First trip to Burghley, coming from U.S.... I have questions!

Puppy there is no doubt we will have a blast! I think we will make it to Cambridge so fire away with the restaurant suggestions. We're good eaters :) and aren't fussy, appreciate fine dining but also happy with the local sandwich shop. We steer clear of chain restaurants and we'd love suggestions on where the locals go.

Naryafluffy- brown sauce sounds quite dubious actually. :) That is going to be one monochromatic sandwich...bacon, bread with brown sauce. :) Maybe if you'd just add some cheese....

zxp - I will keep my peepers peeled for you! I love daschunds. And I will be sorely missing our 4 dogs...2 jack russells and 2 english setters, so I'll need some canine therapy. We'll be the four people talking too loudly :D, and carrying little american flags.

Stamford Mercury - got it. Hubby will be happy to be in an area that takes biking seriously.

So happy to see Mary King's Apache Sauce on the list. I saw them go at Rolex- love that horse! On a related matter, since the Brits cleaned up at Rolex year (bow down to Mary King) it would be really sporting of you to give the Americans a crack at some top ten placings. ;)
 
Not been to Burghley but re london.

- As others have said don't drive. If you get the train I always pay the extra for a travelcard which allows you to hop on and off the trains, tube and busses in the central zones as much as you like.

- This webiste: http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/ allows you to print out vouchers for 2 for 1 tickets to things if you have travelled by train.

- If you want to do the Eye (big wheel), or any of the tours then book in advance. My personal favourite is the 'Duck Tour' which goes on the river and the road (http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/)

- Lots of attractions, including most of the museums are free.

- If you want to see a show and are not bothered which one (or about having the best seats), go to the ticket booth in Leicester Square on the day for discounted seats. There will be a queue though!
 
Wassail said:
Puppy there is no doubt we will have a blast! I think we will make it to Cambridge so fire away with the restaurant suggestions. We're good eaters :) and aren't fussy, appreciate fine dining but also happy with the local sandwich shop. We steer clear of chain restaurants and we'd love suggestions on where the locals go.

Naryafluffy- brown sauce sounds quite dubious actually. :) That is going to be one monochromatic sandwich...bacon, bread with brown sauce. :) Maybe if you'd just add some cheese....

zxp - I will keep my peepers peeled for you! I love daschunds. And I will be sorely missing our 4 dogs...2 jack russells and 2 english setters, so I'll need some canine therapy. We'll be the four people talking too loudly :D, and carrying little american flags.

Stamford Mercury - got it. Hubby will be happy to be in an area that takes biking seriously.

So happy to see Mary King's Apache Sauce on the list. I saw them go at Rolex- love that horse! On a related matter, since the Brits cleaned up at Rolex year (bow down to Mary King) it would be really sporting of you to give the Americans a crack at some top ten placings. ;)
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Goodness - you sure do like cheese :p

The daschund will welcome any attention I'm sure. Although he tends to strutt around with his nose in the air as people look adoringly at him and ignore them. He thinks that everyone at Burghley is there purely to look at him and the horses are some kind of warm-up act.

I am super excited to see Gin and Juice from the USA! That is one super springy mare!
 
Do save time to shop at Burghley it is really amazing, and don't forget the "indoor" shopping areas. They have various smaller stalls inside, two for rural crafts, then there is country living and one other.

Burghley House would be a good place to visit if you (or the non-horsey folk) want a local day out.

Burghley is really well organised and has great facilities it is my favourite horsey event of the year.
 
Thanks everyone! I have to sit down and absorb the most recent posts later on today as I'm dashing out the door.

I poked my head in to mention that I did just create a little photo album on the ridiculously off chance someone recognizes us and wants to come over and say hello, it would be great to meet!
 
Just a couple of links to eaterie websites around the Burghley kind of area. Buckminster is a stunning little village - and still an Estate Village. The Tollemarche Arms is a lovely pub for a meal and there are some good links from the "local area" section of their website for other ideas of places to visit...

http://tollemache-arms.co.uk/#

Someone else mentioned the Olive Branch...

http://www.theolivebranchpub.com/

By the way, when you say biker husband, do you mean with engine or without?

Hope you have an excellent time!
 
You can get the train from Stamford to Cambridge if you decide to go there - saves driving and the cost of psrking in Cambridge!!:D

As a local i would also say take the time to drive to Oakham and Uppingham to have a look round - small market towns with loads of history - Rockingham Castle is a couple of miles outside of Uppingham and worth a visit - as well as good coffee shops and pubs etc:D there is also Belvoir Castle just up the A1:D

As far as eating there is also the Jacskon Stopps at Stocken, The Finches at Hambleton, The Fox and Hounds at Exton - my favourite!:D It is a lovely old coaching in and Exton is another 'Estate' village and is very pretty with lots of thatched cottages etc The food is fab especially the Italian dishes as the chef is Italian!!:D For the best curry its the White Lion in Whissendine:)

As I said before if you want to go anywhere in the surrounding area to eat CALL FIRST as they get booked up anything to a year ahead by Burghley regulars up to about 20 miles away from Burghley itself!!:)
 
Wassail said:
Puppy there is no doubt we will have a blast! I think we will make it to Cambridge so fire away with the restaurant suggestions. We're good eaters :) and aren't fussy, appreciate fine dining but also happy with the local sandwich shop. We steer clear of chain restaurants and we'd love suggestions on where the locals go.

Naryafluffy- brown sauce sounds quite dubious actually. :) That is going to be one monochromatic sandwich...bacon, bread with brown sauce. :) Maybe if you'd just add some cheese....

zxp - I will keep my peepers peeled for you! I love daschunds. And I will be sorely missing our 4 dogs...2 jack russells and 2 english setters, so I'll need some canine therapy. We'll be the four people talking too loudly :D, and carrying little american flags.

Stamford Mercury - got it. Hubby will be happy to be in an area that takes biking seriously.

So happy to see Mary King's Apache Sauce on the list. I saw them go at Rolex- love that horse! On a related matter, since the Brits cleaned up at Rolex year (bow down to Mary King) it would be really sporting of you to give the Americans a crack at some top ten placings. ;)
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Well, I'm afraid when it comes to eventing (one sport we do really well at - unlike you Americans who are sickeningly good at many sports) we don't "do" sporting ;). C'mon - we need one shoe-in sport! Me, I'll be wanting to see Mary King, William F-P, Pippa Funnell, Daisy Dick, Nicola Wilson and Laura Collett do well this year - and it'd be great if WFP could complete the triple and win for the third time on our third trip up there (he won on Ballincoola on our first trip up in 2005 and on Tamarillo in 2008).

Look out for us too . . . we'll have our (border) collie/English springer in tow and my OH is American (so are my daughters come to that as they were born there) - might see you in the member's tent? We won't be carrying little American flags though - OH has largely gone native and will be rooting for the Brit competitors ;), but I'm sure he'd love the chance to chat to some compatriots.

Bacon and brown sauce is not to be missed - if I can give pb&j a go (despite serious misgivings - although it's now a staple in our house) I think you should at least have a bite of bacon and brown sauce (and NO CHEESE). For other British degustatorial (is that a word?) delights, also try Pimms (it's a drink - traditional in the summer), scotch eggs (hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat, crumbed and fried - nicer than it sounds, I promise), savoury/sweet crepes, roast pork sandwiches, smoked trout, local cheeses and chutneys. Please try not to be disappointed by the burgers - we still miss good US burgers - Brits do their best, but keep your expectations low - one thing you can expect from the better burger vans, though, is that the meat will be 100% organic, free-range beef or lamb - no fillers, but we're pretty unimaginative when it comes to putting things ON our burgers - cheese and fried onions about covers it (no pun intended). Fish and chips (oh yummy) . . . pies and pasties (not what you think - get your mind out of the gutter). Oh you'll leave Burghley 10 lbs heavier!

Further afield, food-wise, try and find either a good Indian, Indonesian or Thai restaurant - OH is a huge convert to Asian food - plus it's a little slice of food theatre what with the decor, music, poppadoms, chutneys, etc.

I know a bunch of folks have advocated visiting Cambridge and it is very beautiful, but I have to put a word in for Warwick Castle - particularly if you can go when they're having their jousting evenings - so much fun.

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In London I'm afraid you're going to have to fight the crowds - it's unavoidable at this time of year - but, that said, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels is amazing (if very touristy). If you can find a decent deli and the weather's conducive, a picnic in one of the parks (St James, Regent's, Hyde or Green) is a nice way to spend an hour or two - they provide deck chairs and there's often something going on at one of the bandstands. If you like art, then the Courthauld, the National Gallery, the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery are all good - as is the Victoria & Albert (aka the V&A) which is one of the most varied museums/galleries in London with the most to see and has an impressive costume display (from 14th C all the way up to the present day).

An alternative to the traditional bus tour is the London Duck Tour which is amphibious so also goes on the river and is a little different. Lunch and/or drinks at the top of the Oxo Tower on the river is worth a go - but book ahead. Also the Eye is good for getting amazing views of the city and the river, but you must book ahead. Depending on what's going on and what day you're there, a walk from St Paul's over the Millenium Bridge and along the South Bank towards Westminster Bridge can be fun - there are often street fairs, book fairs and sometimes ethnic food festivals along this stretch of the river.

I can't wait to hear all about your travels . . . safe journey and have a great time!

P
 
slinkyunicorn said:
Tolethorpe Shakespeare is lovely :) - tell you parents to buy the Stamford Mercury when they arrive - its the local paper and will have whats going on and where etc around Rutland and Stamford - will have useful phone numbers etc :)
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Be wary of Tolthorpe, it's a regular haunt of my Mother :eek::D

Agree about Oakam and Buckminster - very pretty.

However, another word of warning, please don't get the Tollemache Arms in Buckminster confused with the Tollemache Inn in Grantham (close-by too), they are very different but may open your eyes to the different ranges of society in the East Midlands :o

If you make it to Belvoir Castle there's always Belton House nearby (hosts 3* event now? - not the same WE :p) and the good ole Angel and Royal (oldest Inn in the UK I believe) in Grantham does good food now.

I've generally found that there's not a lot to see in Peterborough - I could be wrong bit the Queensgate Centre never really floated my boat.
 
My groveling worked! It looks like I've secured a scooter- wahooo! A great big shout-out to Event Mobility.

Shazzababs - Thanks for the website with the vouchers. I can justify dropping more dollars at the trade fair if I can save elsewhere - right? This is what we in the states call "Barbie Math".

zxp - You can make almost anything better by adding cheese. :) I was perusing the George's menu last night and my knees went weak when I got to the gruyère fritters. Is your daschund a wire coat by any chance? I'm a super-big sucker for whiskery faces. Wire coat or not, I shall be suitably adoring to His Eminence should our paths cross. I think Gin and Juice wins the Burghley name game but the sentimental favorite has to be Boyd Martin and the fabulous Neville. Everyone knows about the tragic barn fire in May at True Prospect right? Neville was the last horse to be pulled out (6 horses died that night) and Boyd and Phillip disregarded the orders of the fire chief in order to save him.

Kristmaskatt - My credit card is going to go up in flames with all the shopping opportunities. I'm sure it will be well worth it. Being solvent is so overrated. Yes, we must get inside Burghley House. I'm awed by the outside, can't imagine the interior. Was anything filmed inside perchance? My mom and I are shameless British period-drama fans (I can't get enough of North and South these days).

Vetwrap - Biker without an engine. ;) He's hoping to rent a bike and go exploring.

Polarskye - No burgers, check. I'm going to have someone take a picture of me chowing down on a bacon and brown sauce sandwich and post it here when I get back. Maybe I'll make it my profile picture. Scotch eggs sound good! As do the crepes, and smoked trout.. and basically everything you mentioned. My poor horse- his knees are going to buckle when I try to climb on once I'm home. I love fish and chips which we tend to do quite poorly, so I'm looking forward to the real deal. I'm sorry but I will not be able to say "pasties" out loud. Not without giggling, blushing, or both anyway. If I want one I'll just point and mumble.

Saucisson <<it's a regular haunt of my Mother - absolutely made me laugh out loud.

I'll be printing this thread out before I leave...so many great suggestions it will be a great reference.
 
zxp said:
Goodness - you sure do like cheese :p
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No, it's just that the cheese is integral to the sandwich experience. Bacon and egg is okay, but it's not a bacon, egg, and cheese.

Wassail, I think you might find what they call bacon to be quite ham like. What I call bacon, they call "streaky" bacon. Weird.

I am super excited to see Gin and Juice from the USA! That is one super springy mare!
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Please, please don't tell me you think Hawley is American. Okay, I will give you she and the horse LIVE in America (if you call California America . . . LA is the fourth largest Canadian city ;) ) but the are not Americans. Are Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson British? :P
 
TarrSteps said:
Please, please don't tell me you think Hawley is American. Okay, I will give you she and the horse LIVE in America (if you call California America . . . LA is the fourth largest Canadian city ;) ) but the are not Americans. Are Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson British? :P
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She lives in California doesn't she???? Granted, she is Canadian, but I'm pretty sure she is coming from USA.... ;)

And my daschie is a smooth coat - wirehaired are nice - but mine is so silky :D

It is going to take me some time to get my head around all these cheese... would you eat bacon and cheese for breakfast???
 
Wassail said:
Puppy there is no doubt we will have a blast! I think we will make it to Cambridge so fire away with the restaurant suggestions. We're good eaters :) and aren't fussy, appreciate fine dining but also happy with the local sandwich shop. We steer clear of chain restaurants and we'd love suggestions on where the locals go.
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This is my absolute favourite place at the moment:

http://www.theoakbistro.co.uk/

And will be perfect for you as it is close to the train station and on your way into the city centre. :) The garden is especially nice, so hopefully you'll have a day of nice weather for your trip :) (I'm afraid it's rather grey and drizzly here today :o)
 
Yay! You got a scooter - hurrah! Please affix a small American flag to back of said scooter so we can identify you on the course (and insist on buying you a bacon sarnie ;)).

Safe travels.

P
 
TarrSteps said:
No, it's just that the cheese is integral to the sandwich experience. Bacon and egg is okay, but it's not a bacon, egg, and cheese.

Wassail, I think you might find what they call bacon to be quite ham like. What I call bacon, they call "streaky" bacon. Weird.



Please, please don't tell me you think Hawley is American. Okay, I will give you she and the horse LIVE in America (if you call California America . . . LA is the fourth largest Canadian city ;) ) but the are not Americans. Are Mark Todd and Andrew Nicholson British? :P
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Um, isn't a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich basically a club without the lettuce and tomato?

And are the eggs fried or boiled, hard or soft and is the cheese melty?

Inquiring minds want to know . . .

P
 
This sort of thread is where HHO does so well :D
I've only been to Burghley once, and it was the year it resembled the Somme, so didn't get the best impression....really want to go back when it's a bit more clement! In fact, just checked my diary and might even try and get up there this year ;)

OP, sounds like you'll have a lovely trip :)

Re: London, also sign up to toptable.com as they do great deals for lots of fabulous restaurants, and the reviews are normally spot on.
Definitely don't drive, as others have said, I often have to drive through and it's beyond frustrating (2 hours to go 2 miles the other day :p )
Check Timeout for things going on in town when you're there, it has good listings for everything.
If you're looking for a play or a show, recently I've seen Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe and it was EXCELLENT - seriously recommend. Also, Pygmalion was a very pleasant way to spend an evening.

Hope you have a wonderful trip.
 
Twiglet said:
I've only been to Burghley once, and it was the year it resembled the Somme, so didn't get the best impression....really want to go back when it's a bit more clement! In fact, just checked my diary and might even try and get up there this year ;)
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If memory serves that was 2008 and we were there too - I've never seen so much mud - the cross country course (for the spectators) was a sea of mud in parts. Hope it's not a repeat this year!

P
 
<<Please affix a small American flag to back of said scooter

Absolutely!

For us a club is toasted bread, turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo, usually all double or triple-stacked so it's held together with a toothpick. An egg sandwich is on a bagel or an english muffin (wonder if that's what you call them!) and lovely oozy melty cheese, a fried egg, bacon or ham.

Thanks Puppy -looks nice! The name is adorable. :p

Speaking of food... we will be eating at the George Wednesday night. England keeps coming through for us!

Great suggestions Twiglet. I wish we had time to see a play, especially at the Globe, but that is not in the cards for us this trip. We need an excuse to return right? I love Timeout, when I lived in Manhattan it was my go-to publication. We'll be sure to grab one.

I've decided that even if there is torrential sideways rain I'm going to have a fantastic time (as long as the horses stay safe on course). The only thing currently bumming me out is the exchange rate. :(
 
Wassail said:
Kristmaskatt - My credit card is going to go up in flames with all the shopping opportunities. I'm sure it will be well worth it. Being solvent is so overrated. Yes, we must get inside Burghley House. I'm awed by the outside, can't imagine the interior. Was anything filmed inside perchance? My mom and I are shameless British period-drama fans (I can't get enough of North and South these days).
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I haven't actually made it inside Burghley yet but it is well known for being really fantastic. It was in Pride and Prejudice as the home of Lady Catherine, Mr Darcy's aunt.

If you love period dramas you might want to consider a trip north to Chatsworth. This is the house that Jane Austen based Pemberley (Mr Darcy's country house) on, and was used in the filming of most of the adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. It was also the country house in The Duchess, as it was the home of Georgina Duchess of Devonshire. More recently it was home to one of the Mitford Girls, Debo, sister of the author Nancy (Pursuit of Love, Don't tell Alfred etc). Debo is now the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire and lives on the estate.

Chatsworth hosts its own international horse trials in May, and over the same week as Burghley a big Country Fair.

About 5 miles from Chatsworth is Haddon Hall, which starred in the recent adaptation of Jane Eyre and has also been used in parts of Wuthering Heights.

Keddleston Hall and Hardwick Hall are also close to Chatsworth and have both been used in film and tv, in particular the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice.

If you get chance to come to the UK again you might consider Badminton Horse Trials combined with a trip to Bath, the home of Jane Austen.
 
Wassail said:
<<Please affix a small American flag to back of said scooter

Absolutely!

For us a club is toasted bread, turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo, usually all double or triple-stacked so it's held together with a toothpick. An egg sandwich is on a bagel or an english muffin (wonder if that's what you call them!) and lovely oozy melty cheese, a fried egg, bacon or ham.
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Aaaaah - I should know better (lived in the US for 17 years) - but having been back in Europe for a good 19 years I'm used to the European take on the club which includes a fried egg (weird, right?).

Yes, we have English muffins - although they're an American import - and OH and I are welcoming the recent influx of decent bagels too (oh how I miss proper bagels). We also miss Fritos, Goldfish (Peppridge Farm), decent Mexican/TexMex food, salami, pastrami, Rubens sandwiches, Lays potato chips, really good rye/pumpernickel/sourdough bread, watermelons, white corn on the cob, Edies Grand ice cream, "proper" popcorn at movie theaters, and OH misses pumpkin pie (I don't - hate the stuff).

Will be looking out for the scooter with the flag!

P
 
PolarSkye said:
If memory serves that was 2008 and we were there too - I've never seen so much mud - the cross country course (for the spectators) was a sea of mud in parts. Hope it's not a repeat this year!

P
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Yes it was 2008, it was the first year we took the trade stand to Burghley and if you think the mud was bad on XC day you should have seen it after the event closed while us traders were trying to pack down. By our stall an Articulated Lorry sunk into the mud so deeply it was over its axle!

We weren't allowed to take our car on because the mud was so deep it would have ripped the bottom off the car so we had to carry everything back to hardstanding.
 
KristmasKatt said:
Yes it was 2008, it was the first year we took the trade stand to Burghley and if you think the mud was bad on XC day you should have seen it after the event closed while us traders were trying to pack down. By our stall an Articulated Lorry sunk into the mud so deeply it was over its axle!

We weren't allowed to take our car on because the mud was so deep it would have ripped the bottom off the car so we had to carry everything back to hardstanding.
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It was 2008 indeed....we didn't even stay a full day, and left with mud up to our thighs and having purchased more waterproofs. I'm not sure Burghley will ever come close to Badminton weekend for me, but I'm going to give it another shot this year ;)

OP, shame about lack of time, but sure you'll have a blast anyway. Have you looked at the London Eye? You can buy combined tickets with a boat tour of the Thames, which might be nice. Definitely go to Covent Garden, it is touristy and packed, but I love it to bits....I go there at least every fortnight and never run out of things to do. www.cafedesamis.co.uk is a cute restaurant near the ENB, it's owned by a friend of a friend and we always enjoy a nice meal there. Also, Chez Gerard at the Opera House has a lovely terrace which is great for a cheeky glass of bubbles and people watching. Or on the other side of the piazza, Punch and Judy is one of our favourite summer hangouts for cider and watching street entertainers.
 
Not a lot more to add, other than you'll have an amazing time at Burghley - by far my favourite 'big' 3DE to visit, the atmosphere is fantastic!

Cream tea is an absolute must! as are bacon sandwhiches - or if you're going to get the right dialect a 'bacon buttie' (oh and it has to be heinz tomato sauce everyone - non of that brown sauce muck!)

If you want to visit historical sites, I would highly recommend a visit to Market Bosworth in Leicestershire (not too far from Peterborough) - its a beautiful quaint british market town with tea rooms, as well as having the Battlefield visitors centre (regularly hold jousting and re-enactment events)

Definitely get the train to London, driving into the capital will actually make you go mad!

Have an amazing time over here!
 
London-wise, I went to Hampton Court Palace for the first time in my life the other week (I'm 37 yrs old :o, mind you I only went to the Tower of London for the first time 4 years ago, Belgian OH has seen more of London than me :o:o and my Dad was from London too :o:o:o).

I was completely blown away by Hampton Court, the sense of history, gorgeous gardens (with shire horses + carriage :)) and the really great presentation. I think it was about £14 which I think is a fair bit cheaper that the Tower (which admittedly, was good too).

It was nice to take the boat up the Thames aswell (not very expensive and an onboard bar - bonus!)
 
Saucisson said:
London-wise, I went to Hampton Court Palace for the first time in my life the other week (I'm 37 yrs old :o, mind you I only went to the Tower of London for the first time 4 years ago, Belgian OH has seen more of London than me :o:o and my Dad was from London too :o:o:o).

I was completely blown away by Hampton Court, the sense of history, gorgeous gardens (with shire horses + carriage :)) and the really great presentation. I think it was about £14 which I think is a fair bit cheaper that the Tower (which admittedly, was good too).

It was nice to take the boat up the Thames aswell (not very expensive and an onboard bar - bonus!)
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Hampton Court is stunning isn't it? My friend is an events manager there, so we pop along to some of the gorgeous events they hold over the summer. Well worth a visit...not sure if the OP will have time if she's only there for a day though, it's a bit of a trip.
 
I believe that Buckingham Palace were doing trips around the Royal Mews with the carriages on show if its still going on.
 
As an Londoner who relocated to near Burghley I have to agree with all these suggestions:D:D:D

Well done on getting a table at the George :D

Hampton court is amazing and a trip to the Royal Mews (used to be open all year) are well worth a visit. The other 'hidden' gems of London are I think Windosr (so much closer than you think) and Kew Gardens :)

When you think about all the 'stuff' we have to see in a very small country we are incredibly lucky and yet most of us never go and see these things - talk about complacecent :o and I do include myself in that!:eek::rolleyes:
 
Thinking about our complacency, we've all forgotten Peterborough Cathedral. Sure I've seen on TV, that its internationally significant. I'm pretty certain its also the resting place of Catherine Of Aragon, HenryVIII's first wife.
 
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