23-26 May- Cornwall - Devon - Stonehenge - Salisbury Cathedral - Countryside

You do know how long it takes to drive from London to Cornwall, I assume? You won't get there until mid afternoon at best on the Saturday so not much day left to spend on the beach even if you skip lunch. Would Dorset be a reasonable alternative? Not quite as dramatic scenery, but beautiful nonetheless and

Its a fair question.

I did consider the south coast as opposed to south west, there are some hidden gems there but settled for Cornwall as there is much more to do, also its easier to touch stonehenge and the cathedral on the way back.

We also considered Wales and Norfolk but on the whole Southwest came on top.

Torquay from my flat is just about 4 hours,we will be there by 2ish if we were to leave at 10.
Given your valid point, I'll now be leaving by 7 in the morning to get there before noon. I will update the original post.

Thanks and do consider joining us if you can.

I live in Cornwall and Saturday is not the best day to drive here.... do allow 7 hours.

You mentioned Shrewsbury when talking about Stonehenge - do you mean Salisbury to see the Cathedral? Best not to get that mixed up.

May is a popular month in Cornwall, many B&Bs will already be booked - many will stipulate a minimum of two nights stay at the weekend. Might be a good idea to look online now and book....

Thanks bellart1

Google map may imply it's only a four hour drive to Cornwall from London but that rarely ever happens in practice. Cornwall is a popular destination for weekend breaks and traffic can be quite busy.

Then you must factor in getting off the main roads towards the local beaches and coves you are looking for. The winding country roads of Britain can take a long time to navigate, which is part of the charm of the countryside.

I am not a fan of Stonehenge. It's too commercialised and charges a stiff fee for entry. You can do what lots of people do, stop alongside the motorway and admire the site from a distance for about ten minutes. I don't know how realistic it is to get from Cornwall to Stonehenge in time to see the sunrise as the site doesn't open till 9:30 AM. You may want to instead focus on a quick drive by, a few minutes for photos, and then spend most of your time in Salisbury over a leisurely lunch and stroll around the Cathedral close and grounds, which is one of the loveliest places in England.

Its never taken me more than 5 hours in the past - unless something has terribly changed which I am not aware of. I lived in Holsworthy for 7 months.

I will double check everything and adjust our timing.

Thanks

They (the powers that be) have recently closed what was the connecting road to Devizes, which means there is now only one road past Stonehenge (the A303). It has closed the right hand turn just before the site, which used to cause tail backs when people were trying to turn there. The new roundabout they have put in on the Salisbury/Devizes turning is so badly designed that that is now causing tail backs instead - all the way back to the dual carriageway past Amesbury. It is a nightmare and worse than it was. There is practically nowhere for anyone to stop to admire the stones from afar, so more people drive slowly past.
You can get a private viewing of the Stones before opening if you contact English Heritage (not many people know that) and that probably is the best way of seeing them - it won't be at sunrise at this time of year however.
We never drive up country on a Saturday, nor Friday in peak season if we can help it as it will take longer. Because it's not motorway, and much of the A303 and A30 are not dual carriageway, the queues happen when it's two lanes going into one.... there is talk of making it more two lanes which will speed things up, but be to the detriment of some beautiful farmland and villages if they do. Difficult one!
However, look up Avebury, near Marlborough, which in itself is a lovely town to visit as that in its own way, is better than Stonehenge and more historically important, apparently.

My main concern is the timings and distance and the winding roads.
Go a far away as you can on Saturday, then spend the Saturday evening and Sunday day heading back towards Stonehenge...if that's where you want to sleep nearby on Sunday night.
It will be pretty tiring with a lot of driving an concentrating; but then the Monday is quite an easy day.