London and the South East

Counties: London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight.

Principal towns: London, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Canterbury.

London – what need one say? One of the world’s great cities, it abounds with interesting historical sites. It is also a major commercial and cultural centre, with many famous museums, art galleries, theatres, restaurants, shops and sporting venues.

Due to its proximity to London, the South East is the most densely populated and prosperous area of Britain. This prosperity, and its proximity to mainland Europe (and therefore its propensity to invasion in times past) makes for an historically interesting area, with an abundance of stately homes, castles and cathedrals.

Kent is known as the ‘Garden of England’ as the flat land and the mild climate are conducive to fruit growing. The North and South Downs are chalk ridges that offer opportunities for easy walking.

At the coast the land generally gently shelves into the sea, with a few exceptions, such as the famous white cliffs of Dover. The Victorian seaside town of Brighton is where, reputedly, sea bathing was first practised and established the British tradition of holidaying by the sea.