Where to spend August in the UK with Primary School-aged children?
Posted by pithyusernamehere@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 17 comments
My wife and I have an opportunity to take a month working abroad and the UK is high on our list given the ages of our children (8 & 6), language, ease of travel to the UK and elsewhere in Europe, and a plethora of things our kids would enjoy spending a month overseas. Our timing is flexible, and due to other commitments we have, our time abroad is likely going to coincide with UK summer holidays next year.
Between my wife and I we've lived in London (Zones 1 & 2) for about a year, and a 3 month stint in the Northeast. We're looking at the larger London Commuter Belt area and a bit further out to give us the flexibility of going to London when needed (offices are there), while also experiencing life outside London.
We want the ability for our kids to get involved in some type of activities they'd enjoy (they are currently involved in swim, tennis, and basketball), so being close enough to cities/towns that have some or all of those activities on offer is critical. We've started our research on a few smaller towns outside the M25 in Kent (w/in 25 minutes of Maidstone) & Essex (25 min of Horsham), but would love to get recommendations from the larger group.
acupofearlgrey@reddit
What would you like to do on your weekends? London sights, outdoors? There’s plenty of good holiday camps across the U.K., anywhere with a decent population and some private schools will have them, and if you have a nanny covering ferrying children to and fro, you might as well set up base somewhere in the direction of what you’d like to do with the kids at the weekend
pithyusernamehere@reddit (OP)
We're planning for next year and open to anything. My guess is that we're going to:
1. Spend about 5 days in London when we arrive and do all the London things for 8 & 6 year olds (and some adult things) within reason
2. First weekend is at the home base doing things around wherever that may be
3. Second weekend is a reasonable train for a day or two (i.e. Portsmouth)
3. Third weekend is further away and likely North of England or Scotland
4. Fourth (last) weekend is at home
5. Take the kids to Paris or Amsterdam for a couple days after the let is over and fly home from there.
It's certainly a lot to pack in to a small time period, but again, I don't know if or when we'd have the opportunity again.
itzmegracey@reddit
Maybe it's too far but why not the Lake District? If you want to go even further you could go to the Scottish Highlands. Both places of incredible natural beauty which I would definitely recommend and have sports activities nearby. Locally I'm not sure though.
pithyusernamehere@reddit (OP)
I'd love to and I'd be open to it. My concerns are twofold: 1) how difficult would it be to get a 1 month furnished rental in these places [less of a concern] and 2) how often we would have to go to our respective London offices [more of a concern].
We'd also be looking for a short-term nanny or childcare during our stay, but I figure that would be somewhat easier given our timing coinciding with summer holidays.
EllieW47@reddit
There are plenty of holiday play schemes around, if the kids are the kind who will happily mix with others. If they are more nervous then that might be a bit daunting with a culture change added to the mix.
I suggested St Albans above so I will link to a list based there or thereabouts but you will find similar in most towns:
https://www.mumsguideto.co.uk/st-albans/holiday-clubs.php?subcatname=Clubs-camps-and-playschemes&subcatid=89
pithyusernamehere@reddit (OP)
Thanks - We have a nanny at home, so we were thinking we'd do the same for this excursion. We'd like to sign the kids up for enough activities where they can make friends (both are outgoing, so no real issues there), even if it means paying the speculative future nanny to sit around and do nothing.
We figure this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so we're OK with stretching the budget a bit.
HamsterEagle@reddit
Due to their being fewer children in childcare in the summer this is often when childcare providers will take holidays. It may not be as easy as you think.
NoLove_NoHope@reddit
If you have any interest in going north of London, so Cambridge, Oxford, the midlands and beyond, then the Herefordshire commuter belt could be a good shout.
Off the top of my head broxbourne and places like Welwyn garden should have the activities you like within a short distance, have fairly quick trains into London (depends where your office is) have decent access to the M1 and M11 but this will depend where exactly you want to land.
takhana@reddit
If you can get to the west side of London, Bucks and Berks has some beautiful National Trust places that you could visit. Buckinghamshire in particular is teeming with them. You need the Euston or Marylebone stations for that side of the country.
Virtual_End60@reddit
Why don’t you do a housesit? Then you have total flexibility on location!
EllieW47@reddit
Where in London do you want to commute to? This will make a big difference to travel times.
If Kings Cross/St Pancras works then I'd suggest St Alban's. Masses of history, very pretty in places, nice restaurants, easy connection to London and plenty of people with school aged kids which means lots of holiday activities.
pithyusernamehere@reddit (OP)
Our offices aren't close to each other - One has options in Canary Wharf and Tower Bridge, the other in Farringdon. Both have regional options as well.
I'll look into St. Albans. We want to ingrain ourselves in the community as much as possible (which I know is hard given our short stay). I feel like if we did the full month in London it would be more like a long holiday.
PatTheCatMcDonald@reddit
I am somwhat puzzled how you are both going to be working with primary school aged children.
Presumably you do have right to work in the UK from a visa and not an issue.
Good place to spend with children... Portsmouth if you like sea / fishing / sport activities?
Or maybe somewhere a bit more upmarket in Surrey or the West Country... Salisbury maybe? Not sure.
gggggenegenie@reddit
Norfolk is a nice distance from London and there is loads to do. Hire a wherry and potter along the Broads.
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
It’s a bit of an unclear request, truthfully… could you please clarify what you’re looking for a bit more?
Are you wanting a holiday in the UK or are you looking for a commuter base to move to?
The go-to choices are obviously in the Home Counties but I know a number of people who comfortably travel in and out of London from much further afield due to hybrid work…
You can literally base yourself in York for example and have everything Yorkshire has to offer on your doorstep, from national parks to seaside towns, while also being able to commute to London if you have the budget and the means to do so…
If you’re on a working holiday in London for the Summer then, of course, you need to be as close to London as you can afford to be… Personally, East Anglia is my favourite region for that as it has a much more rural and outdoor feel to it…
I have a lot of family in Kent but I’ve always giggled at it being nicknamed the garden of England given that so much of it is urban sprawl… with that said, however, there are some nice coastal towns and Canterbury is quite a quaint little city in the main.
It really depends what you are wanting exactly as to what will suit you.
NeedCake707@reddit
The West country around Bath is gorgeous and full of history
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When repling to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please 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.