South East England Travel Guide

Historic East Sussex, Kent, and Surrey

Explore

Find historic places to visit and stay in south east England. Explore the cathedral city of Canterbury with its wealth of historic buildings, or explore Anne Boleyn's childhood home of moated Hever Castle. If its moated castles you enjoy, what about Bodiam, Kent, built to withstand an attack that never came. From Sissinghurst Castle Garden to some of the great stately homes of England at Penshurst Place and Leeds Castle, history is never far away.

Major Historic Attractions

Top Heritage-Rated

St Augustine's Abbey Heritage Rating
Hever Castle
Leeds Castle
Canterbury Cathedral
Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Abbeys
Battle Abbey
Bayham Abbey
Michelham Priory

Castles
Bodiam
Deal Castle
Dover Castle
Herstmonceux
Hever Castle
Leeds Castle
Pevensey Castle
Scotney Castle

Cathedrals
Canterbury
Rochester

Countryside
South Downs Way
North Downs Way

Historic Houses
Alfriston Clergy House
Bateman's
Firle Place
Ightham Mote
Knole
Old Soar Manor
Penshurst Place
Polesden Lacy
Stoneacre
Chartwell

Gardens
Borde Hill Garden
Great Dixter
High Beeches
Leonardslee
Nyman's
Sheffield Park
Sissinghurst
Wakehurst Place

Roman Remains
Lullingstone Villa

Featured Attraction

Tenterden - Tenterden, Kent, England

Tenterden is a lovely old town that dates to the Saxon period. It became prosperous in the 14th century as a centre of the wool trade. Its most famous native was William Caxton (born 1422), who was responsible for printing the first book in English.
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County Travel Guides

East Sussex
Kent
Surrey

Special Destination guides:
Brighton - The south coast resort town graced by the Prince Regent's extravagant Royal Pavillion.
Canterbury - one of the most historic cities in Europe
Rye - a delightful seaside village.
Tunbridge Wells - a fashionable Georgian spa town with a location that makes it a perfect base for exploring Kent and south-east England.

Accommodation

Self Catering Cottages
East Sussex - West Sussex - Kent - Surrey- and many more locations >>

Editor's picks - Top 5 reasons to visit South East England

1. The gardens at Scotney Castle
2. Water-ringed Bodiam Castle
3. The worn half-timbered manor of Ightam Mote
4. Lonely Romney Marsh
5. Canterbury, cathedral et al.

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National Trust

National Trust membership

Free entry to National Trust properties throughout England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus discounted admission to National Trust for Scotland properties.

Membership details

About the National Trust

Newquay (Self catering)