White Cliffs of Dover, Kent, England, UK by Harvey Barrison

England’s southern coast is home to a number of important cities, fascinating towns and quaint villages, which is why it’s a good idea to set aside a few days to tour the area. For the best experience of all, you should hire a car in Kent and travel west all the way to Cornwall. Over the course of a week, you can take in some breathtaking scenery as well as some truly unforgettable buildings and landmarks.

Kent is known as the Garden of England, and is one of the most beautiful counties in the whole of the UK. The famous white cliffs of Dover are an iconic symbol of the country, and provide a welcoming vista for ferry passengers who come to Britain from continental Europe. Further along the coast, traditional seaside resorts such as Folkestone and Hastings (which is in Sussex) are lying in wait.

Folkestone, Dover, England, UK by Pierre Metivier

The beauty of Brighton

To the immediate south of London lies the city of Brighton & Hove. It’s an exciting, funky place with a thriving entertainment quarter. Once an exclusive haunt of the rich and famous, nowadays it offers something for everyone. Continuing west, the cathedral city of Chichester is a favourite with history lovers, as well as those people who like to enjoy a little retail therapy from time to time.

Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth are all relatively close together, yet each of them has its own unique character. The latter has been a popular family holiday resort for many decades, and continues to attract plenty of tourists to this day. Continuing through Dorset, the town of Weymouth is worth a little exploration, if only because it hosted the yachting competitions at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Southampton’s Town Walls, England, UK by Christophe.Finot

Devon and Cornwall complete the westerly journey, and in these counties you’ll find a wonderful array of picturesque fishing villages, many of which have changed little over the centuries. The rugged coastline is also home to many secluded coves that offer visitors a golden opportunity to enjoy some much-needed peace and tranquillity. Be sure to bring a camera with you, because the landscapes and seascapes really need to be immortalised on film.

David Showell lives in southern England and works for 121carhire.

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Royal Pavilion, Brighton, UK by Xgkkp

The Royal Pavilion is not like Taj Mahal inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Heritage Sites but it is still very interesting and magnificent attraction in the southern England, which you should not miss once you are around London. It is very nice especially in the evenings when it is richly illuminated.

The Royal Pavilion is open daily except for few national holidays or regular annual maintenance. If you would like to organize some group trip here, it is recommended to book in advance during the summer, as the Royal Pavilion used to be quite busy.

Basic admission is £10 for adults and £5,70 for kids, but there are a number of special offers for families, students, or seniors… The best way how you can get there is by train, Pavilion is located just 15 minutes walking from Brighton Rail Station.

During your tour around the Royal Pavilion you will visit such great places as The Music Room, The Banqueting Room, Royal bedrooms, The Great Kitchen, Royal reception rooms and Indian Military Hospital gallery. You can also take Audio Guides which are already included in the price. And if you prefer being in the nature rather than moving from one room to another one, Royal Pavilion is still good option for you. There are gardens where you can expect different species of plants in the different season.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tomas Maltby

Originally there was a town called Bristelmestune situated on the territory of today’s Brighton, but was completely burned down in 1514 by French pirates. The first known finding of the new city of Brighton comes from 1545. In the years 1740 – 1750 there was a local doctor who started to prescribe local sea water as a medicine to their patients, which initiated the future of Brighton as a treatment center. In 1780 began the construction of Regency terraces and originally insignificant fishing village soon became a popular seaside resort. In 1841 the town was made accessible by rail, which brought the first tourists to Brighton from London. During the Victorian era was managed the construction of many important buildings, which raised population and area of ​​the city began to expand rapidly. Brighton has currently about 250 thousand inhabitants.

Now, it is young and dynamic city offering all the benefits of modern life. Brighton is a major educational center with two universities and many schools. From time immemorial it attracted actors, artists and lords, who fled here from the hustle and bustle of the capital city of London. Good location of Brighton was appreciated also by an English Queen Victoria, who built a summer residence here in 1850. For some period of time it was also a home to Sir Laurence Olivier.

Walking through the city is ideal mainly for romantic souls who will be enchanted by the picturesque nooks and winding streets. The most important and most visited monument in Brighton is undoubtedly the majestic Royal Pavilion, with its extravagance which ranked among the most beautiful buildings, not only in England but also throughout Europe. The palace is notable especially for its architecture inspired by India and interior design in the oriental style. History of the Royal Pavilion dates back to 1785. It was a time when the Prince of Wales rented a fort in Brighton. It was a place where he used to meet with his mistress, later wife Maria Fitzherbert. In 1785, they got married secretly, but the Anglican Church never officially recognized and accepted it.

In addition to the Royal Pavilion, there is another very popular attraction in Brighton – Palace Pier. It is a late Victorian pier from 1899, where you can find funny attractions, classic fairground attraction, as well as cafes and boutiques. You can also visit the aquarium Sea Life Centre, the largest in southern England, where you can walk along the seabed. There are sharks and various sea animals that live in local waters. It is worth to visit also a former fishing district Lanes or lookout point The Cliff Walk situated high on the cliffs above the sea.

In Brighton, you can also find the oldest operating electric railway in the world – Volk’s Electric Railways, which was built in 1883. Runs along the inner edge of the beach from Brighton Pier to Black Rock. One of the oldest buildings in the city is the Old Ship Hotel from 1559, but also the Church of St. Nicholas from the 11th century and church of St. Bartholomew.

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