Having visited England, and more specifically London, numerous times it was only recently that I started exploring outside the Capital. I wasn’t willing to “sacrifice” what I considered limited and precious London time when there was so much to see within the city limits. My Things To Do in London list is still a mile long, but I’ve now checked off many of the city’s main attractions, so it made sense to start devoting time to exploring further afield.
The gorgeous city of Bath
Have you checked all your London to dos off your list, are you considering adventures outside London Town? These six day trips can all easily be completed within one day, and all are within just a few hours of Central London.
6 Day Trips from London
Warner Brothers Studios London: The Making of Harry Potter
Location: Leavesden
Distance from Central London: 21 miles / 33 kilometers
Our entire family loves the Harry Potter movies, yet somehow we were surprised at how much we loved our visit to the Warner Brothers Studios The Making of Harry Potter. This was so much more than we expected! Yes, even having visited other Harry Potter related places!
- Hogwarts Castle
Our visit took place during the festive season, and everything within the Studios was decorated beautifully. From the holiday feast and Christmas puddings upon the tables in the Great Hall to the magical Christmas trees and snow throughout.
Hogwarts in the snow
Along the way you’ll have a chance to see and learn about the making of just about everything involved with all 8 films. There are many interactive experiences at the studio from flying a broomstick to riding on Hagrid’s motorbike. Take your time and keep your eyes open because magic is happening everywhere!
Go for a ride on Hagrid’s motorbike
Wondering what it would be like to go inside Dumbledore’s Office, ride the Hogwarts Express, or explore The Ministry of Magic, maybe you fancy a walk through the Dark Forest? Guess what? You can! There were many moments during our day at WB Studios London that felt magical, and while I want to share them all, I don’t want to give away all the secrets!
Platform 9 3/4
Advance purchase tickets are required. If you don’t have a car getting to the WB Studios outside of London can be challenging. After weighing all our transportation options we went with convenience. We hired a private car through the Golden Tours website.
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Windsor Castle
Location: Windsor
Distance from Central London: 22 miles / 35 Kilometers
Now of course everyone’s idea of a magical day out differs, but if you love all things fairytale including castles, royals and history you’ll definitely want to consider a trip to Windsor Castle.
The Round Tower at Sunset
Built in 1070 by William the Conqueror, Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world. A visit here means you’ll be walking in the footsteps of 40 different monarchs over the course of almost 1000 years.
The Quadrangle Windsor Castle
As you can imagine there is a lot to see and do at Windsor Castle. Your ticket includes a tour of the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Dolls House, A 30 minute Precinct Tour, St. George’s Chapel, and an audio guide. Allow plenty of time!
Waiting in line to enter the State Apartments
St, George’s Chapel was the venue for the recent wedding of the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The current chapel is over 500 years old, and is the final resting place of many members of the royal family.
St. George’s Chapel Windsor
Queen Mary’s Dollhouse is a replica of a Georgian town house and was built to showcase what aristocratic life might have been like in the 1920s. Everything within the dollhouse is operational and it is complete with working lights, and running water.
Royal Collection Trust/(C)Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017.
Your visit to The State Apartments starts begins at the Grand Staircase and includes 23 beautiful and very ornate rooms. Each one filled with priceless works of art and furniture collected over centuries.
Christmas tree in St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle Royal Collection Trust / (c) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017
Windsor Castle is open all year round, but is still very much in use by the Royal Family. Do check the official website for operating days and times. The town of Windsor is 30 minutes by train from London’s Paddington station. The Windsor & Eton Riverside station is the closest stop to the Castle, and is only a few minutes walk from the Castle. Purchase your tickets online in advance. Alternatively you can wait in a very long line.
Interior photos are not allowed within Windsor Castle, however for the purposes of this post I did source photos via PicSelect and have noted wherever they’ve been used, otherwise all photos are my own.
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Hever Castle
Location: Edenbridge
Distance from Central London: 30 miles/ 48 kilometers
I’ve always been fascinated by Tudor history and royal life in general, so I couldn’t have been more excited about our visit to Hever Castle the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the 2nd wife of King Henry VIII and mother to Queen Elizabeth I.
Over the course of it’s 700 year history Hever castle has been home to 37 different owners including another of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne of Cleves (wife number four), and William Waldorf Astor who was the richest man in America.
The Center of the Maze
You’ll find something for everyone at Hever Castle and depending on the time of year there are special events. During our visit we found time to tour the castle, visit Father Christmas, and explore the castle gardens including navigating the yew maze. The castle has multiple restaurants to choose from, and an adventure playground that will appeal to the younger ones in your group.
Check the official website for operating hours and special events. Hever Castle is located 3 miles southeast of Edenbridge off the B2026 between Sevenoaks and East Grinstead in the village of Hever.
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Ashdown Forest (100 Aker Wood)
Location: Uckfield
Distance from Central London: 61.5 miles/98.9 killometers
I was beyond delighted to discover that the famous forest from the classic children’s tale, Winnie the Pooh, is an actual place! Having read the books, sung the songs, and watched the Disney movies countless times I’d never given much thought to the idea that the Hundred Acre Wood might actually be real. Now that we knew, we had to go there!
The Hundred Aker Wood
“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for other’s to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” – Piglet
Our adventures through the 100 Aker Wood included the Poohsticks Bridge, Owl’s House, Roo’s Sandy Pit, The Enchanted Place, Galleon’s Lap, and Pooh Corner. The last stop, Pooh’s Corner, is a quaint little tea house and gift shop where one can find all things Pooh related including books, toys and other keepsakes.
Owl’s House
We had a most magical day exploring the forest with our friends, and making excellent use of our wellies!
On our way to Poohsticks Bridge
Ashdown Forest can be reached via train, bus, or car. Directions are available via the official website.
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Stonehenge
Location: Salisbury
Distance from Central London: 88 miles / 141 Kilometers
Stonehenge was a place I’d always wanted to see, but somehow always felt that getting there was too complicated. Now that I’ve made the trek, I will say it is definitely worth it, but I admit it is complicated.
Frost on the stones
Although you can’t touch, or walk right up to stones, the walkway encircling them allows you to get pretty close. Our early arrival on a cold winter morning meant less people, and I was able to get all the photos I wanted.
An early morning visit at Stonehenge
The visitor Center at Stonehenge is really well done, with interactive exhibitions, a cafe, and of course a gift shop. While there you’ll learn all about the origin of Stonehenge and although it’s true purpose is still a mystery, we were interested to learn that they do know quite a lot.
Operating hours and tickets can be found on the official website. Consider arriving early for shorter lines and the best photo opportunities.
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Bath
Location: Somerset
Distance from Central London: 115 miles / 185 Kilometers
Our visit to Bath was actually by default when we paired it with our visit to Stonehenge. Ancient history and beautiful architecture around every corner we wished for more time in such a gorgeous city! In hindsight we should have allowed more time…
Pulteney Bridge
Wishing for more time doesn’t mean that we didn’t make the most of what we had. We were able to visit The Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, The Royal Crescent and Sally Lunn Buns before our afternoon ended.
Interior of Bath Abbey
During a tour of the Roman baths you’ll see a combination of ruins and modern displays depicting what the complex would have looked like almost 2000 years ago. I was fascinated to learn that the flow of water is 250,000 gallons per day at a temperature of 115°F.
The Roman Baths
Edgar, the first king of England was crowned at Bath Abbey over 1000 years ago, and you’ll find a plaque commemorating the occasion on the floor of the abbey.
Bath Abbey
One of the hardest things about traveling to a place for only one afternoon is working out just what to see and eat, and hoping you don’t choose wrong. Thankfully we had a few insider tips, which led us to Sally Lunn’s The buns are so large we bought two and shared them. Unable to decide which topping to try, we chose two: Cinnamon butter and lemon curd.
Sally Lunn Bath Bunn
The Royal Crescent at 500 feet long consists of 30 terraced houses, and is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Georgian Architecture in the United Kingdom. Due to it’s historical and architectural importance the building is protected and for the most part the exterior remains unchanged from when it was built.
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While we did purchase our tickets to the Roman Baths in advance we mistakenly thought showing them on our mobile device would be sufficient. Be sure to print them out prior to your arrival.
Bath Abbey is located just next to the Roman Baths.
The Royal Crescent Museum at No. 1 is open to the public depending on the time of year. Check the official website for operating hours.
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