatlavenham.co.uk/?utm_source=GMB&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Swan%20GMB

Oh… I was going to say Aldeburgh.

Lovely little town , lots of independent shops. Quirky history nearby, the Leiston Long Shop (and associated suffragette / feminist history), Benjamin Britten’s wonderful house, Franglingham (?) and Orford castles, Southwold, beautiful walks on Dunwich Heath, Snape Maltings for loads of shopping, galleries, culture. Woodbridge.

But it is coastal.

That's why I thought of Lavenham! Access to all those.

Oh thank you all .. I’m googling the life out of these places . Two of which I’d never heard of !

Rye or Canterbury or bath

Tring in herts is little but has a lovely hotel