Places to visit in England : Kent and Sussex

For such a relatively small country, England has a wide variety of interesting places to visit. Outside of London, which is a topic in itself, England is dotted with towns and regions which reflect the rich historical and cultural heritage of its several phases of development over the past 2000 years or more. Historic buildings, cathedrals and churches, and museums abound. A good deal of it is still set among green and pleasant countryside, some flat, some rolling, some hilly. And if seaside resorts appeal, there are some attractive, if sometimes rather chilly beaches scattered along its lengthy coastline, too.

The south-east corner of England including Kent and Sussex is a good starting point for a sample of each of these 3 main types of attraction. If you approach the island kingdom by ferry from across the Channel, you'll be greeted by the famous sight of the white cliffs of Dover. Worth a visit is Dover Castle, with its maze of underground tunnels, from where the evacuation of Dunkirk was plotted in the last war.

Further round to the east and north of this landing point are the twin seaside resorts of Ramsgate and Margate, which have a certain charm and wide sandy beaches newly awarded Blue Flags, but are soon to be redeveloped into swanky modern resorts. If it rains, visit the Shell Grotto in Margate, where a huge (2000 sq.ft.) mosaic discovered in 1835 consists of millions of shells depicting the tree of life and the gods.

If you're interested in maritime history instead, you could try Chatham, which has the oldest and probably best historical collection of sailing vessels going back 400 years. This is also the birthplace of Dickens.

Then, if you have a car, the trip north towards London through what used to be the Garden of England for its wealth of orchards and grey-green undulating fields of hops could be punctuated by a stop in Canterbury. Here it is customary to take cream tea and cakes in the olde worlde shops surrounding the walls of the evocative cathedral. You can also take tours of sites related to Chaucer's Tales, with actors narrating and enacting the famous scenes as you go.

A lesser-known but equally impressive cathedral is to be found at Rochester, which also has its own pilgrim heritage. There is also a fine and well-preserved Norman castle. Kent is also home to a number of famous residences, such as Winston Churchill's retreat at Chartwell, where he enjoyed painting and writing.

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