Fun Stuff to Do
Beyond

London 

London Tourism Board Visitorcall 0171-932-2000 provides daily udates on events for children of all ages.

Elsewhere

Warwick Castle: 40 minutes from Birmingham Airport; 1.5 hours from London; near Coventry; Chilterne Railway London Marylebone direct to Warwick takes 1.75 hours (train info 08705165165). Reckoned to be the best medieval castle to visit in the U.K. Resident ghost: Sir Fulke Greville. Five-course Medieval-themed feasts in the evenings most Fridays and Saturdays. There will be a Birds of Prey display on Aug 21-22and 28-30, with Jousting on that last weekend as well. Open 10-6 daily. 1926406600

Stonehenge 01980623108. 2 miles west of Amesbury in southwestern England 80 miles from London. Immense Neolithic circles of stone brought 240 miles from Wales's Preseli Mountains to their current site on the sparse Salisbury Plain. If you are going to Stonehenge, definitely also visit nearby Avebury, 20 miles north, which predates Stonehenge by two centuries and is more evocative and dramatic, the largest stone circle in the world. Avebury, unlike Stonehenge, is not forbiddingly surrounded by fences, and you can wander freely amid the stones. Both sites are best very early in the day, or at sunset, when the light at these times is most mystical.

Windsor Castle: Make sure to see Queen Mary's Dolls' House. Train from Waterloo Station in London takes 50 minutes, or go from Paddington Station to Windsor Station, changing at Slough (35 minutes). Changing of the guard occurs daily at 11am. Open 10-4 (last admission); you can stay until 5:30pm. 01753868286

Hampton Court Palace (former palace of Henry the VIII). A great ride is to take the boat from London down the River Thames to Hampton Court (about 1.5 hours), then get off and tour the palace and the famous living Maze (I got lost in there for three-quarters of an hour, so beware). Or take the train from London Waterloo Station to Hampton (30 minutes). Open 9:30am-6pm Tuesday-Sundays; 10:15am -6pm Mondays.

Scotland

Edinburgh will be hosting its annual International Festival August 15-September 4, and finding a place to stay might be arduous. If you can get to the city for the festival, it's wonderful.

 

Especially For Kids:

Legoland (near Windsor Castle). We have it on good authority that this is absolutely wonderful for kids and adults alike. Open 10-8 daily. Legoland is two miles from the town of Windsor, so if you go to see the palace, take a cab to Legoland. 0990040404. Legoland also offers bus service from 50 hotel pickup spots in London.

Drayton Manor Family Theme Park, Staffordshire (north of Birmingham)

 

Bank Holiday Monday  

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