Bognor Regis is a small seaside town on the West Sussex coast, about 80 kilometres south of London. It earned its royal suffix in 1929 when King George V recuperated here after a serious illness — a distinction the town has clung to ever since, though its character is firmly that of an unpretentious British seaside resort rather than anything regal.
The town's main draw is its beach: a long stretch of sand and shingle backed by a traditional promenade, with a pier (now truncated but still standing), amusement arcades, and fish-and-chip shops. It is not fashionable, and that is rather the point. Bognor attracts families, day-trippers from London, and those who appreciate a place that doesn't try too hard. Butlin's sits just west of the pier and drives a significant slice of the town's visitor economy. Hotham Park offers a quiet alternative to the seafront, with a Victorian park house, duck pond, and miniature railway.
The unexpected literary connection is Blake's Cottage in the neighbouring village of Felpham, where William Blake lived from 1800 to 1803 and began writing the poem that gave the world the hymn "Jerusalem." The cottage is not open to the public but is visible from the street. Bognor sits within easy reach of more dramatically interesting parts of West Sussex. Chichester, a compact Roman city with a fine cathedral, is just 10 kilometres to the north-east. The South Downs National Park begins almost immediately inland, offering good walking country. Arundel, with its castle and cathedral, is a short drive away.