Where could we stay for 1 night between Gatwick Airport to Southampton

[gam888]

We are flying to Gatwick in October. Will be catching a cruise from Southampton the next day. We have visited London several times and would prefer not to go into London again this time. Last time we visited Salisbury, and Winchester before going to Southampton. We enjoyed both towns. This time we would like to stay in a hotel somewhere in between Gatwick and Southampton, in another small town, so we can experience something different. Given the time of the year, we would be less interested in going to a place with more natural scenery, rather, we would prefer visiting another old town with charming buildings and history. Could anyone suggest anything that is within 1.5 hour drive from Southampton where we will be catching a cruise the next day? We would prefer not to be too far away from Southampton. Also, we are flying in from Canada, so by the time we arrive in Gatwick, it's really the middle of the night for us. So we will not be really in top shape to run around to do a lot of sightseeing. But nonetheless, would still prefer to experience something different before going to Southampton. Any suggestions are welcome!

[Bob++]

Portsmouth. You can catch a train direct from Gatwick to Portsmouth and a train to Southampton on cruise day. The main attraction is The Historic Dockyard- http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/. but there are other interesting things such as the D-day museum (many boats were dispatched from Portsmouth) Southsea Castle and Charles Dickens' Birthplace Museum. If it's some retail therapy you want, this is also the place to seek out info on all the big shopping areas, from the designer outlets of Gunwharf Quays to the Commercial Road High Street.

 

Most of the major chains have hotels there and there are some excellent boutique hotels and B&B's.

[John Bull]

Google.......

 

Arundel.

Small up-market historic town on the banks of the River Arun. Excellent castle, cathedral, antique shops. The castle has been continuously occupied & up-dated in parts over its lifetime from when it was built in 11th century, so it gives an excellent insight into life through the centuries.

Under an hour from Gatwick, under an hour from Southampton.

http://www.arundel.org.uk/

http://www.arundelcastle.org/the-castle/history.html

 

Chichester.

Historic cathedral city, quite similar to Salisbury, perhaps not as extensive.

Good open-air Weald & Downland museum about 5 miles out at Singleton, and Roman Palace remains at Fishbourne

Also under an hour from LGW and So'ton.

http://www.visitchichester.org/

http://www.wealddown.co.uk/

https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace

 

Portsmouth.

See Bob's post

1 hr 20 from LGW, 35 - 40 mins from So'ton.

 

Petworth

Very small and laid-back town, with historic Petworth House

45 mins from LGW, just over an hour from So'ton

http://discoverpetworth.uk/

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth-house-and-park

 

Winchester

Historic cathedral city. Similar to Salisbury but perhaps busier & not so laid-back. Large cathedral, much older than Salisbury's or Chichester's.

Something under 90 mins from LGW, under 30 mins from So'ton.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/things-to-do

http://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/

 

All except Petworth have rail links with Gatwick & Southampton, though from Gatwick by train is quite slow and tortuous.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

 

JB :)

[geoherb]

We enjoyed going to Southampton the day before our cruise last month. We spent three nights in London beforehand, so we had adjusted to the time change. We arrived a little after noon and had time for a nice lunch at the Pig in the Wall before going to see the Tudor House and Gardens and the SeaCity Museum, which has a fabulous Titanic exhibit.

[TMLAalum]

Thanks again, JB & Bob+++!

 

You both were so helpful when I posted in February about Bognor Regis! Well, it's just about 7 weeks til we are there and we are so looking forward to our trip. We'd already planned on Chichester, but Arundel is now added to our travels during our week's stay.

 

We are headed to the Cotswolds for an overnight where we will be met by dear British friends we met aboard the Silhouette in 2012. They will be driving us around for a tour of the area. DH & I are staying in Chipping Norton and early the next day will tour Stonehenge and Salisbury enroute "home".

 

We plan on meeting roll call mates in Portsmouth one day, and another day to Seven Sisters & Beachy Head.

 

So Arundel & Chichester are now added to our itinerary. Thinking about the possibility of a trip to Isle of Wight for the Osborne House as we will have seen "Victoria & Abdul" before our travels and the website for the Osborne House is touting the film.

 

Barb

[John Bull]

 

................. Thinking about the possibility of a trip to Isle of Wight for the Osborne House as we will have seen "Victoria & Abdul" before our travels and the website for the Osborne House is touting the film.

 

Barb

 

Hi again, Barb,

 

From your Bognor base, drive to Portsmouth/Southsea and take either

- the fast-ferry from Portsmouth harbour (between Gunwharf Quays & the historic dockyard). Park in the underground pay-parking lot at Gunwharf.

- or the hovercraft from Southsea sea-front near the funfair. Plenty of free parking around Southsea Common if it's not a saturday or sunday.

Both go to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Then the No4 bus (hourly service) direct to the gates of Osborne House takes about 20 minutes. Ryde bus station is just a few yards from Ryde pier and hovercraft terminal.

If you can spare that day it would be an interesting and varied one. You could combine it with dinner in Ryde or at Gunwharf Quays or elsewhere in Portsmouth or Southsea.

 

JB :)

[gam888]

Thank you everyone for replying my post. Thank you John Bull for your extensive information with the links provided.

We are thinking of picking Portsmouth. I am getting the impression that it is rich in naval theme and history. Although Chichester sounds interesting as well. We visited Salisbury and Winchester last May, so I am wondering if Chichester might be a bit similar to Winchester but smaller??? We really enjoyed visiting old towns that have charming ambiance and old architecture. But I thought Portsmouth will be a change of scenery. Although I usually prefer picking a place that has more older charms than modern buildings. Just one question, some of the hotels and B & B are further away from the dockyard, is there some kind of tourist little train that runs around town making a loop to see these touristy areas? Otherwise, is there a good network of city bus that runs around the city. We will arrive in the morning and it's the middle of the night for us in terms of our body clock, and we are planning to do our exploring mostly by foot. So wonder if we can cover most of the sights by foot in about 5 hours time? By the way, the castle in Arundel looks spectacular, but I don't think we have the energy to visit the whole castle given all the stairs and the massive gardens.Thanks again for all your info.

[Bob++]

Taxis (Aquacars) are cheap in Portsmouth and the drivers do not expect a tip. Portsmouth is a relatively small city so when we are there (quite often as my daughter lives in Southsea) we either walk or take a taxi.

 

The Historic Dockyard is worth a whole day or even more on its own. The Mary Rose was built in the 16th century and an astonishing amount of the structure is now preserved. The Mary Rose Museum is a hugely imaginative way of allowing you to imagine what it might have been like. There is lots more to see, including Nelson's flagship, and several places to eat.

[John Bull]

Yes, Chichester is similar to Salisbury and Winchester - but dare I say comparatively disappointing.

 

Portsmouth's sights are mainly in two distinct areas.

 

- The Hard is the travel interchange. Portsmouth harbour train station, bus station, hi-speed Isle of Wight ferries, cross-harbour Gosport ferries, round-the-harbour boats etc. and taxis To one side of The Hard is the historic dockyard and ships, to the other side Gunwharf Quays - originally the navy base responsible for ordnance supplies, repairs & refits, now a modern waterfront leisure and shopping centre with the Spinnaker Tower as its centrepiece and usually a few interesting boats in harbour. Its Holiday Inn Express is in an excellent location.

 

- Southsea Common and seafront. Promenade overlooking the Solent, the Isle of Wight, the mid-Solent "Palmerston Follies" forts, and the ship traffic. Southsea Castle, from which Henry V111 watched his Mary Rose (now in the historic dockyard) roll over whilst setting out to face the French fleet, is quite small but admission is free. Adjacent the D-Day museum - though its centrepiece D-Day Tapestry is currently not on display, it's under renovation. Aquarium, pier, funfair - all quite small and very 1950's. Lots of memorials & such, plenty of watering holes.

 

So you don't need transport, other than a short taxi or bus hop between those two areas and, depending on its location, to/from your hotel/B&B.

And if you're reasonably fit you can take a waterfront walk between Southsea seafront and The Hard.

Two to three miles depending how much you meander, all of it scenic, taking an hour or more with photo-stops.

From The Hard, through Gunwharf, through Old Portsmouth past Portsmouth cathedral, past the fishing boat / car-ferry harbour, mebbe a diversion to the harbour-mouth at The Point and a pint at the Still and West pub as you watch boats entering & leaving, then along the Solent shore past the fortifications including Round Tower and Square Tower, past the Garrison Church, join Southsea promenade at the funfair and past the hovercraft & funfair to Southsea Castle / D-Day museum.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/The+Hard,+Portsmouth+PO1+3DT/Southsea+Castle,+Southsea/@50.7883421,-1.1175987,14z/data=!4m49!4m48!1m40!1m1!1s0x48745d81ea1f1a79:0x4797387b7f3e366e!2m2!1d-1.1064571!2d50.7980704!3m4!1m2!1d-1.1062901!2d50.7946178!3s0x48745d813b505291:0xa172ca83b712f876!3m4!1m2!1d-1.104199!2d50.7947638!3s0x48745d83e0afb25b:0xf179ce71ff53a22c!3m4!1m2!1d-1.1057326!2d50.7932641!3s0x48745d86b4550c67:0xa6fa9f3da87f67a9!3m4!1m2!1d-1.1048179!2d50.7926938!3s0x48745d86a68f0cb7:0x8f11da0234ec89e8!3m4!1m2!1d-1.104663!2d50.790728!3s0x48745d867f7cb6b7:0xffe44da3b449379!3m4!1m2!1d-1.10883!2d50.7924245!3s0x48745d871515ec5d:0x3ca73145fa1e1704!3m4!1m2!1d-1.1092731!2d50.7922167!3s0x48745d876a37d1ad:0xe7b34c2965924ac8!1m5!1m1!1s0x48745dead32c151d:0xe104222989f34a2e!2m2!1d-1.0888278!2d50.7780853!3e2

 

Across the harbour in Gosport are the naval submarine museum and ordnance museum.

And up on Portsdown Hill behind Portsmouth, the ring of Napoleonic forts. Fort Nelson is an artillery museum. Down the other side of Portsdown Hill the village of Southwick, with Southwick House (not open to the public) where Eisenhower co-ordinated D-Day.

At the top (northern ) end of Portsmouth Harbour are the ruins of 12thC Portchester Castle.

But it'd be a week before you got down the list to those places. ;)

 

JB :)