As much as we all love London, sometimes escaping the city and exploring other parts of the UK can give you a break. This can be easier said than done, so we’ve listed 5 of our favourite, simple days out. They’re all accessible by train, and can be done pretty cheaply on student budget. Give yourself a mini-holiday and check out some of these delightful locations for a day-long escape.

Ham House

The 17th century Ham House is a beautiful stately home near Richmond, with spectacular grounds. Its Cherry Garden with 1200 lavender plants, historic kitchen-garden and ‘wilderness’ garden are all excellent places to sit back and relax. Entry to the house and gardens is £12.50, and while this might be a little pricy on the student budget, it’s not far to travel, with Richmond Station quite close by. If you’d rather not see the House and Gardens, you can still enjoy this day out (for free!). You can take the Underground or Overground to Richmond Station, and follow the walking circuit past Ham House. The trail boasts the only view in England protected by an Act of Parliament, encompassing the whole of the River Thames. Follow the trail past the House and back to Richmond Station.

Seven Sisters Cliffs

For a bit more wildlife and sea air, you could head to Seven Sisters Country Park. Though getting to the park is a little tricky, it is worth it for the wealth of spectacular views and walking trails you can enjoy there. The park is perfect for a Life Sciences student keen on wildlife and conservation, with ample opportunity for wildlife spotting on the 280 hectare site. To get to the Seven Sisters Park, you need to catch a train to Brighton (roughly an hours ride from Victoria Station), then catch the 13X bus from Stop D (Brighton Station).

Oxford

If you are more of a city-break from the city kind of person, you could spend a day enjoying historic Oxford, with the greatest number of spires in any UK city. Oxford’s beautiful Botanic Garden and Arboretum is a 20 minute walk from central Oxford, and puts on a range of interesting events, ranging from free tours to the seminars such as the Reuben-GLAM seminar (on 15th September 2021 – definitely one to check out if you’re interested in molecular plant biology and evolution). Or, you could amble around Oxford looking at the different historic Colleges, the river, and Oxford Meadow.

Stonehenge

This World Heritage Site is a work of Neolithic settlers and is one of the most impressive pre-historic monuments in Europe. Though the priciest of our days out (at £19 for student entry), there is much more to the outing than just the Stone Circle. If you’re interested in the science of archaeology, Stonehenge has a fantastic Visitor’s Centre where you can find exhibitions of archaeological treasures and learn about their discovery. To get to Stonehenge from London, catch the train to Salisbury from Waterloo, and then catch the Stonehenge Tour bus to the visitor’s site. The whole journey is roughly 2 hours.

Brighton

If you fancy a little seaside escape, head to Brighton. Only 47 miles from London, Brighton is an eccentric city, filled with incredible street art. You could spend the day on Brighton Pier and beach, enjoying some sunshine and sea air. Have a look at the Royal Pavilion – one of the UKs most unusual royal palaces, its architecture harbouring Indian and Chinese influences. With plenty of restaurants, shops and cafes, you are guaranteed to enjoy this day-long seaside retreat. To get to Brighton, you can take the ThamesLink from London Bridge, or get the train from Victoria station.

Resources

• To make these trips really worth their while, get a 16-25 Railcard and get 1/3 off train tickets
• For cheaper travel within London, get a Student Oyster Card, and link it with your railcard. This gives you both a student and Railcard discount on all Underground and Overground journeys.