After the whirlwind of Christmas festivities, cardboard unboxing and gift-wrapping marathons, and he endless rounds of mince pies, January arrives with a familiar sense of deflation. The decorations come down, the credit card bills land on the doormat and the short, dark days can feel relentless.
But rather than hibernating under a duvet until spring, why not channel that post-Christmas energy into something restorative? A short break close to home offers the perfect antidote: a chance to shake off the seasonal cobwebs, explore somewhere new and return feeling genuinely refreshed rather than simply exhausted.
The good news is that you needn’t travel far to find that midwinter magic. Within an hour of London lie some of England’s most characterful towns, each offering their own particular brand of winter charm. Think crackling pub fires (you can still enjoy the glory of the pub even if you’re doing Dry January!), bracing coastal walks, world-class museums without the summer crowds and restaurants serving the kind of hearty food that January demands. Here are 5 destinations guaranteed to lift even the most stubborn case of the post-Christmas blues.
Chatham & Rochester, Kent
The Medway Towns offer a surprisingly rich winter escape just 35 minutes from St Pancras on the high-speed train. While the celebrated Historic Dockyard Chatham reopens in mid-February, the adjacent town of Rochester more than compensates during January. This is Dickens country, after all, and winter feels like the appropriate season to wander its atmospheric streets.
Rochester Cathedral, England’s second oldest, provides a peaceful refuge from the January chill, while the imposing Norman castle offers panoramic views across the Medway from its keep. The town’s High Street is pleasingly independent, with Baggins Book Bazaar claiming to be England’s largest secondhand bookshop across its labyrinthine rooms. For something more interactive, several board game cafes have opened in recent years, offering the perfect rainy afternoon activity.
For those wanting to stretch their legs, nearby Blue Bell Hill rewards with some of Kent’s finest views across the Medway Valley and Weald. The area is also home to Kit’s Coty House, a 6,000-year-old Neolithic burial chamber thought to predate Stonehenge. The three massive sarsen uprights and their capstone make for an atmospheric winter pilgrimage, particularly on a crisp January morning when mist hangs over the valley below.
Come evening, Rochester’s historic pubs provide exactly what January demands: low-beamed ceilings, real ales and proper comfort food. The annual Sweeps Festival may be months away, but the town’s Dickensian spirit endures year-round.
Getting there: High-speed trains from London St Pancras to Rochester take approximately 35 minutes. Standard services from London Victoria reach Chatham in around 50 minutes. Getting to Chatham by car takes around an hour.
Rye, East Sussex
The medieval East Sussex town of Rye could have been designed specifically for winter visits. Its cobbled lanes, crooked half-timbered buildings and ancient inns are impossibly photogenic under grey January skies, and the absence of summer crowds makes the whole experience considerably more pleasant.
Mermaid Street remains the most photographed spot, its 900-year-old buildings now housing everything from boutique B&Bs to the legendary Mermaid Inn, where smugglers once plotted in secret cellars. The inn’s Giant’s Fireplace Bar offers exactly the sort of atmospheric refuge a January afternoon requires.
Crucially for winter visitors, Rye is in its element during the colder months. The town hosts a Scallop Festival in February, but January sees the famous Rye Bay scallops already in season and appearing on menus across town.
Climb St Mary’s Church tower for winter views across Romney Marsh to the sea, then warm up with fresh seafood at The Standard Inn. For a bracing winter walk, the nearby Rye Harbour Nature Reserve offers excellent birdwatching across its saltmarshes and shingle banks.
Getting there: Trains from London St Pancras to Ashford International take 38 minutes, with a connecting service to Rye taking a further 21 minutes.
Whitstable, Kent
A windswept seaside town might seem counterintuitive for January, but Whitstable’s appeal is precisely that bracing quality. A stiff walk along the pebble beach, past rainbow-coloured beach huts, followed by a plate of oysters and a pint in a cosy harbour pub: this is winter done properly.
The town has been synonymous with oysters since Roman times, and January sits firmly within the native oyster season, which runs from September to April. The Royal Native Oyster Stores and Wheeler’s Oyster Bar both serve exemplary specimens, while the Crab and Winkle restaurant above the harbour provides a warm retreat when the wind picks up.
Beyond the seafood, Whitstable’s High Street rewards winter browsing with independent shops, vintage stores and excellent coffee roasters. The Old Neptune pub, known locally as ‘The Neppy’, sits directly on the beach and offers real ales alongside surprisingly good food. Nearby, The Sportsman at Seasalter holds a Michelin star and represents the perfect excuse to extend a day trip into an overnight stay.
Getting there: Direct trains from London Victoria to Whitstable take approximately one hour 20 minutes.
Oxford, Oxfordshire
The city of dreaming spires is particularly atmospheric in winter, when mist hangs over the college quads and the golden stone takes on a softer quality. January also means the university is in term, lending Oxford an energy that summer tourism alone cannot replicate.
For indoor escapes, the Ashmolean Museum houses half a million years of art and archaeology across 39 galleries, all free to enter. The quirky Pitt Rivers Museum, attached to the Natural History Museum, offers another rainy afternoon’s worth of exploration through its extraordinary ethnographic collections. The Bodleian Library and its atmospheric Divinity School provide yet more shelter from the elements, while literary pilgrims can follow in the footsteps of Tolkien and Lewis through their old haunts.
Oxford’s pub scene is among England’s finest, and January is the ideal time to claim a fireside seat. The Eagle and Child, where the Inklings once gathered, The Turf Tavern, hidden down a medieval alley, and The Bear, with its collection of tie remnants, all offer proper winter refuge. For something more contemporary, the Covered Market provides an excellent lunch destination, while Jericho’s restaurants and bars cater to those seeking a livelier evening.
Getting there: Direct trains from London Paddington take approximately one hour. Coaches from London Victoria take around 90 minutes.
Read: The best places for a Sunday roast in Oxford
St Albans, Hertfordshire
Just 20 minutes from London, the Hertfordshire cathedral city of St Albans offers an ideal January day trip. The magnificent 11th-century cathedral, built partly from Roman bricks salvaged from nearby Verulamium, dominates the skyline and provides a suitably grand start to any visit.
St Albans punches well above its weight for pubs, with the historic Ye Olde Fighting Cocks claiming to be Britain’s oldest. January is the perfect time to test this theory while warming yourself by the fire. The city also boasts an impressive collection of micropubs and craft beer spots for those seeking something more contemporary. Its restaurant scene isn’t half bad, either.
For winter walks, the 100-acre Verulamium Park incorporates the remains of the Roman city, including visible sections of wall and a hypocaust. The St Albans Museum and Gallery, housed in the Victorian town hall, offers free admission and tells the area’s 2,000-year story. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the historic 150-stall charter market brings additional life to the medieval streets, offering fresh produce and artisan goods to stock up on before the journey home.
Getting there: Trains from London St Pancras to St Albans City take approximately 20 minutes.
The Bottom Line
January needn’t be the month of endurance that it often becomes. Each of these five destinations offers something the post-Christmas soul craves: history to absorb, food to warm, walks to invigorate and pubs to shelter in when the weather turns.
Best of all, they’re close enough to London that the journey itself feels like part of the escape rather than an obstacle to overcome. Pack a warm coat, check the train times and give yourself permission to start the new year somewhere that isn’t your sofa.
