Destination Guide to the South East of England
Rubbing shoulders with Europe, England’s South East has played a central role in the nation’s rich history making it the ideal destination for a cultural English vacation.
The south east of England shows off this great nation at its most traditional; mellow, pastoral landscapes are dotted with royal palaces, ancient castles and quintessential English townships. The region stretches from London and the city’s bordering “home counties” through the rolling hills of the Thames valley to the country’s most iconic coastline on the English Channel culminating at Dover’s famous white cliffs. Inland the region’s landscapes alternate from the natural untamed beauty of the national parks of the South Downs in West Sussex and the New Forest in Hampshire to some of England’s most famous cultivated gardens such as those at Sissinghurst in Kent and Wakehurst in West Sussex.Due to its geographical setting, situated between the epicentre of London and the English Channel, the South East has always been at the heart of England’s history whether bearing witness to invasions from continental Europe or as the stomping ground of monarchs, politicians and renowned English figures. Today the region is bustling with affluent towns spilling out from London home to rich commuters whilst the landscapes bear hallmarks of even wealthier historic inhabitants. Kent is home to two of England’s most iconic and glorious royal palaces at Hever Castle and Leeds Castle both with connections to the Tudor Dynasty and most notably Henry VIII and his wives. Nearby you’ll find one of many opulent manor at Churchill’s family home at Chartwell whilst further south you’ll find the site of England’s most infamous Battle at Hastings and Battle Abbey. A highlight not to be missed is the glorious Highclere Castle, peacefully set in the Hampshire countryside, this Victorian castle is better known as television’s Downton Abbey.
There are a wealth of historic towns and cities in the region. English cathedral city’s can be found at their most quintessential in Winchester, with connections to Jane Austen, and the Ecclesiastical capital of England itself in Canterbury, setting of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The coastal towns here, however, contrast vividly from the fortified port and iconic white cliffs of Dover to the gloriously bohemian resort town of Brighton home of the opulent Royal Pavillion and the home of English maritime history at Portsmouth. Possibly the jewel in the crown however is the stunning town of Windsor, home to England’s most famous Royal Residence at Windsor Castle.
Home to cathedral cities, coastal towns and some of England’s most famous Castles, the unique history of the south east should be experienced on any tour of England.
