In a forest, by a lake: a UK holiday query

The waves are smashier on the north coast, it's true, and iirc Falmouth is insulated further by being in an inlet, but it's pretty around there and there's probably still some smashing-against-cliff action.

Had some family scattered between Falmouth and Truro as a kid, also some in St. Ives on the north coast, but they were all rather elderly and the only ones still alive are a little too into their potty religious proselytising, so I've had no excuse to go to Cornwall for a long time :(

Ah well. If the waves aren't smashingy enough I can go and look at some Fogus or something. And churches and castles and things. Falmouth is supposed to be a two-castle town which I'm quite happy about.

Revived (for somewhere to go in late January?)

Winter holidays I have enjoyed in the UK: Hay on Wye, north Kent countryside. Both bucolic and lovely, with enough town stuff (pubs, second hand bookshops in the case of Hay) to provide relief if the weather is poor.

Recommend anywhere to stay in the New Forest, Hampshire for 4 or 6 people?

(need only meet the original "in a forest" criteria . . .)

was gonna say, lakes pretty hard to come by down there. Can't really help, though, have only passed through down there.

Lymington's nice - not actually in the Forest but v. close also near the sea (and you can go for a day trip to the Isle of Wight!)

Ta.

One last attempt before I book somewhere that looks okay rather than great . . .

so my parents have never been to the lake district and neither have i but man the internet sucks at being non-bewildering when it comes to figuring out where one can pitch up and have an alright time up there

any tips from you, dear readers?

Kinda depends what you want to do (walk/sightsee/relax), and where/how you'd like to stay? From experience, Windermere is pleasant but very busy (in season). Beacuse it's in a gateway style location (from the south at lewast) it's got good amenities and loads of places to stay.

Mrs A and I prefer Ambleside as a base (lots of places to rent, never hotelled there though) - it's got plenty of pubs, including a couple of excellent ones, some good places to eat, even a vegetarian restaurant/bar with attached arthouse cinema. Some terrific walking on the doorstep too.

If you fancy something a little less busy then strike on just a bit further to Ullswater - perhaps the most beautiful of the Lakes themselves, and a bit more rugged in general. I try to get up there at least once a year, just to blow away the city-living cobwebs, and Ullswater always delights; it's a magical place, even in pouring rain (half the time).

Couple of cracking places to eat in Cartmel as well, but I second somewhere in the Ambleside/Grasmere area.

ok, that gives me something to go on! thanks!

hey Bill A (or anyone else) do you have any specific recs on large-ish cottages?

I'd forgotten about this thread.

Where should I go in late Feb, for a weekend, no more than a couple of hours from Oxford?

Sorry, Tracer - missed your update. With my wife we've tended to only stay in smaller places as we go by ourselves - have booked through Cumbrian Cottages and they're pretty good and helpful, with an office in Windermere so keys etc are a doddle. I've also got a place that my pals and I have been to three times in groups of up to 15 or so, it's a little rough around the edges, but has two big pluses: wonderful location, dirt cheap - I can message you the owner's details if yr interested?

For the New Forest, this place is really good...

http://www.kareliaholidays.co.uk/

i actually found a dude at work whose auntie rents out a place in ullswater, v cheap, unreal views down to the lake - pretty happy!

however it's not quite big enough for all of us so i've rented a 1-br right next to it.

is it weird that the owner of the 1-br wants the entire amount paid six weeks in advance? i've given her a deposit already... dunno maybe it's fine, it just feels weird to pay the whole amt for accommodation before i've even seen the place.

Hey, nice one - Ullswater is stupendous. Def take a walk up to Aira Force waterfall if you get a chance, the Ullswater Steamers are great for sightseeing too, and if you stop off in Pooley Bridge on the way round then the Pooley Bridge Inn is excellent for a few pints and log fire.

Re: paying in advance, that's pretty standard for rentals in the Lakes I think - has been the case for everywhere I've rented there so wouldn't worry about it.

We went camping just outside Pooley Bridge a few years ago, these are all excellent suggestions.

Any Hay on Wye recommendations?

Strangely, Alan McGee is DJ-ing on the weekend we are there.

(Not that strange, given he seems to live there but ... it still seems incongruous).

So I'm trying to organise a bachelor party, but a pretty quiet one, as a key guest has hearing damage.

We want to go for a country pub crawl or country pub lunch - either Surrey/Sussex/Kent, or Essex/Suffolk.

I was thinking of a walk around Lewes - Alfriston - Eastbourne. Any recommendations for walks or pubs?

Beachy Head? (I'm not suggesting you go kill yourself btw)

Recommendations for somewhere in the UK to go to between Xmas and New Year?

Southwold has worked for us before - nice town (pubs!) if the weather is terrible and beach or Dunwich Heath if it is dry ... with the possibility of a very nice meal at the Swan. The latter has been refurbished though and may be out of our price range.