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Southeast England - Large and Small Towns and Villages

by WSB

Links are given in the text below to maps on the Multimap website; this will initially display an extract from the local Ordnance Survey map zoomed in to the place of interest; you can zoom in and out, see other local points of interest and also switch to other map formats if you prefer; there are also links on the map to Wikipedia articles on other nearby places.

Key

Places where members of certain organisations get free or reduced price admission:

NT: National Trust property
EH: English Heritage property
HHA: member of Historic Houses Association (Note: because they are privately owned, HHA houses often have a lived-in atmosphere that is lacking in the more impersonal NT and EH properties)
AF: membership of the Art Fund allows free or reduced-price admission

Star-ratings in prominent guide books:

J: star rating (***** is top-rating) in England’s 1000 Best Churches or England’s 1000 Best Houses by Simon Jenkins
F: star rating (***** is top-rating) in Britain’s Best Museums & Galleries by Mark Fisher
GG: star rating (** is top-rating) in Good Gardens Guide

Large Towns

The medieval Butter Cross at the centre of Chichester

Canterbury, Kent (Multimap)
The capital of ancient Kent. It is a compact city with the circuit of ancient walls still evident. The ancient streets near the cathedral and the cathedral precinct itself are particularly atmospheric.

Tunbridge Wells, Kent (Multimap)
One of the oldest spa towns in England

Guildford, Surrey (Multimap)
The county town of Surrey, with a bustling centre.

Brighton, East Sussex (Multimap)
Where the “seaside” was invented. The most vibrant town in south-east England.

Chichester, West Sussex (Multimap)
This is one of the most enjoyable towns to visit. It is an elegant Georgian town which has been less affected by modern development than most. The lovely cathedral spire dominates the town as well as all distant views. Don’t miss St Mary’s Hospital, where old people still live in a fascinating church-like medieval almshouse.

Lewes, East Sussex (Multimap)
A hill-town (which is unusual in England) with a lovely, mainly Georgian, centre dominated by the castle ruins.

Small Towns and Villages

(a personal selection from a large number of attractive places):

A corner of Henfield, Sussex

Chilham, Kent (Multimap)

Chiddingstone, Kent (Multimap)
A single village street (pub, shop and a few houses with church opposite) preserved by the National Trust

Sandwich, Kent (Multimap)

Smarden, Kent (Multimap)

Bletchingley, Surrey (Multimap)

Lingfield, Surrey (Multimap)

Shere, Surrey (Multimap)

Amberley, West Sussex (Multimap)

Bosham, West Sussex (Multimap)

Fletching, East Sussex (Multimap)

Petworth, West Sussex (Multimap)

Rye, East Sussex (Multimap)
The most perfect small hill-town in southern England.

Steyning, West Sussex (Multimap)

West Firle, East Sussex (Multimap)

West Burton, Bignor, Sutton, Graffham, Heyshott, Cocking … the chain of villages in most beautiful countryside along the foot of the Downs south of Petworth (Multimap)

Cocking church