Planning a fall trip to the England/Wales/Scotland and then Ireland. Car hire, and starting to plan out a route from London to Bath to Wales to York and Edinburgh. Looking for any suggestions on places to visit and things to see.
I’ve got a couple guidebooks, and thoughts, hoping to get some suggestions from forum members that live in the UK. If it helps, we are nature and history buffs.
First few things that come to mind:
I always like a nice National Trust property for a wander through the gardens and a cream tea 
If distillery type things are your jam, my sister had great things to say about the Port of Leith distillery.
And my personal favourite when I go back is to hit up the museums/art galleries.
Edinburgh is OK castle wise etc but if you get the chance go further north (Perth and the Highlands etc) or west (Stirling and the Trossachs). There’s lots to see in Scotland and probably too little time though.
Big no on distilleries or whiskey.
Will probably take a bus tour in London, hit the British Museum, and then hit the road.
My first international trip was to Glasgow over 3 decades ago (biz trip), and I rented a car and drove into the highlands. And visited Edinburgh for a day.
If you’re heading towards Bath then Wales you’ll be driving along the M4. Particularly if flying into Heathrow.
Avebury Stone circle worth a visit. Also located in Marlborough Downs if you also like walking.
Avebury | Wiltshire | National Trust.
Once over the Severn suspension bridge into Wales you have the Forest of Dean for walking or mtn biking. You can hire bikes. Monmouth you can hire canoes and do one way down river, taking a picnic or stopping at a pub. Chepstow has a castle. Well there’s plenty of castles in Wales.
Gospel Pass is the highest pass in Wales and runs from Abergavenny over to Hay on Wye. Up to Machynlleth you hsve the alternate energy centre plus purpose built mtn bike trails. Nice walking as well.
Above Rhayader you have the Elan Valley . You can head up through there then turn left to head to Aberystwyth on the coast. Then up the coast to Barmouth and Harlech into Snowdonia.
Plenty to choose from in Snowdonia from castles to hills to slate mines to visit.
https://www.zipworld.co.uk/adventure/deep-mine-tour
Plus some nice beaches. If you like hill walking the more popular are Cadair Idris and Snowdon though far quieter summits are about. From there it’s out via Betsy Coed and Llangollen back out to England. Else visit Bangor and up to Caernarfon castle.
Betws-y-Coed 
yes, I’m thinking of a “420 day” (LOL) where we get “stoned” (sorry for the puns, I get contact highs while riding from all the peeps smoking weed in their car). Something like wake up in Bath, then Stonehenge, Averbury, Silbury Hill, maybe Lacock Abbey, and then Castle Combe to see the old market and church with a list of pastors on the wall dating back to the 1200s.
Then into Wales. Thanks for the info on Wales!
British Museum is easily a day if you’re into history and have the museum stamina - can squeeze the highlights into a half day
If you like WW2 then the Imperial War Museum (Visit IWM London - Plan Your Visit | Imperial War Museums) is worth a visit
There’s countless cathedrals and castles to the point that I’d recommend picking some to visit that have historical significance based on your interests. Canterbury was impressive to me because of how it tied to the history more than anything else
If you’re into more modern history than doing some ‘troubles’ based tourism in Ireland is well recommended - sobering stuff, but fascinating to see. Belfast is a neat city for a lot of reasons - well worth a visit
Depending on time, if you can get to the outlying islands of Scotland there’s some amazingly old settlements and standing stones (was in a tomb that predates the pyramids on Orkney earlier this year)
I was quite taken with the street art in Waterford - the city also has ties back to Viking settlements and a lot of associated history
It’s a beautiful country - your question is almost too broad to be answered. If I were planning something I’d probably pick a theme and follow that. Narrow the focus a bit and follow that thread throughout the trip
Thanks. I’ve spent a LOT of weekends in London, back when I supported our distributors in Europe. At the British Museum I think we are going to opt for a quick look at the stone walls from Mesopotamia. Westminster Abbey and all the tombstones on the floor is another one that I really want my wife to see. Canterbury is an interesting one - one of my all-time favorite childhood books was an illustrated copy of the Canterbury Tales that my dad had.
I think we are going to pick a few key sights to see, book some quaint B&Bs/hotels, and then somewhat wander wherever inspiration takes us, Huell Howser California’s Gold style, and see what UK Gold we stumble upon.
Walls.
York has a decent bit of old wall to have a look at / walk round
Then, on the way up to Scotland, you can have a look at Hadrian’s Wall
You might choose to look at a couple of the castles and similar in Northumberland on your way north too. Bamburgh, Alnwick and Holy Island are probably the most well known
“Stones and Walls” is the current theme 
And current theme song would A Sort of Homecoming.
We recently watched a 4 part documentary on the Vikings in York and Ireland.
And last week watched The Centurion which is set at the time the emperor made the decision to build the wall.
I’d second the Imperial War Museums if you’re into that sort of history. I visited the Churchill War Rooms and the HMS Belfast when I’ve been to London in the past. The HMS Belfast was of particular interest to me as I had just spent the first part of that trip touring the D-Day Beaches in Normandy – the HMS Belfast was involved in action there.
I have family living in York right now and that town is definitely on my list of places to visit. It looks beautiful!
Outside of that, there’s obviously plenty of amazing countryside to visit.
Enjoy the trip, @WindWarrior!
Im going to advertise Kent, regardless of your plans to skip it!
Leeds Castle (it’s not in Leeds) I’ve had the privilege to attend a wedding and stay overnight:
Hever Castle and if you’re coming in autumn you can join the festival of endurance for a triathlon or two
A day tour cycling in Surrey would also be good at the weekend with the cricketers out on the village greens. You can even cycle dozens of miles all the way to the coast on a straight trail on the North Downs Link.
London is my home town and a billion things to do, but for some half hour breaks I would stop at the ancient Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese for a pint made with water drawn from the well inside. It’s on Fleet Street so between various sites of interest.
Borough Market is a must, great food everywhere and coffee from Monmouth. It’s also seen a lot of big movie filming, and if you like history the whole area was brothels run out of neighbouring Southwark Cathedral for a time…Very different now! Greenwich also has a lot to offer but I would t drag you further into South East London than that unless it’s into the Kent countryside
Enjoy planning.
Not that I particularly want it any more busy, but the Lake District would firmly be top of my ‘if you have one place to see in the UK’ list.
I love Cornwall. I grew up in london, and would spend my summer holidays in a place called St Ives. So many good walks there. Beautiful hidden coves, landscapes, abandoned tin mines.
The South west Coast Path is incredible.
I hate to bring this back to cycling are you planing on doing any during the visit?
Depending on MTB or road there are a multitude of options.
If you are going to consider visiting some National Trust sites @WindWarrior then I suggest buying a Canadian membership before coming over. An individual membership would be around $45 and means you can visit any site in the UK - saving you around £20 a time
There are a number of museums and art galleries all quite close to each other in London. A short walk away and you’ll also have Buckingham Palace - all very doable in a short space of time.
Yep - would love to know if you are planning on cycling in Wales. I’m in Wales and I can happily provide you with some routes, depending on what you are looking at doing. It sounds like @UKCarl is also happy to do the same.
What are you hoping to do in Wales and how long have you got? West Wales is just beautiful, but puts you further away from other UK spots and will add to driving. Possibly some of the best places for beaches in the UK though - clean and won’t be as busy as other parts of the UK. Wales has 3 national parks, so lots of green to see as well - and lots and lots of castles. Most of which are derelict and ruins, but still plenty standing that you can visit if you want to.