Dear readers,
in a few days I will be in London for a short visit. My wife never was in
England and I would love to show her something of the old rural England.
Where should I go for an one day visit in an ancient english village?
Thank you for a tip.

In message , at 04:42:57
on Wed, 19 Jun 2013, antoine remarked:
in a few days I will be in London for a short visit. My wife never was in
England and I would love to show her something of the old rural England.
Where should I go for an one day visit in an ancient english village?
Thank you for a tip.

Windsor isn't strictly a village, but the 'historic centre' is quite
compact. If going by train you could get off part-way and explore
Datchet.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:06:18 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

in a few days I will be in London for a short visit. My wife never was
in England and I would love to show her something of the old rural
England. Where should I go for an one day visit in an ancient english
village? Thank you for a tip.

Windsor isn't strictly a village, but the 'historic centre' is quite
compact. If going by train you could get off part-way and explore
Datchet.

Whilst Windsor and Eton are lovely, and well worth a daytrip, they're not
really "old rural England". Datchet must've changed a heck of a lot since
I used to live on that end of Slough... grin

It's not easy to find anywhere "old rural England" without a bit of a
trek out from the centre of London - but easiest is probably to get a
Metropolitan line train out towards Amersham, off at Chorleywood, over
the common towards Chorleywood House, then there's some very pleasant
walks in the Chess Valley. Chenies is a lovely village within easy
walking distance of the tube station, with a very good "traditional" pub,
the Red Lion. Depending on how long a walk you want, Sarratt is also near
- again, nice little village with a couple of good pubs.

But the classic "day trip for Olde Worlde" from London has to be the
Cotswolds.

In message , at 08:38:14 on Wed, 19 Jun
2013, Adrian remarked:
Whilst Windsor and Eton are lovely, and well worth a daytrip, they're not
really "old rural England".

It's never been the same since those incomers built a castle there.
--
Roland Perry

On 2013-06-19 08:38:14 +0000, Adrian said:

But the classic "day trip for Olde Worlde" from London has to be the
Cotswolds.

Indeed - I always think of Bibury - http://www.bibury.com - but pretty
hopeless to get to without a car. A trip to Kent is probabably a better
bet - eg Chilham, which has a station nearby and is also near
Canterbury - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilham and see
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_...6bcc315d7.aspx


E.

In article ,
antoine wrote:
Dear readers,
in a few days I will be in London for a short visit. My wife never was in
England and I would love to show her something of the old rural England.
Where should I go for an one day visit in an ancient english village?
Thank you for a tip.

Train to Guildford (40 min from Waterloo) then train to Dorking via
the North Downs Line. Dap out at each station and have a wander -
if you're lucky, they'll be cricket at Shalford, you can drop into
the mill at Gomshall - and Abinger Hammer is lovely.

Or tube to the eastern end of the Central line - Theydon, and
Loughton are all reasonable points to head into the forest and
retain something of a villagey feel for all that they're in the
London conurbation, and from Epping you can head via vintage bus
and steam hauled train to Ongar, which is quite villagey indeed.

Cheers,

--
Mike Bristow

In message , at 15:08:07 on Wed,
19 Jun 2013, Mike Bristow remarked:
Train to Guildford (40 min from Waterloo) then train to Dorking via
the North Downs Line. Dap out at each station and have a wander -
if you're lucky, they'll be cricket at Shalford,

Sundays only? (And on Sundays, watch out for rail replacement buses).

you can drop into
the mill at Gomshall - and Abinger Hammer is lovely.

Yes, that would work. Although I don't call Dorking a village.

There's only one train per hour I think, so the stopping off would have
to be well timed.

Quite interesting to discuss what ticket would be valid for Dorking via
Guildford. (Split at Guildford I think). And with Returns, you'd have to
go back the same way, rather than direct to London Bridge.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote
at 08:38:14 on Wed, 19 Jun
2013, Adrian remarked:

Whilst Windsor and Eton are lovely, and well worth a daytrip,
they're not
really "old rural England".

It's never been the same since those incomers built a castle there.

Yeah, all the visitors ask why it was built so close to Heathrow.

For a old village, continue along the Thames to Bray (as in Vicar of)
and, if you are very rich, your choice of ***** eateries otherwise eat
in Windsor or Eton.


--
Mike D

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:
the mill at Gomshall - and Abinger Hammer is lovely.

Yes, that would work. Although I don't call Dorking a village.

I mean that the train went from Guildford to Dorking - the villages
are inbetween

Quite interesting to discuss what ticket would be valid for Dorking via
Guildford. (Split at Guildford I think). And with Returns, you'd have to
go back the same way, rather than direct to London Bridge.

Clive!


--
Mike Bristow

"Michael R N Dolbear" wrote:
Roland Perry wrote
at 08:38:14 on Wed, 19 Jun
2013, Adrian remarked:

Whilst Windsor and Eton are lovely, and well worth a daytrip,
they're not
really "old rural England".

It's never been the same since those incomers built a castle there.

Yeah, all the visitors ask why it was built so close to Heathrow.

For a old village, continue along the Thames to Bray (as in Vicar of)
and, if you are very rich, your choice of ***** eateries otherwise eat
in Windsor or Eton.

You have to book a long way in advance for the Fat Duck or Waterside Inn.
The Hinds Head now also has a Michelin star (not really deserved IMHO), so
that probably gets booked up as well. But at least it features authentic
old English recipes.

With two of the best restaurants in the UK (for a while, the Fat Duck was
ranked the best in the world), I don't think you could really call Bray an
authentic old British village (though I once saw an episode of Morse being
shot in the local church).