Visiting UK- advice needed for scenic places

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helloUK

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Ben
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Dear all, i am new to this forum. I was doing research on places in UK with beautiful scenery for landscape photography and found this great forum. I am from faraway land (Singapore) and will be in london with my wife for 1 week. I wonder if there is any kind soul who would give me advice on the nearest scenic places to visit from London. Preferable places where i can make use of my ND 10 stop filter on my 14-24mm lens.

One place that i wanted to go is the Lake district but it would require 5+ hours of drive from London. Is there any other places similar to that which require less traveling? Or do you think 1 weekend is enough for us to get there and back on time for my wife to start her work in london?

I am excited about my first trip to UK after seeing so many beautiful scenic photos from the photography magazines and from the website (including talk photography forum).
 
Hi Ben. The Costwolds is within easy driving distance of London (west on M40).
 
There is always the Peak District, which is about a 3 hour drive from London (Depending on where in London you are staying).
It's 30 minutes from where I live and I regularly venture out there for the scenery, I like Castleton in particular and there are plenty of quaint villages like Bakewell.
The stepping stones at Dovedale are also quite popular and there is some very nice scenery!

As for things closer to London, i'm not really sure, but I hearNew Forest is very photogenic. :)
 
Give a thought about a river trip on the Thames for starters. Landscape photography is a wide subject to cover which could include history buildings - countryside etc. As you only are here for a week getting to places from London will take up a lot of your time so if possible how about making the stay a two centre holiday instead? that way you can get a better idea of what the UK has to offer.

Alternately you could spend a week on our M25 motorway around London because it would take that long due to the heavy traffic.:lol::lol::lol:

Realspeed
 
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Hey thanks guys, Ozei, CarlosGibertos, and realspeed for your fast reply. I will google and search though flickr for the places that you have mentioned but it'll have to be tomorrow. Its almost 1.30am now and i have to get some sleep.
I'll login tomorrow and will seek for gentleman/lady advice again.
 
realspeed said:
Give a thought about a river trip on the Thames for starters. Landscape photography is a wide subject to cover which could include history buildings - countryside etc. As you only are here for a week getting to places from London will take up a lot of your time so if possible how about making the stay a two centre holiday instead? that way you can get a better idea of what the UK has to offer.

Alternately you could spend a week on our M25 motorway around London because it would take that long due to the heavy traffic.:lol::lol::lol:

Realspeed
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I wish I could stay there longer. My wife will be in London for 2 weeks business trip and I will only join her for the 2nd week. Effectively we only have 1 weekend to travel out of London city by rented car. I hope traffic in UK will not be that bad during weekend. As for the weekdays she will need to work, thus I will cover the city by public transport or join day trip to elsewhere interesting. I will try to fit her time to have breakfast and dinner with her daily if possible (she is 4.5mth pregnant, thus need to take good care of her).

I guess I better not be too ambitious to cover the river for just 1 weekend, perhaps we’ll just spend 2 days at Cotswolds and may go Dovedale as well as suggested by Ozei, CarlosGilbertos. Oh ya I’ll be staying very near to London Bridge next to river Thames!

Yes I will definitely be back in UK again for long holiday to venture out of London.
 
For London then definitely the south bank of the Thames. Get off the tube at either Charring cross or Embankment, cross the footbridge and you'll be close to the London eye. Then walk the south bank down to London bridge, plenty to see with the globe theatre, st Pauls across the bridge by Tate modern, a highly graffiti skatepark area. If you do this on a Thursday to Saturday then you've also got borough Market.

The other place for London would be Camden Market. Very colourful and interesting.

As for outside London, how about the Dorset coast. Get down towards Wareham and you've got stunning landscapes with corfe castle, Kim stage bay, lulworth cove, durdle door etc. That's about 120 miles so around 2.5 hours
 
Welcome to the forum, HelloUK.

I can't recomend the New Forest enough. I spend a lot of time down their because my girlfriends family live there. There's some beautiful areas. I particularly like the animals that are roaming around (Horse, Ponies, Deer, Pigs, Cows). It can get a bit annoying when they decide to sleep on the road though! :p
 
Wales is only 2 hrs away, we have beaches, mountains, lakes and resevoirs etc...

Just search:

Heritage Coast
Brecon Beacons

:thumbs:
 
Oh gosh, i have searched flickr for pictures of Dorset coast and New Forest, i love them both. Now i am confused, should i take the route to Cotswolds or route to New Forest / Dorset. I cannot do both as i only have 1 weekend.

Probably i will take New Forest and Dorset route for my weekend drive, and will join day tour during weekday to Cotswolds. What do you think?

I will mark down Camden Market as well, i'll go there alone while my wife is working. Thanks Byker28i and Gaz Jones, appreciate all great advices.
 
markw08 said:
Wales is only 2 hrs away, we have beaches, mountains, lakes and resevoirs etc...

Just search:

Heritage Coast
Brecon Beacons

:thumbs:
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Nice Coast!!! According to googlemap, it's about 3 hour drive, 2 hrs must be speeding distant?:lol:

Oh man, i hope i have 1 month of time and budget to cover the whole of England.
 
helloUK said:
.... Now i am confused, should i take the route to Cotswolds or route to New Forest / Dorset. I cannot do both as i only have 1 weekend.

Probably i will take New Forest and Dorset route for my weekend drive, and will join day tour during weekday to Cotswolds. What do you think?
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IMO a day tour to the Cotswolds is a waste of time - Blenheim on its own justifies a whole day.

Of all the areas suggested so far the Costwolds is the closest to London. It's a smaller area and is full of gems like this one: http://www.broughtoncastle.com/
 
Byker28i said:
Gower peninsula - nuff said
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x2. My familyi are from the area so spent a lot of time their as a child. Absolutely stunning area. A bit far for a day trip from London though, unfortunately :(

helloUK said:
Probably i will take New Forest and Dorset route for my weekend drive, and will join day tour during weekday to Cotswolds. What do you think?

I will mark down Camden Market as well, i'll go there alone while my wife is working. Thanks Byker28i and Gaz Jones, appreciate all great advices.
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It's funny, most of us will take the UK scenery for granted. What I would give to be able to go to Singapore. The UK seems very bland in comparison. But, I guess it's just what we have grown used to. The same as you.

You will love the New Forest/Dorset coast. Very easy to get to from London as well. Get on to the M25, then the M3, then the M27. It shouldn't take any longer than 1 and a half hours each way I'd say.
 
Gaz Jones said:
x2. My familyi are from the area so spent a lot of time their as a child. Absolutely stunning area. A bit far for a day trip from London though, unfortunately :(



It's funny, most of us will take the UK scenery for granted. What I would give to be able to go to Singapore. The UK seems very bland in comparison. But, I guess it's just what we have grown used to. The same as you.

You will love the New Forest/Dorset coast. Very easy to get to from London as well. Get on to the M25, then the M3, then the M27. It shouldn't take any longer than 1 and a half hours each way I'd say.
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The grass is always greener at the other side, i envy that you are surrounded with beautiful Cities, Castles,Forest, Mountain and Lakes. What we have in Singapore is pathetic small island surrounded by Indonesia and Malaysia. However i am proud that it is a green city, you can see trees everywhere.

After seeing what Ozei commented, I am contemplating if we should extend 2 more days after my wife finished her work so that we can spend extra days in Cotswolds. I will discuss with her and hopefully that will happen.
 
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Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors are both very popular spots for scenery, good rail service on East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross

Although flat the NorfolK Broads area can be interesting for some lovely scenic shots too
 
Ozei said:
Ben - what time of year are you planning to visit?

PS. For the London part of your trip, these four would be at the top of my 'Must See' list :):

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Re St. Paul's - don't forget to climb the dome, it's epic! http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/Climb-the-Dome
 
Seem like I have too many choices for such a short time in UK, it's a shame that I could not stay longer.

Ozei, i will be there from 17th to 24th September 2011. I guess it would be autumn now huh? Hope that color of the leaves are changing now.

After much consideration, this will be summary of my plan:

1) saturday-Sunday (17-18 sep) new forest / Dorset coast
2) mon-tue (20-21 sep) London
3) wed-thur (22-23 sep) cotswolds
4) Friday (24 sep) London
5) Saturday -airport and back home

Will only drive for new forest and dorset trip and take public transport for the rest. Hope I can get to cotswold by train and tube? I will go Cotswolds on two separate day since it's not too far from London. For London I will walk around and look at famous landmarks, as well as st. Paul which was highly recommended by you guys. Hopefully can catch at least 1 musical at night. Hmm perhaps visit one of the reliable camera shop to grab some cokin filters.

Ya ya I know it's going to be very tight on my schedule and may be a little ambitious . I have to treat this as a recce trip and I will be back for more next time!
 
tijuana taxi said:
Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors are both very popular spots for scenery, good rail service on East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross

Although flat the NorfolK Broads area can be interesting for some lovely scenic shots too
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Tijuana I will definitely marked down yokeshire dales and north York moors for my future trip due to my limited time in UK. Just searched the web and the scenery is stunning.

Now I understand why my friend keep bragging about UK, I am going to see it myself soon!
 
Big Andy said:
If you like the look of Lake District the Breacon Beacons in South Wales are a similar type of terrain and the links below will show you pictures taken earlier this year at two TP meets. If you want further directions etc just drop me a PM.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=3427101

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=311299
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Hey Andy thanks for sharing great pictures from you. These are the landscape I am looking for! How I wish I can split myself to go different places in 1 week! I have marked down south whales as on of the location not to miss for my next trip.
 
To maximise Ben's trip in such a short time, can we give him suggested places to go within the areas he's chosen.

All around here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=50.628122,-2.247047&spn=0.046171,0.083342&z=14&vpsrc=6

Dorset I can suggest anywhere along the coast by Lulworth Cove. Just got back from there. Stair hole is next to the cove (which itself is nice)
medium.jpg

and you get some great sunsets
medium.jpg

I think you're going to miss harvest. This was just above Kimmerage bay
medium.jpg


Durdle door is a well know landmark and has a car park through the campsite to the top of the hill. A nice 10 min walk down, coming back up is a little more hard work.
medium.jpg



Found a walking map/OS map link as well
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_3/walk_54/map.shtml
 
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Cotswolds
I guess you'd have to do Bourton on the water. Very cotswolds, old english with a river and low bridges over. Mid week is good, it gets busy with people at weekends.
Around the corner you've upper and lower slaughter with the manor house

Basically if you drive up the fosseway (A429) north from Cirencester (nice market town also - good deli's etc) you'll see lots

Gardens? A bit out of the way towards Stroud but Rocco Gardens could be good: http://www.rococogarden.org.uk/
 
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Thanks Byker28i, that would definately be useful for my planning.

For cotswolds, most likely i will be taking public transport to save cost (I will be alone as my wife will be working). I will go Bourton as what Byker28i suggested, i have found a transport guide here:

http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/transport/sample.html

I will be staying between Monumont and canon street substation in London. From there i will take subway and cirle line to Puddington station and head to Bourton. Hope i'll not get lost.
 
For Dorset, i will follow Byker28i trail for Lulworth Cove, Kimmerage bay and along the coast. I am afraid Durdle door will be a challenge for my wife as she is pragnent since climbing is required, i will see how it goes.

I am thinking of staying overnight at Dorset to catch sunrise and sunset, i hope there is bed and breakfast around.
 
Oh ya do anyone know if there is any reputable camera store near the place where i will be staying, between Canon street and Monument station? I want to get some Cokin Pro-X series filter which is not available in my country and generally it's cheaper to get in UK. I heard Cokin has been aquired by Japanese firm, Hoya or Kenko and stock is running low.
 
helloUK said:
For Dorset, i will follow Byker28i trail for Lulworth Cove, Kimmerage bay and along the coast. I am afraid Durdle door will be a challenge for my wife as she is pragnent since climbing is required, i will see how it goes.

I am thinking of staying overnight at Dorset to catch sunrise and sunset, i hope there is bed and breakfast around.
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She could sit at the top of Durdle Door whilst you take the walk down. A pleasant view. It's about 10 mins walk down with backpack and about 15-20 mins back depending on how fit you are/how much kit you take, so you might only be gone an hour?

We stayed at the Castle Inn at Lulworth. http://www.thecastleinn-lulworthcove.co.uk/ Great food and accommodation and less than a mile to walk to the cove. However, the car park at the cove is free after 7pm to save your wife the walk.
 
helloUK said:
.....Ozei, i will be there from 17th to 24th September 2011. I guess it would be autumn now huh?!
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Yes it's autumn now - very windy at the moment and not much sunshine :'(. The trees will be turning by the time you get here. The Met Office is the best place to check the weather forecast - http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_weather.html

helloUK said:
.....
Hope I can get to cotswold by train and tube?
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You can but you you won't be able to get around easily when you get there - and it'll soak up at least 3 hours each day just in train journeys. Train details are here - http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search.
 
Ozei said:
Yes it's autumn now - very windy at the moment and not much sunshine :'(. The trees will be turning by the time you get here. The Met Office is the best place to check the weather forecast - http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_weather.html



You can but you you won't be able to get around easily when you get there - and it'll soak up at least 3 hours each day just in train journeys. Train details are here - http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search.
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I just check and cheapest car rental is about 45 pound per day. Probably i will rent for 4 days if they allow me to park back at their premises near Bridge Tower at night as the apartment do not provide free parking. I can travel to Cotswolds on Monday and return to London on time to pick up my wife from her office. Tuesday i will go back to cotswolds again by car. That also means i will be driving alone and there will be no vehicle commander to guide me.. i should be able to handle it.
 
A few things to consider when coming to Britain, aside from location. It will be cold compared to Singapore. It may well be very cold compared to Singapore. Or it may not. It may rain. It may not. It may be glorious sunshine, are depressing drizzle. The weather is unpredictable and can change from hour to hour, especially up in the hills if you're in the Lakes, Peaks, etc. So wherever you chose to go, make sure you have some suitable clothes, stuff to keep your kit dry, preferably a car to get around in....and a warm flask so you can sample the real beauty of English tea ;)

Plan your weekend well in advance so you know where you're going, and enjoy it.
 
helloUK said:
I just check and cheapest car rental is about 45 pound per day. Probably i will rent for 4 days if they allow me to park back at their premises near Bridge Tower at night as the apartment do not provide free parking. I can travel to Cotswolds on Monday and return to London on time to pick up my wife from her office. Tuesday i will go back to cotswolds again by car. That also means i will be driving alone and there will be no vehicle commander to guide me.. i should be able to handle it.
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Try Europcar Ben - their cars are very good and I think they might be cheaper (they'll also deliver to your hotel if you want): http://www.europcar.co.uk/.

I just tried a quote (e.g. 20th-24th September) and a Renault Clio came out at £104.02 for online payment or £114.38 for pay on arrival. That includes VAT, Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Waiver.

NB. Better check my figures in case I've made a mistake!

PS. We drive on the proper side of the road :lol: - i.e. the left, same as Singapore.
 
PPS. I used Europcar's London Marble Arch branch for the quote.
 
Thanks Grimshaw for your advice, i will get suitable clothing for the trip! Hope i can get more sunshine during the trip and hope that i'll get Autumn leaves as well.

Ozei, if there is free parking in apartment likely i will collect the car at the airport and return back in the city (if no additional charge). I will check eurpoecar, thanks again.
 
helloUK said:
Thanks Grimshaw for your advice, i will get suitable clothing for the trip! Hope i can get more sunshine during the trip and hope that i'll get Autumn leaves as well.
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Met Office are predicting as follows:

UK Outlook for Thursday 22 Sep 2011 to Thursday 6 Oct 2011

Southern parts of Britain are likely to see the driest conditions with rainfall amounts around or below average. Further north and west, it will probably continue mainly unsettled with rainfall closer to average and the potential for some strong winds at times. Sunshine amounts will on the whole be close to average, with the best of the brightness in the south. Across the country temperatures are likely to be close to or just above average at first, but these becoming gradually below average, particularly across parts of England and Wales, where the first frosts of the autumn are possible in rural areas. However there are still likely to be some warm days at times, especially in the south and east.

Updated: 1223 on Wed 7 Sep 2011
 
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