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The South

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Like a perky nose jutting into the English Channel the south eastern counties of England
have been fought over and farmed for thousands of years.

The result is a rich tapestry of history, culture and architecture, particularly military architecture in
its many forms.

From the power and majesty of Canterbury Cathedral, the excesses of the Royal Pavilion in
Brighton to the mystery of Stonehenge – and a slew of other major attractions – this is an area
where you could easily do a one, two or three day road trip to catch the essence of Britain. But
you could equally spend a couple of weeks exploring the rich banquet of attractions on offer.

Kent and Sussex have long been the front door to England, attracting the attention of invaders like
the Angles and Saxons, Romans, Normans and, fortunately less successfully, the Nazis in the
20th century.

The result is a legacy of forts, castles, cathedrals and fortified manor houses. Cathedrals as a
consequence of invasion? William the Conqueror was an avid cathedral builder, some because
he promised his god that if victory was his he would do so.

The popularity of the area with the rich and landed gentry of mediaeval times has given us a
delectable choice of great houses such as Penshurst, Hever, and Petworth. And today it is still
popular with the same rich and famous . . .or infamous, as the case may be.

The steep escarpments of the North and South Downs stare at each other across The Weald
– this is farming and orchard country. Hop gardens and even vineyards add coloratura notes to
the patchwork of gentle rural charm. Large swathes of the region are “Areas of Natural Beauty”
such as the Kent Downs ANOB or the High Weald ANOB and you will drive through miles of soft,
dappled forest.

Further to the west are the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire – they formed the core of
King Alfred’s kingdom of Wessex. Here are found the earliest habitations in the country, cultures
which left us the legacy of Stonehenge, undoubtedly Britain’s most recognised ancient monument.

Thus whether you are on limited time and can only afford a day or three, or you are nearing the
end of a long journey of discovery you can piece together a fascinating itinerary from the options
available in this region.