Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the older units but are more up to date and comfortable. If you fancy a break from
pub fare,
Olivier's Restaurant
serves imaginative contemporary English and conti-
nental cuisine such as baby monkfish tail with a crab ravioli (main courses £13-£18),
while afternoon tea is served in the bar.
1 George St., Woburn, Bedfordshire MK17 9PX. www.woburn.co.uk/inn.
&
01525/290441.
57 units.
£118-£169 double; £200-£235 suite. Children 15 and under stay free in parent's room. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; concierge; room service.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, minibar.
Nag's Head Inn
GASTROPUB Roald Dahl was a regular in this lovely old Eng-
lish pub (it's a short walk from the Roald Dahl Museum; p. 229), which also provides
comfortable guest rooms. The food blends traditional English dishes with French
flair—think puff pastry topped with mushrooms in a calvados sauce, lamb with but-
ternut squash purée and red onion jus, and seafood gratin in a Chardonnay cream.
The seven
double bedrooms
come with flat-screen TVs (Wi-Fi in public areas),
and are a good deal at £90 to £110.
London Rd., Great Missenden.
&
01494/862200.
www.nagsheadbucks.com. Main courses £15-£24.
AE, MC, V. Daily noon-midnight (Sun noon-10:30pm).
West Lodge Hotel
Close to Aylesbury, this Victorian hotel (once a gar-
dener's lodge on the adjacent Rothschild estate) outdoes all others in the area with
its facilities and value for money. The comfortable bedrooms are furnished with nice
extras (tea- and coffee-making facilities, trouser press, and so forth), and private
shower-only bathrooms. The
restaurant
serves a huge breakfast (included) and din-
ner, and the village also has Thai and Indian restaurants.
45 London Rd. (A41), Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP22 5HL. www.westlodge.co.uk.
&
01296/630362.
9 units. £84-£94 double. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; Jacuzzi; room
service; sauna.
In room:
TV/DVD, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
5
ST. ALBANS
27 miles NW of London; 41 miles SW of Cambridge
Founded as the Roman city of Verulamium in the 1st century, the city of St. Albans
grew up on the hill above the Roman site 500 years later. It's still home to some of
the best
Roman ruins
in the country, and an inspiring
cathedral.
The city was
named after a Roman soldier who became the first Christian martyr in England,
around a.d. 250. A great
abbey
grew up to protect his shrine, becoming a major pil-
grimage site in the Middle Ages, a role it has started to regain in recent decades. St.
Albans flourished in later years as the first major stop on the coaching route north
from London, which explains the large number of
historic pubs
in the center today.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
ThamesLink trains whisk you from London's King Cross Sta-
tion to St. Albans in just 35 minutes (£10). If you're driving, take the M25 Junction
21A or 22; M1 Junctions 6, 7, or 9; and finally the A1 (M) Junction 3.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Tourist Information Centre
is at the Town Hall,
Market Place (
&
01727/864511;
www.stalbans.gov.uk). Hours are Monday to Friday
10am to 4:30pm, and Saturday 10am to 4pm. Check also www.allaboutstalbans.com.
ORGANIZED TOURS
The Tourist Information Centre (see above) provides
entertaining themed
guided walks
(www.stalbanstourguides.co.uk) that generally
