The Holidays are Coming - Sponsored by 4D

[reeves4england]

If you are touring the bus stations of the North West, Preston is the place to be apparently...

If you've ever been, you'll know the outside's the best bit.

[JBZ]

Grockles and Emmets out in force today on the M5.

The holiday traffic will add at least an extra hour to our journey to north Wiltshire tomorrow

[Jimmy Quinn]

It took an hour to get across Swindon yesterday

[@mwooly63]

It took an hour to get across Swindon yesterday

Took me half an hour from Post Office, Dorcan to the Messenger 
1.5 miles

[Jimmy Quinn]

I done exactly the same route at 2pm  and managed to cut through Nythe and come out at the Messenger entrance which saved some time then gridlock all the way up to Greenbridge.

[DV]

Luckily I was going the other way. Coming out of Covingham and going up Dorcan Way to Coate Water and then left to Badbury Park.

Traffic was backed up all the way to the hospital on the other side

[Jimmy Quinn]

I'm aaauming they were still letting traffic come off the M4 forcing them through the centre of Swindon

[Bob's Orange]

Got some holidays to use up before the end of the year - (I was saving them for when I had to be physically in the office but that's not happened and so I have 2 weeks to use)

We have a voucher for a 2 day break and will probably use this up around Yorkshire/Lake District area. (a small town called Clapham looks nice) Going to try and tag on some time exploring this area, someone suggested Whitby which is a bit of a distance from Clapham but I don't really mind if it's a nice drive through the countryside.

Any suggestions? Looking for nice walks, friendly pubs, places to visit etc. Will be just the wife and I. Thanks in advance.

[4D]

Keswick is a good base. Been there loads.

[horlock07]

Got some holidays to use up before the end of the year - (I was saving them for when I had to be physically in the office but that's not happened and so I have 2 weeks to use)

We have a voucher for a 2 day break and will probably use this up around Yorkshire/Lake District area. (a small town called Clapham looks nice) Going to try and tag on some time exploring this area, someone suggested Whitby which is a bit of a distance from Clapham but I don't really mind if it's a nice drive through the countryside.

Any suggestions? Looking for nice walks, friendly pubs, places to visit etc. Will be just the wife and I. Thanks in advance.

Clapham as in Clapham N. Yorks?

Depends whether you want lakes or dales, to combine both (and pretty handy off the M6) is Sedbergh (albeit to go just about anywhere you will be driving)?

In terms of the Lakes depends what you want, the normal tourist hotspots (Windermere/Bowness, Ambleside, Keswick) will be heaving whenever you go, if you want quieter the further west you go the better, we like Buttermere albeit its a bit remote (although Keswick and Knob in Gob reasonable drives away), likewise Coniston is a nice small town with a few pubs.

We tend to have a week in the Dales most years, normally staying in Hawes (great if you like Cheese) its also handy for Garsdale and the S&C Railway so you can have a trip down to Settle or Skipton without having to take the car (if that's your sort of thang), likewise Horton in Ribblesdale is nice albeit small and again is on the S&C?

[Bob's Orange]

Keswick is a good base. Been there loads.

Thanks 4D. I really don't think you can go wrong up there, it's such a lovely part of the country.

Clapham as in Clapham N. Yorks?

Depends whether you want lakes or dales, to combine both (and pretty handy off the M6) is Sedbergh (albeit to go just about anywhere you will be driving)?

In terms of the Lakes depends what you want, the normal tourist hotspots (Windermere/Bowness, Ambleside, Keswick) will be heaving whenever you go, if you want quieter the further west you go the better, we like Buttermere albeit its a bit remote (although Keswick and Knob in Gob reasonable drives away), likewise Coniston is a nice small town with a few pubs.

We tend to have a week in the Dales most years, normally staying in Hawes (great if you like Cheese) its also handy for Garsdale and the S&C Railway so you can have a trip down to Settle or Skipton without having to take the car (if that's your sort of thang), likewise Horton in Ribblesdale is nice albeit small and again is on the S&C?

Yeah Clapham in North Yorkshire. Bit different from the Clapham we used to live down the road in London (did I mention it before? )

M6 is really handy as where we live now is really easy to jump onto both the M1 and the M6.

I'd say a combination of Lakes and Dales is ideal. I know going anywhere in this country in November is likely to be hazardous weather wise, but that's all part of the charm isn't it? We went to the Lake District for my dad's 70th a few years back and it's such an amazing place, near Windermere we hired a large house with my sister and her kids. This time we only need a small place/B&B etc.

The wife is from Achill Island in the West coast of Ireland so I love remote so will have a look at the places that you suggested. Hawes sounds great, you had me at Cheese, funnily enough doing a cheese and red wine tasting in Rugby on Saturday night!

Lots to research there Horlock, thanks for that.

[horlock07]

Yeah Clapham in North Yorkshire. Bit different from the Clapham we used to live down the road in London (did I mention it before? )

M6 is really handy as where we live now is really easy to jump onto both the M1 and the M6.

I'd say a combination of Lakes and Dales is ideal. I know going anywhere in this country in November is likely to be hazardous weather wise, but that's all part of the charm isn't it? We went to the Lake District for my dad's 70th a few years back and it's such an amazing place, near Windermere we hired a large house with my sister and her kids. This time we only need a small place/B&B etc.

The wife is from Achill Island in the West coast of Ireland so I love remote so will have a look at the places that you suggested. Hawes sounds great, you had me at Cheese, funnily enough doing a cheese and red wine tasting in Rugby on Saturday night!

Lots to research there Horlock, thanks for that.

I queried Clapham as it really isn't remotely a town, its pretty and small with 1 pub I think (not been there for ages drive past on the A65 regularly but not been into the village since I stopped MTB'ing).

Other option if you wanted a bit livelier is Lancaster which is a pretty easy drive to both but you get the benefits of it being a pretty lively town (actually a  City but its really only town scale) so plenty of places to eat out, downside is accommodation might be a bit shite, its crap for hotels I know.

[Bob's Orange]

I queried Clapham as it really isn't remotely a town, its pretty and small with 1 pub I think (not been there for ages drive past on the A65 regularly but not been into the village since I stopped MTB'ing).

Other option if you wanted a bit livelier is Lancaster which is a pretty easy drive to both but you get the benefits of it being a pretty lively town (actually a  City but its really only town scale) so plenty of places to eat out, downside is accommodation might be a bit shite, its crap for hotels I know.

The voucher we have does actually have Lancaster in it but I think was for a stay in a Holiday Inn or something similar rather than a bespoke B&B in Clapham which is more what we are looking for. Nothing against Holiday Inn specifically of course.

[horlock07]

The voucher we have does actually have Lancaster in it but I think was for a stay in a Holiday Inn or something similar rather than a bespoke B&B in Clapham which is more what we are looking for. Nothing against Holiday Inn specifically of course.

The Holiday Inn in Lancaster is way out of town next to the M6 so pretty crap for the town TBH, if its Premier Inn its across the road so the same.

[Bob's Orange]

The Holiday Inn in Lancaster is way out of town next to the M6 so pretty crap for the town TBH, if its Premier Inn its across the road so the same.

to be honest it was probably neither but I don't have the full details to hand!