South East England

Canterbury, Brighton, Oxford, the Downs, and the coastal gateway from Dover to Portsmouth.

The South East of England stretches from the fringes of London to the coast, packing an extraordinary amount of history, landscape and character into a compact region. This is the part of England closest to the continent, and it has been a gateway, a battleground and a retreat for centuries.

Oxford draws visitors from around the world to its ancient university colleges, honey-coloured stone and dreaming spires. Brighton is the opposite in temperament: a raucous, cosmopolitan seaside city with a thriving arts scene, excellent restaurants and a pier that glows with neon after dark. Portsmouth is steeped in naval history, home to Nelson's HMS Victory and the recovered Tudor warship Mary Rose. Southampton has deep maritime roots of its own, from the Titanic to the medieval walls that still ring the old town.

Dover is the dramatic chalk-cliff gateway to England, with a medieval castle towering above the port. Hastings is best known for the 1066 battle that changed English history, but the old town with its fishermen's net huts and steep funicular railways has a faded charm worth exploring. Canterbury has been a pilgrimage destination since the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170, and its cathedral remains one of the finest in England.

Beyond the cities, the landscape rewards exploration. The white cliffs run along the Kent and Sussex coasts, the South Downs roll inland, and the New Forest offers ancient woodland where ponies roam freely. The region also has excellent rail connections to London, making most destinations easy day trips from the capital.