Category: SOUTHEAST ENGLAND

East Sussex is a richly varied county that absorbs armies of weekending Londoners whenever the weather is fine. Some come for the scintillating nightlife and shingly shores of Brighton, others to explore the white cliffs and civilised seaside charms of Eastbourne. Many more opt for romance amid the medieval streets of Rye or historic Battle, where William the Conqueror first engaged the Saxons in 1066. But you needn’t chase the Chelsea tractors to enjoy East Sussex. It’s just as rewarding to get off the beaten track and explore its lush countryside, linger along its winding country lanes and stretch your legs across the rolling South Downs.

A classic golden-oldie seaside resort that has long brought to mind images of octogenarians dozing in deck chairs or tapping their feet to brassy tunes on the 1930s bandstand, elegant Eastbourne nonetheless likes to promote its many charms to sprightlier generations. There’s certainly no doubting the appeal of its pebbly beaches, scrupulously snipped seaside gardens and picturesque arcade-free promenade, but if you’re looking for cosmopolitan buzz, grab your chocolate-flake ice cream and head for Brighton.

On the doorstep of London, the seaside resort of Southend certainly has its selling points to the capital’s weekenders: sandy sprawling beaches for one and an absurdly long pier for another. However, it’s also one of the more gaudy and belligerent of England’s summer sun-and-sea destinations, thick with lurid amusements and seedy nightclubs. But if you have a craving for ice cream, fish and chips and salty sea air, it will be well satisfied here.

Poor old Essex has been the butt of English jokes and target for snobbery for decades. Its inhabitants are ridiculed for their bottle-blonde manes, promiscuous persuasions, witless ways and loud cars. But throw the stereotypes aside and you’ll discover a county filled with diversity and diversions. Here lies historic Colchester, Britain’s oldest town with a burgeoning arts scene. Sleepy medieval villages hide down winding lanes and amid countryside that inspired the painter Constable. But if you’d rather skip culture and seek out Essex’s saucy stereotypical soul, make a beeline to Southend-on-Sea, the most popular fun-in-the-sun resort near London.

Farnham is Surrey’s most attractive market town. It’s practically empty during the week, which makes it a lovely and relaxing place to visit. The town’s main enticements include admiring the exquisite Georgian homes, shopping in the independent boutiques (some of which are on the pricey side), walking and cycling in the surrounding countryside, visiting the charming museum and popping into one of Surrey’s only intact castles.

Surrey is the place for wealthy London commuters to choose when they sprog (reproduce), move out of the city and buy a country pad. As such there are two strands of residents – those who commute and earn fat bonuses and those who are local and don’t – and some people mix better than others. Further away from the roaring motorways, the county reveals some inspiring landscapes made famous by authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen.

Think of Hampshire and images of petticoated heroines, stiff-backed gentlemen and rolling rural landscapes of novelist Jane Austin (1775–1817) may spring to mind. But while still blessed with those undulating chalk downs and fertile agricultural valleys, this is a remarkably varied county. Winchester, once capital of the powerful Kingdom of Wessex that extended into Wiltshire and Dorset, delights with its fascinating cathedral and beautiful setting. The coastline too is rich in maritime history, not least at Portsmouth, home of the once-mighty Royal Navy. And Hampshire’s southwestern corner also claims the lovely open heath and woodlands of the New Forest.

Serene West Sussex comes as a little light relief after the faster-paced adventures of Brighton and East Sussex. The tumbling hills and valleys of the South Downs dominate the countryside. And both dreamy Arundel and dignified big sister Chichester make good bases from which to explore the county’s winding country lanes and scout out its remarkable Roman ruins.