Weekend Away Help

[Lady E]

Ok

I need some help.

I want to go away for the first weekend of September.

I want to stay in a pub that does really nice food (I hesitate to say the word gastropub - but you know what I mean). It shouldnt be exorbitantly expensive.

It needs to be no more than 3 hours drive from Brighton, and be somewhere with some historical interest or natural beauty or both. Cathedrals, walks, owl sanctuaries and castles all considered. Literary connections a bonus.

Anyone know of anywhere like this? I have been searching to no avail.

[penciLneck]

Sounds like Dorset to me.

[penciLneck]

this place is good - but there are quite a few others.

http://www.pub-explorer.com/olpg/thefoxinn/corscombe/

I think I have the perfect place, really nice location and award winning food!

http://www.masonsarms.co.uk/

Have stayed/eaten here twice. It's really nice. Just inside Devon so not too far.

[stinkfinger]

what about dumfriesshire in the south of scotland?

the birth place of rabbie burns, loads of old castles, hills etc etc

[penciLneck]

its not less then three hours drive is it.

[dirtyho]

What are you? Ayrton Senna

[stinkfinger]

i suppose, but it'd be worth the drive. nice place to visit...

[Lady E]

brilliant, keep 'em coming kids, i like the look of both of those pubs steev and pencilneck - dorset is a bit closer though.

[Patrick]

Originally posted by penciLneck
this place is good - but there are quite a few others.

http://www.pub-explorer.com/olpg/thefoxinn/corscombe/

Will is on the money. It's got to be Darzet. Loads of good pubs to eat at and loads of nice pubs & inns to stay at. You could visit Hardy's cottage for your literary fix, have a nice lunch at the Elm Tree where Barnes Wallis used to pop for his lunchtime pint and ploughmans when he was down testing the bouncing bomb in The Fleet (making sure to hum the dam busters theme tune, obviously). Scoff a few oysters at the Rick Stein approved oyster farm on Chesil beach near Portland. Lurk in a local in Burton Bradstock on the off chance that Billy Bragg might pop in for his evening pint and have a discussion about the plight of the unions in a changing workplace. Buy some jam off Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. And, of course, you'll be on the World Heritage Jurassic Coast so you can travel through 180 million years of the earths history (albeit fossilised and in rock formations) in a few easy strolls.

There are some good uns in this list, mostly for eating at rather than staying in but if you're in the area you might want to try a couple of diferent places over the 3 days :

http://www.fatbadgers.co.uk/dorset.htm


Will, what's the name of that hotel/inn at West Bexington ? Really nice old place almost on Chesil beach ?

[penciLneck]

You should work for Dorset tourism Patrick.

Its called The Manor Hotel, food is a bit weak, lots of character though and in a wicked location.

http://www.themanorhotel.com/

The Fox I mentioned earlier has had an excellent rep for food in the past. Heres a bit more info, albeit massively out of date.

http://www.dine-online.co.uk/fox.htm

And if you have a credit card, the riverside is pretty damn good too.

http://www.thefishrestaurant-westbay.co.uk/

[Patrick]

Ah yes, The Riverside - I was trying to remember the name of that place as well for my tourist brochure up there.
It's a bit of a favourite with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, or more accurately it's one of his son Oscar's favourites :

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodm...876998,00.html



Here's another great one for you, Emma, if money is no object :
http://www.chewtonglen.com/

And it's only in Hampshire. You'd be looking at about 100 quid a head per meal before wine though. The rooms start at a mere 280 quid per night, if you want to slum it. I'm sure you'd probably be more comfortable in the Marryat Suite at a mere £775 per night.

[Lady E]

thank you that is brilliant going to go through those with him indoors this evening.

[V Knid esq]

Ooh I'll ask my ma and pa, I reckon they'll know some good ones in East Anglia.

[V Knid esq]

Antoher friend highly recommends the Manor Hotel in Dorset too... also, closer to home, "Anywhere in the villages roundabout Westerham or Tonbridge"

[nikrem]

Originally posted by Patrick

. Lurk in a local in Burton Bradstock

the anchor inn at burton bradstock does incredible seafood (not cheap though)

[Patrick]

Yes, Nikrem, The Anchor is very good. Although I'm a veggie so I can't comment from personal experience on the seafood, but mates of ours and my parents were mightily impressed with it. And I had some decent veggie nosh there.

Anyway, sod this, I'm hank marvin now with all this talk of food. I'm going to lunch, and I won't be checking my bank balance beforehand neither. Life on the edge, baby.

I reckommed Megabowel in Chelmsford.

its all u need.

[Spandex]

Originally posted by phil
Megabowel

Brilliant.

[Lady E]

ok booked the fox inn, thanks everyone...i did try steev's manor place first, but they are all booked up.

[penciLneck]

cool. have a good time. hope the weather holds out for you.

[Lady E]

any recommendations for things to do and see in the local area? any nice restaurants within taxi-ing distance?

sorry to use you so mercilesslybut you have all come up trumps so far!

[Patrick]

Cerne Abbas giant, Sub-tropical gardens and Swannery at Abbotsbury, Maiden Castle, Prince Charlie's newtown development of Poundbury (won't hold your interest for more than 3 seconds, but worth passing through just to see what the controversy is all about). Ehm, lots more stuff when I remember in a minute. Those one's are all kind of nice-day-out-for-a-stroll type things.

[Patrick]

Actually, isn't Corscombe nearer to Yoevil than Dorchester ? I think the adress might be slightly misleading on that link. Although it's only 15/20 miles between Dorch and Yeovil, so we're not talking huge distances anyway.

[penciLneck]

I reckon you should do all the things on patricks original list. The market on Saturday in Bridport is worth checking out as well. There are also umpteen different beaches if the weather is good. Places to visit: Golden Cap, Lyme Regis, Portland, etc etc etc.

[penciLneck]

corscombes only about 15/20 mins from bridport/the coast and probably even closer to dorchester.

[decadnids]

go to Maiden Castle, its wicked.

[Patrick]

Hardy's cottage is only about 5 minutes south of Dorchester. Set in beautiful woodlands and it's a got a lovely cottage garden.
You could also visit Weymouth (*shudder*) and see the place where the Black Death entered the country. Weymouth's only lasting contribution to the country, and it's probably gone downhill since then.

[penciLneck]

eggardon is nice too.

http://www.lastrefuge.co.uk/images/h...l_forts018.htm


avoid weymouth like the plague.

[Patrick]

Speaking of 'cottages', the public toilets on the A35 near Dorchester have quite a reputation.