The trouble with English weather is that it is so variable, which is why conversations in UK between strangers usually start with a discourse on prevailing conditions.

There is a rhyme "April SHOWERS, bring May FLOWERS, June SUN, brings SUMMERTIME FUN !!!" Unfortunately, the climate does not always follow the rhyme.

Or "Ne'r cast a clout til May is out." I'm not sure whether this refers to May the Month or the flowers of the May Tree.

May I ask Searcher whereabouts in Kent you live? We used to live in Thanet, mostly Margate and the surrounding towns.

"Cast not a clout" refers to the total unpredictability of the weather in the month of May. At the end of a day, in the busy street of London commuters may be carrying their winter coats, or shivering in their shirt sleeves. It is anecdotally the end of the cold blustery winds and the beginning of the warm weather, we just don't want to accept May Mix.

I presently live in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, but have lived in London, Norfolk and Hampshire. I am planning a final move later next year to Northumberland in the North East of the country. One of the bleaker parts of England, least populated and covered by forests, lakes, rivers and open spaces. Colder and wetter than the south, not warmed by the Gulf stream, but picturesque. Many castles including one used in the filming of Harry Potter's Hogwarts.

My husband and I are going to London for a week in mid May. I am wanting to plan one day trip from London that would provide good photo ops as well as be an enjoyable day spent with my husband. (Our 50th anniversary)

Unfortunately, I am unable to do much walking. So no long hikes or walks could be done. I enjoy more wildlife and nature photography, but also unique buildings such as castles, bridges, cathedrals, etc.

I am hoping to get some suggestions from those who have done this or live in the area. I have considered Stonehenge, but a couple who have been recently were disappointed. Plus thought it might involve a lot of walking.

Thanks in advance for any ideas/ suggestions.

There is this curious American idea that more is always better. So, if Windsor is nice and Bath is nice, then Windsor AND Bath will be twice as nice. Unfortunately, this simply isn't true.

I would strongly discourage anyone from doing more than one town, such as Oxford, Bath, or Windsor, in one day. IMO, you'd be far better off choosing one place and spending the day there, getting a real feel for it. Otherwise, the main thing you'll remember is the highway and the bus ride. If you want something to remember and not just a bunch of 2nd rate, post-card-like snapshots of places you can barely recall, go for depth, not breadth.

Windsor has everything you could ask for. It is England in microcosm. An ancient castle, great art, adorable Elizabethan homes and pubs. Clean. Orderly. Compact. It is also very close to London. (Skip Legoland unless that is your thing!)

I've visited England many times, and if I had just one day, Windsor is where I would go.

On the other hand, Oxford is also spectacular, and if you can get to the top of he tower of St. Mary's in the center of town, the view is amazing. But, Oxford is a two or three hour drive (or bus ride), so that will give you much less time on the ground.

For something a little less touristic, Salisbury is lovely and has the tallest (and one of the oldest) medieval spires in England. Heading up to Salisbury, you could take in Stonehenge too. But I would put Stonehenge in the "nice to see if its not too out of the way" category

My husband and I are going to London for a week in mid May. I am wanting to plan one day trip from London that would provide good photo ops as well as be an enjoyable day spent with my husband. (Our 50th anniversary)

Unfortunately, I am unable to do much walking. So no long hikes or walks could be done. I enjoy more wildlife and nature photography, but also unique buildings such as castles, bridges, cathedrals, etc.

I am hoping to get some suggestions from those who have done this or live in the area. I have considered Stonehenge, but a couple who have been recently were disappointed. Plus thought it might involve a lot of walking.

Thanks in advance for any ideas/ suggestions.

Windsor has everything you could ask for. It is England in microcosm. An ancient castle, great art, adorable Elizabethan homes and pubs. Clean. Orderly. Compact. It is also very close to London. (Skip Legoland unless that is your thing!)

I've visited England many times, and if I had just one day, Windsor is where I would go.

On the other hand, Oxford is also spectacular, and if you can get to the top of he tower of St. Mary's in the center of town, the view is amazing. But, Oxford is a two or three hour drive (or bus ride), so that will give you much less time on the ground.

For something a little less touristic, Salisbury is lovely and has the the tallest (and one of the oldest) medieval spires in England. Heading up to Salisbury, you could take in Stonehenge too. But I would put Stonehenge in the "nice to see if its not too out of the way" category

These suggestions from Ipporel are better than most!
I would suggest Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, Cambridge, or Salisbury. (In order of distance.) Ely cathedral is astonishing (so is Salisbury's) but there's not a lot else in Ely, and both Cambridge and Ely in one day is pushing it unless you go by taxi, which is expensive.

As for the climate, there isn't one! In the UK we only have weather, and Google doesn't understand this. Temperature in May could be anything between 5 degrees and 70, possibly within 24 hours. Snow is unlikely but not totally impossible, most likely you'll get a couple of nice days, a couple of wet days, and the rest somewhere between.

Thank you Jackdoor. I appreciate those suggestions. I have a list compiled from the responses and plan to sort through them in the next few days. I have a guide book and am working with a good travel agent. Thank you also for the reminder to look and enjoy. We are looking forward to our trip to this great city and country. .....rain and all :)

Have a lovely time, and don't forget to just enjoy looking, as well as taking photographs.

Good evening
Don't know how long you will be in England or what your transportation will be. I recently visited. London was very disappointing Unless you just want to take pictures of landmarks I don't think you will have much of a good time. I did enjoy visiting the countryside. The people are so friendly. I enjoyed the Moors down by Plymouth. Wild horses, roaming sheep and the views were fantastic. The fishing villages were really nice. Stonehenge was really nice but not what I expected. Guess you just have to visit once to say you were there. Stratford on Avon was wonderful. The photos you can take in England are endless. We have 2 dvds with each having over 45 minutes of music and the pictures we took. Enjoy your trip