Hi everyone.
I've got two school-age children, and I'm keen to take them on their first stargazing trip. We live in London where we have everything, except dark skies!
I'm considering a trip to the South Downs, which is handy for trains and famous for its Dark Sky sites.
I am however looking to do this by public transport, so I hit a problem: I'm looking for locations that are easily accessible, but still reasonably dark. I've been trying to cross-reference rail maps, bus maps and light pollution maps and my head's started to spin. A spot on a bus route is more likely (train stations tend to be near well-lit areas) but these maps are harder to compile.
So I thought I'd come on here and look for personal recommendations. Can anyone recommend anywhere that is:
- Dark!
- Close to a bus route.
- Otherwise useful for stargazing.
- Safe enough after sunset to take a couple of kids.
A tricky ask I know, but I thought if anyone knows, it'll be this community!
Thank you very much for reading.