Jump to content

Recommendations for days out by train?


Recommended Posts

Sometimes I like to get on a train with my bike and go for a wander somewhere that isn't London, but I find that places that don't seem that far away on a map can take longer to reach than you'd think and the fares vary hugely. (How can it take over two hours and require going via St Pancras to get to Canterbury?) My current favourite is King's Lynn and the Norfolk coast - only ?20 with a network railcard and some excellent off-road cycle paths if you want to get out into the countryside - but it's too far to do very often.


Can anyone recommend places that you can get to in about 1-1.5 hours from here with some interesting sights to see and that aren't too busy? Not a fan of Brighton but anywhere else would be great and a bit of coast would be a bonus.


Thanks.

Ms B - I vaguely remember there was another thread on here a while ago about good cycle routes within easy reach of ED which may be useful if you can find it!


My friend who lives near (ish) Brighton goes cycling on the South Downs, not sure exact route.


You could take the central line tube out to Essex (Loughton or Theydon Bois) for a lovely day out cycling in Epping Forest.

> Eynsford in Kent is great - castle, roman villa, hope farm and riverside forest. Easy from Peckham Rye


I see you can't now actually go onto the castle site (looks like just a few wall remnants) as "Due to vandalism the site is closed until further notice", according to its English Heritage page. Though, as you say, Lullingstone is very close. And Down House is only a short ride from there. I have done DH by bike from ED, but train can get you most of the way.

I assumed nylonmeals meant Lullingstone Castle which is alive and kicking. It's home to a pretty unique 'World Garden' where one of the family collected plants from all over the world and created this garden in the shape of the atlas view of the world. There used to be a little known series on BBC about how the family were trying to maintain the Castle. The guy whose garden it is was once kidnapped in the Amazon forest while searching for plants and held hostage.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Thank you to everyone who has already shared their thoughts on this. Dawson Heights Estate in the 1980s, while not as infamous as some other estates, did have its share of anti-social behaviour and petty crime. My brother often used the estate as a shortcut when coming home from his girlfriend’s house, despite my parents warning him many times to avoid it. Policing during that era had a distinctly “tough on crime” approach. Teenagers, particularly those from working-class areas or minority communities, were routinely stopped, questioned, and in some cases, physically handled for minor infractions like loitering, skateboarding, or underage drinking. Respect for authority wasn’t just expected—it was demanded. Talking back to a police officer could escalate a situation very quickly, often with harsh consequences. This was a very different time. There were no body cameras, dash cams, or social media to hold anyone accountable or to provide a record of encounters. Policing was far more physical and immediate, with few technological safeguards to check officer behaviour. My brother wasn’t known to the police. He held a full-time job at the Army and Navy store in Lewisham and had recently been accepted into the army. Yet, on that night, he ran—not because he was guilty of anything—but because he knew exactly what would happen if he were caught on an estate late at night with a group of other boys. He was scared, and rightfully so.
    • I'm sure many people would look to see if someone needed help, and if so would do something about it, and at least phone the police if necessary if they didn't feel confident helping directly. At least I hope so. I'm sorry you don't feel safe, but surely ED isn't any less safe than most places. It's hardly a hotbed of crime, it's just that people don't post on here if nothing has happened! And before that, there were no highwaymen,  or any murders at all .... In what way exactly have we become "a soft apologetic society", whatever that means?
    • Unless you're 5 years old or have been living in a cave for several decades you can't be for real. I don't believe that you're genuinely confused by this, no one who has access to newspapers, the tv news, the internet would ask this. Either you're an infant, or have recently woken up from a coma after decades, or you're a supercilious tw*t
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...