UK August short break with history and countryside if we’ve already been to…

[Taniot]

Thinking of a short break (3 to 5 days) in the UK in August. We like historic houses, castles, countryside, pretty towns, interesting cities. Less interested in beaches or seaside towns. Will be driving in a car from Cambridgeshire and plan to stay in a cottage for four adults. Maybe somewhere in Wales?

Where else is nice to visit if we’ve already been to:

Bath
Brighton
Bristol
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
Cornwall
Cotswolds
Cumbria (Penrith, Eden Valley, Hadrian’s Wall)
Devon
Durham
Lake District
London
Norfolk
Northumbria (near Bamburgh Castle)
Oxford
Peak District
Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cairngorms, Isle of Skye)
Suffolk
Winchester
Windsor
York

Shropshire Hills / Hay on Wye area?

Chester, Lancaster, Warwick and Kenilworth (can't get much further from the sea) with Stratford?
Dorset, Exeter.

Northumberland nearer to Hadrian's Wall and/or up to Cragside (NT)
Shropshire for industrial heritage

Alnwick

Snowdonia. Base yourself in a cottage in the National Park for beautiful walking and exploring - go to Betws-y-Coed and Beddgelert. Further afield you can visit Portmeirion and places like Bangor, as well as exploring the Lleyn Peninsula. I know you said you weren’t fussed about beaches but the coast is lovely to explore there as well. It’s well described as the place where the mountains meet the sea.

Salisbury.
Somewhere near Taunton or Tiverton.
New Forest.

Cardiff. We have a castle, a lovely coastline with a bay, shopping, lovely museums, mountains, beaches. You’ll be spoilt for choice.

Yes here !

Near to Cardiff

https://museum.wales/stfagans/

https://www.royalmint.com/the-royal-mint-experience/

https://cardiffbay.co.uk/

https://www.visitwales.com/destinations/west-wales/swansea-bay/exploring-gower-peninsula

https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerphilly-castle?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20179624313&gbraid=0AAAAApqebzdh-pn7DybIIcfkhh3KeRGDy&gclid=CjwKCAjw46HPBhAMEiwASZpLRF_uLjPSjr5byuEb7ndGZbgE0W4Kp_e-EhHuhglQwLNpgLcsAwp9LhoCq44QAvD_BwE

https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerleon-roman-baths?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20179624313&gbraid=0AAAAApqebzdh-pn7DybIIcfkhh3KeRGDy&gclid=CjwKCAjw46HPBhAMEiwASZpLRNcnmKPBOO4_FB2_rlyAxzQFxwWMTjxrMj9qYPaBazHYgVPT4iasGhoCpxAQAvD_BwE

Chester and down to Ludlow via Shrewsbury, plus Shropshire Hills and parts of the Shropshire Hills, east Wales?

Ludlow or Shrewsbury
Pembrokeshire
Dumfries and Galloway
Lancaster and the Lakes
Northern Ireland

Caernarfon

lots of castles in north wales. Also snowdonia for walking etc.

Lincoln/ Lincolnshire?

Boring old place

skipton and the Yorkshire Dales
Helmsley and the North York Moors
Haworth?

Skipton you could have days out in Malham, Grassington, Bolton Abbey. You could even have a day trip to Saltaire for culture and art. Pop into Yorkshire Sculpture Park on your way back down.

Other ideas might be Bakewell in the Peak District with visits to Chatsworth, Eyam etc.

Somerset levels or if too rural stay in Taunton and visit on one day

Seven Sisters country park sort of area in Sussex, Lewes if you prefer inland.

Pembrokeshire or elsewhere in West Wales. You get the tiny city of St David’s with its incredible cathedral, Pembrokeshire Castle, lots of other castles, fabulous coast, beautiful countryside. We loved it.

Thanks all for the quick suggestions!

Forgot to say we’ve been to Alnwick, Bakewell, Chatsworth and Stratford, but I’ll take a look at everything else.

Shropshire has everything you’re looking for and more.

As a pp suggested, Shrewsbury and Ludlow would be great to visit. If you travel between them, you must also stop at Church Stretton and walk the Stretton hills.

Lincoln
Chichester
Chester
Newcastle

Base yourself anywhere between Guildford and Tunbridge Wells and you could have a glorious time exploring Surrey/Sussex/Kent countryside?

Lovely towns, stately homes and National Trust properties galore, Surrey Hills, North Downs, South Downs,the Weald. All peppered with cute villages, houses belonging to the Bloomsbury set and the like, antiques, fabulous walks….

Edinburgh

That’s a good call - Hever (Ann Bolyn’s family home), Chartwell (Churchill’s House), Leeds Castle, Sissinghurst and many other historic properties. Lots of lovely walks.