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In less than an hour, trains from the nearby Liverpool Street or London Bridge stations reach places that shift the pace entirely: royal Windsor, free-spirited Brighton, contemplative Cambridge. Each is a perfect counterpoint to city life — an easy escape from the urban pulse, without ever breaking its spell.
Windsor — for a touch of royal calm
Windsor feels familiar even before you arrive, its skyline traced by the turrets of the Castle and the slow bend of the Thames. Less than an hour from London, it offers a regal pause wrapped in calm. Spend the morning walking through the State Apartments, where tapestries whisper centuries of ceremony, then slip out into town — past antique bookshops and bakery windows glazed with sugar.
Lunch on a terrace overlooking the river; linger long enough to see the light turn golden on the water. It’s heritage without stiffness, elegance without effort.
Brighton — for sea air and spontaneity
The city’s favourite escape since forever. Brighton still carries that sense of liberty — a place where style, art and eccentricity cohabit by the sea. The train from London Bridge takes just over an hour, but when the salt hits your skin, the distance feels greater. Morning walks along the pier, a dip into The Lanes for vintage finds and independent galleries, lunch at a seaside café, and maybe a glass of English sparkling wine before heading back.
There’s a beautiful imperfection to Brighton — windblown, sunlit, a little wild — the antidote to London’s perfectionism.
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