Outings, especially the Poppies at the Tower of London

[stroudydad]

If it cheapness and beautiful views you want, why not spend a couple of days doing some of the cotswold way..

[Amber]

If it cheapness and beautiful views you want, why not spend a couple of days doing some of the cotswold way..

+1
As someone who has to spend two days a week in London, the last place I would want to spend my leisure time is within 50 miles of it. I like to look at green things not brown ones and prefer flocks of sheep to crowds of people. Give me the hills any day, and yes we have some beauties round here- we often wander up the Malverns as well as the local Cleeve and Bredon Hills at least once a week. Views all the way to the Black Mountains, no parking issues and no charge. But also what about the Yorkshire Dales, north York moors and the wild beauty of the Northumberland coast?

[Peridot]

I live on the outskirts of London and a day out to Greenwich is a one-day travelcard short hop for me. We love living here as we can get into the centre of town quickly for theatres, museums etc and get home to relative peace, quiet and greenness quickly too. A good compromise.

If we are talking long-distance outings, high on my list would be stunning Snowdonia. What classes as an outing all depends on where you live and how far you are prepared to travel...

Btw I haven't managed to go and see the poppies at the Tower but my children's old primary school is making its own version in a large flowerbed next to the playground, with poppies made by the children. It looks amazing.

[Snowdrops]

Don't leave out the scottish highlands Amber, they are one of the most beautiful places on earth.

As you go out and about on your walks, be it round a city or the countryside, if you come across a church step inside and view the beauty of it. Not only are there some architecturally beautiful churches, but the history behind/inside so many of them is fantastic. By far the majority of them (certain cathedrals being the exception) are free.

A nice bit of history always goes down well in our house

[southbucks3]

I think I want to go to a big flashy seaside town for the day and night next, I wish Blackpool wasn't so far away, somewhere we can easily whizz off to a craggy cliff from and pretend we are in isolation too. Or maybe hunstanton, then go and search for some baby seal pups along the coast.
I love looking at hils and sheep, but like anything you see every day, they have become the norm for me, beautiful but not thrilling, although dh would disagree. London's architecture in all its glory and history will always pull me in for a look, the next big trip for me is a tour of London's underground world, not dodgy criminals, but the network of fascinating defunct tunnels and voids, that traverse across the city.
I particularly like wandering around posh Georgian and Edwardian terraces, imagining I am a character in diary of a nobody, or Sherlock holmes or taking in the amazing art deco flats, cinemas and eltham palace, where I feel disgracefully unkempt amongst the minimalist finery.
The answer is early mornings and Sundays, the streets are free, the parking is cheap.

[Amber]

Don't leave out the scottish highlands Amber, they are one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Indeed, I completely agree and the reason I didn't mention them was that this thread is entitled 'outings' not 'expeditions' . I adore the area north of Ullapool- have sat on the sea wall there eating fish and chips and gazing out towards the Hebrides, I just love that 'edge of the world' feeling you get on that entire north west coast. Spent a week in Applecross once, which really is the edge of the world! The midges still found me though.

[inkypinkyponky]

If it cheapness and beautiful views you want, why not spend a couple of days doing some of the cotswold way..

I've been a few times to the Cotswolds and would very much like to return...but it isn't cheap for us, as a journey there from Kent involves lots of petrol and overnight stays for at least 3 of the 5 inky family!

We once camped at the folly/tower at Rodborough Common, where the site owner had a pack of 27 chihuahuas.....very scary indeed to me, a cat person!

Greenwich is an 'outing', being only 20 minutes away by car.

[southbucks3]

We found this blog, when planning our fantasy scottish holiday (postponed) it's brilliant and v funny. One of dh' s overriding memories if the highlands was the furious midges biting him to bits until their group covered themselves in cream, we wanted to make sure our boys were prepared.

http://www.scotlandinaweek.com/midges-in-scotland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry....back to outings, agree, should be close these days, with fuel being the main cost of any trip we seem to take.
Inky have you been to chisslehurst caves, we loved them.

[Guest55]

If we are talking 'history' then one of the best has to be Battle Abbey and the tour of the 'Battle of Hastings' site. You walk around the large 'field' listening to the viewpoint of various people involved; really good.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/days ... ttlefield/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Concorde is on display here:

http://www.fleetairarm.com/default.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stroudydad]

If it cheapness and beautiful views you want, why not spend a couple of days doing some of the cotswold way..

I've been a few times to the Cotswolds and would very much like to return...but it isn't cheap for us, as a journey there from Kent involves lots of petrol and overnight stays for at least 3 of the 5 inky family!

We once camped at the folly/tower at Rodborough Common, where the site owner had a pack of 27 chihuahuas.....very scary indeed to me, a cat person!

Greenwich is an 'outing', being only 20 minutes away by car.

The exact opposite for me, my front window looks out over Selsley, the back Doverow Hill(including part of the aforementioned cotswold way), yet any trip to london coats hundreds