The Southeast: Places to Explore

The little hilltop town of Arundel is dominated by its great castle, the much-restored home of the dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years, and an imposing neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral—the... Read more

Battle is the actual site of the crucial Battle of Hastings, at which, on October 14, 1066, William of Normandy and his army trounced King Harold's Anglo-Saxon army. Today it's a sweet, quiet town, and... Read more

For more than 200 years, Brighton has been England's most interesting seaside city, and today it is more vibrant, eccentric, and cosmopolitan than ever. A rich cultural mix—Regency architecture... Read more

Like other Victorian seaside towns such as Margate and Ramsgate on this stretch of coast, Broadstairs was once the playground of vacationing Londoners. Today grand 19th-century houses line the waterfront... Read more

Burwash, a pretty Sussex village, is known for its association with writer Rudyard Kipling. Close by, between Burwash Common and the River Dudwell, was the setting for Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill.... Read more

Just mention Canterbury, and most people are taken back to memories of high-school English classes and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, about medieval pilgrims making their way to Canterbury Cathedral... Read more

The Romans founded Chichester, the capital city of West Sussex, on the low-lying plains between the wooded South Downs and the sea. The city walls and major streets follow the original Roman plan. This... Read more

The large seaside town of Deal, known for its castle, is famous in history books as the place where Caesar's legions landed in 55 BC, and it was from here that William Penn set sail in 1682 on his first... Read more

The busy passenger port of Dover has for centuries been Britain's gateway to Europe and is known for the famous white cliffs. You may find the town itself disappointing; the savage bombardments of World... Read more

In Roman times Faversham was a thriving seaport. Today the port is long gone, and all that is left is a waterway at the edge of town known as the Creek. Still, Faversham is a worthwhile stop for those... Read more

Fine old buildings fill Great Bookham, including a well-preserved 12th-century church.... Read more

Guildford, the largest town in Surrey and the county's capital, has a lovely historic center with charming original storefronts. Gabled merchants' houses line the steep, pleasantly provincial High Street... Read more

In the 19th century Hastings became one of England's many popular spa resorts. Tall Victorian row houses painted in lemony hues still cover the cliffs around the deep blue sea, and the views from the hilltops... Read more

The town nearest to the celebrated Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes is so rich in architectural history that the Council for British Archaeology has named it one of the 50 most important English towns. A... Read more

Positioned near the confluence of the Thames and the River Medway, this posh town has a history of Roman, Saxon, and Norman occupation, all of which have left architectural remains, including the vast castle... Read more

Nobody much bothers with the "Royal" anymore, but Tunbridge Wells is no less regal because of it. Because of its wealth and political conservatism, this historic bedroom community has been the subject... Read more

With cobbled streets and ancient timbered dwellings, Rye is an artist's dream. It was an important port town until the harbor silted up and the waters retreated more than 150 years ago; now the nearest... Read more

The coast near Canterbury holds three of the ancient Cinque Ports, a confederacy of ports along the southeast seaboard whose heyday lasted from the 12th through the 14th century. These towns, originally... Read more