What is the perfect one-night village?
Posted by Tangenttt_@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 56 comments
Me and my partner are looking to escape London for a night and two days and I’m feeling very indecisive about which town or village to visit.
I’d be interested in any and all suggestions, but ideally it would meet some or all of the following (admittedly very specific) criteria: 1) Near to nature trails 2) Near to somewhere with lots of independent shops and interesting pubs - record stores, bookshops, sour beer 3) Feels authentically local? Shouldn’t feel like Blackheath or Cirencester or something. Not a Lakeland or Jigsaw in sight 4) Progressive rather than traditional (but can still be steeped in local folklore and mythology!) 5) Is a pretty place.
I realise these are quite subjective asks, but curious if anything springs to mind for anyone!
Efficient_Chance7639@reddit
Not a village really but Margate is great small town
Mr-Dionysus@reddit
Todmorden
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I had a friend heartily suggesting this too! It’s on the list for a longer trip.
Infamous-Ordinary-39@reddit
Tod, Hebden and add in Halifax for The Piece Hall and plenty of sour beers in quality craft beer establishments.
l0st-kitten@reddit
Deal!
rachaelg666@reddit
I’d like to visit Frome, Stroud and Painswick for all the things you mention!
Lewes is closer to home and has a fair few of those boxes ticked.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I love Stroud and Lewes; Frome already on the list; adding Painswick! Great suggestions, thank you
rachaelg666@reddit
From the post and your comments, I feel like we have very similar taste so I’m also going to throw in Saffron Walden, altho more for a day out probably. It has a town labyrinth in the park, a very weird museum, a nice public garden and olde kinda streets, really good coffee place with incredible pasta called Chater’s AND a bangin bottle shop, if no decent breweries. Also Audley End if you want a stately home thrown in.
Royston is also pleasantly weird for the caves, but not loads else going on.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Haha aahh this resonates so much with my idea of an ideal day out! A labyrinth AND a weird museum? It’s going on the list. Alas, bottle shops are often the best place for really good beer at the moment. Really though, a small, completely idiosyncratic museum is often the best marker of a place with character. Cefn Mawr comes to mind!
I go past Royston on the train every day and I didn’t know about the caves! I recently visited the ones in Nottingham and thought they were delightful and full of local myth.
rachaelg666@reddit
They’re only open from April and you’re in there for about half an hour but it’s an incredible half hour! Think you have to book. I dragged my boyfriend there and we found a couple of decent pubs, there are some nice old buildings there too!
Saffron Walden museum is home to a famously comically bad stuffed lion :)
davethecave@reddit
Stroud was my first thought.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Lol why are people downvoting Stroud? It’s great!
mysilvermachine@reddit
Not many villages have record stores.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I found a copy of Hawkwind’s In Search of Space in Buckden. ;) but yeah, it is rare. Plenty in towns though
OperationMission8254@reddit
Burnham Market would actually tick most of those boxes.
Maybe not too progressive, though. It is in Norfolk.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
It looks lovely! I can survive without all the requirements being perfectly met haha
Infamous_Side_9827@reddit
Bakewell, Eyam, or Castleton in the Peak District.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I’ve been to Bakewell and Matlock and enjoyed both! I think there was some well-dressing going on in Matlock or something when I went. Bonus points for folklore
DaveBeBad@reddit
Or Matlock.
Pottage10@reddit
Faversham
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Totally agree! I went not so long ago and it was inexplicably full of microbreweries
Sea-Situation7495@reddit
Lewes. Easy to get to from London - Brighton is just down the road. Either of those have lots of independent shops.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I grew up very close to Lewes and loved going there; have returned several times as an adult and I swear it gets more charming each time
Heavy-Preparation606@reddit
Rye is worth a look
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I grew up near Rye; I really enjoy it there
decentlyfair@reddit
Hay on Wye
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Going for the festival this year! :)
Ginge04@reddit
Kendal?
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I went there a couple of years ago after I played Strange Horticulture! Really beautiful part of the world
HenryFromYorkshire@reddit
Totnes
Hebden Bridge
Torquay (I know, I know, but I stand by it!)
Buxton
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
As someone mentioned, these might be a little far but have to say I love Torquay. I spent a while there about 10 years ago and thought it was very singular. There was this amazing restaurant ‘The Orange Tree’ with a very eccentric and wonderful owner - just looked it up and happy to see it’s still going strong!
n0tmyusual@reddit
Lovely places but all a bit far for a one night trip from London.
folklovermore_@reddit
Hebden Bridge was the first place I thought of as well.
FlagVenueIslander@reddit
Went to Haworth recently, and it hits 1,2,3 & 5 at least. Stunning scenery. If you go, do the walk up to Wuthering Heights But if you want more local, 100% recommendation the new forest
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
I’ll absolutely make it to Haworth another time - a few of you have mentioned it and it was already floating around my radar to visit. Some New Forest places definitely a possibility this time!
aahhbisto@reddit
Bruton, Castle Cary or Frome
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Cracking suggestions, all added to shortlist
WarmTransportation35@reddit
Any village that in in the naigbouring country would do. I suggest you look up bnb and see the area on google maps to get an idea on whether it has what you are looking for. There are many villages that fit this and any people name will either be lucky or full of tourists.
CleanEnd5930@reddit
Totnes - it’s a bit like marmite and might be too far for 1 night, but get a room at The Bull and eat there too. Lovely.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Probably a bit far for this weekend like you said but I’d love to go!
londonflare@reddit
Winchester - there’s a bar called dispensary kitchen which has incredibly good craft beer including sours. There is a jigsaw however. Lovely walks and pretty.
Stockbridge is pretty good too in terms of your criteria.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Thank you for reminding me about Stockbridge - what a lovely place!
knight-under-stars@reddit
They do a wicked ploughman's in the pub in Stockbridge.
mr-seamus@reddit
Alnwick.
Get the train to Alnmouth and then a taxi to Alnwick. It's about 2.5 hours from London. Alnwick has some great places to eat, one of the best second hand bookshops in the country, you have Someone castle and gardens for the touristy stuff.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Wild that it’s such a short trip from London! It looks fantastic for the longlist of slightly further afield places
CrazyCoffeeClub@reddit
Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Harrogate, Great Missenden, The Cotswolds, Pitlochry, Henley-on-Thames
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
Definitely going to try Haworth when I’ve got a bit more time. Love the Cotswolds in general - so picturesque!
knight-under-stars@reddit
You could try Burley in the New Forest.
Loads of cracking trails in the area, buckets of history, bang in the middle of a National Park, easily reachable from London and a good number of very unique independent shops.
Tangenttt_@reddit (OP)
It looks beautiful and ancient! A strong contender
Stunning_Buyer_64@reddit
Glastonbury
AccomplishedGap6985@reddit
Keswick. Lake District. Train to Penrith then bus into the lakes. They are well connected with buses. Plenty of holiday lets.
hoosier_gran@reddit
Knaresborough
Unusual_residue@reddit
Give Bridgwater a look. Boutique stores, friendly locals and many delightful sights.
DoIKnowYouHuman@reddit
And the best carnival ever!
Accurate_Prompt_8800@reddit
Not a village but Bath
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
Top-level comments to the OP must contain genuine efforts to answer the question. No jokes, judgements, etc.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.