17 Best Sights in The Southeast, England

Just across the road from Arundel Cathedral is another equally impressive—and equally oversize—religious building. This 14th-century parish church, built on the site of a far older priory, was almost certainly the work of Henry Yeveley and William Wynford, who also contributed to Canterbury and Winchester cathedrals. Interestingly, the church is today divided into two separate parts according to denomination: the main part, the nave, is Protestant, while the chancel is Catholic. The latter, seized during the Reformation, is where the dukes of Norfolk are buried. Wander around to see some of the decorative highlights, including the remarkable stone pulpit, the unusually large Royal Coat of Arms, and some surviving fragments of medieval wall paintings.

Plunging hundreds of feet into the sea, Dover's startingly white cliffs are a spectacular sight, and one of the most iconic symbols of England. The cliffs, which are composed mainly of chalk with slivers of flint, are eroding at a rather alarming rate: more than a foot (30 cm) a year on average. Because of this, you must be cautious when walking along the cliffs—experts recommend staying at least 20 feet from the edge. The cliffs stretch for around 8 miles altogether, but the most popular section to visit is the one managed by the National Trust, about 2 miles east of town. The visitor center has 5 miles of walking trails heading farther east to the 19th-century South Foreland Lighthouse and St. Margaret's Bay, with spectacular views along the way. There are also some lovely coastal walks to the west of Dover with good views of the cliffs, including Samphire Hoe, Folkestone East Cliff, and Warren Country Park. Signs will direct you from the roads to scenic spots.

Opened in 2022, this modern cultural center—named after Amelia Scott, a local campaigner for women’s suffrage, and often referred to as "The Amelia Scott"—is home to a series of appealing museum and gallery spaces. You'll find everything from interactive history exhibits to Victorian-era toys to ever-changing art exhibitions. There's also an excellent children's library, a sculpture-filled garden, and a small café. The building is home to the town's tourist information office.

This far-too-big-for-a-small-town Catholic cathedral in the French-Gothic style was commissioned by Henry, Duke of Norfolk in 1868 to celebrate his coming of age. Designed by Joseph Hansom (of hansom cab horse-drawn carriage fame), it opened in 1873. Stroll around the gorgeous interior, renowned for its signature stained-glass rose window and impressive 19th-century organ. Also look out for the roundels of Saxon saints high up on the walls of the aisles.

Move over, Dover: these are perhaps Britain's most spectacular white cliffs. Located 16 miles southeast of Lewes, off the A259 just before Eastbourne, this up-to-530-foot-high curtain of chalk has watched over the English Channel for nigh on 100 million years. You can walk the windy path along the top of Beachy Head for lovely views of the cliffs, the sea, and the red-and-white-striped lighthouse. For a longer clifftop walk, continue west along the Seven Sisters Cliffs; it's around 5½ miles (two hours) each way from the Beachy Head parking lot to the stony beach at Cuckmere Haven.

The medieval Poor Priests' Hospital is the site of this quirky local museum, where exhibits provide an overview of the city's history and architecture from Roman times to World War II. It covers everything and everyone associated with the town, including the mysterious death of the 16th-century writer Christopher Marlowe and the British children's book and TV characters Rupert the Bear and Bagpuss. Look out for the beautiful (and tiny) gold dragon pendant, an Anglo-Saxon treasure that was made in Kent around 1,200 years ago.

Brighton's most iconic landmark is its famous beach, which sweeps smoothly from one end of town to the other. In summer, sunbathers, swimmers, and ice cream–sellers pack the shore; in winter, people stroll at the water's stormy edge, walking their dogs and searching for seashells. The water is bracingly cold, and the beach is covered in a thick blanket of large, smooth pebbles (615 billion of them, according to the tourism office). Bring a pair of rubber swimming shoes if you're taking a dip—the stones are hard on bare feet. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; swimming.

This enormous gate, built in 1517, leads into the cathedral close. As you pass through, look up at the sculpted heads of two young figures: Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, and the young Catherine of Aragon, to whom Arthur was married in 1501 (when he was just 15). He died shortly afterward, and Catherine married Henry. Jump forward 25 years, and Henry was king. But they had produced no male children, a fact Henry attributed to God's wrath for marrying his sister-in-law. The Pope refused to grant him a divorce, but Henry went ahead and did it anyway, creating an irrevocable breach with the Roman Catholic Church and altering the course of English history forever.

Outside the gate is the tiny Buttermarket, an old dairy market square with a sweet name and an unsavory past. Before the 16th century, it was called "the Bullstake," because animals were tied here and tortured (a popular activity of the time known as "baiting") before they were slaughtered. Today, it's surrounded by bars and restaurants and leads onto pretty Mercery Lane, with its medieval-style cottages and massive, overhanging timber roofs.

At the top of the hill at the center of Rye, this classic English village church is more than 900 years old and encompasses a number of architectural styles. The turret clock dates to 1561 and still keeps excellent time; its huge pendulum swings inside the church nave. Climb the tower for amazing views of the surrounding area.

On a hilltop across the River Wey, this is only the second Anglican cathedral to be built on a new site since the Reformation in the 1500s. It was consecrated in 1961. While the industrial-looking redbrick exterior may look rather dauntingly severe, even brutal (so much so that it was even chosen as a key location for the 1976 horror movie The Omen), the interior, with its stone and plaster, looks bright and cool.

Once inside, see if you can spot the brass stag on the floor, which marks the highest point of the hill. You'll also see some of the 1,468 "kneelers" which were individually designed for the cathedral with patterns appropriate to the time; look out for cushions dedicated to everything from Sputnik to the 1960 Olympics.

The cathedral has a lively program of events, including music recitals and art exhibitions, and is also used as a performance venue by the local Shakespeare society on certain dates in the summer. Call or check the website for details.

This maze of tiny alleys and passageways was once the home of fishermen and their families. Bordered by (clockwise) North, Market, Prince Albert, and Ship Streets, the area is closed to vehicular traffic, with its narrow cobbled streets filled with interesting restaurants, boutiques, and antiques shops. Fish and seafood restaurants line the heart of the Lanes, at Market Street and Market Square.

Ten miles southeast of Lewes on A27, Wilmington has a famous landmark that people drive for miles to see. High on the downs to the south of the village (signposted off the main road), a 226-foot-tall white figure with a staff in each hand, known as the Long Man of Wilmington, is carved into the chalk. His age is a subject of great debate: some researchers think he might have been created as far back as Roman or Neolithic times, but soil analysis places the figure closer to the 16th century. It's one of England's two most significant human hill figures, along with the Cerne Abbas Giant near Dorchester in Dorset. To get here, park in the public parking lot south of Wilmington Priory and walk.

For an essential Canterbury experience, follow the circuit of the 13th- and 14th-century walls, built on the line of the Roman walls. Roughly half survive; those to the east are intact, towering some 20 feet high and offering a sweeping view of the town. You can access these from a number of places, including Castle Street and Broad Street, but perhaps the most photo-worthy section is by Canterbury East Station Bridge.

This is one of the town's original cobbled streets, and perhaps its most quintessential view, which heads steeply from the top of the hill to the former harbor. Its name supposedly came from the night a drunken sailor swore he heard a mermaid call him down to the sea (back when Rye was still a seaside town). The houses here date from between the medieval and Georgian periods; a much-photographed pair have the delightfully fanciful names "The House with Two Front Doors" and "The House Opposite." Be careful on your feet—the cobbles are very uneven.

Set over three floors, this fascinating museum tells the story of Chichester and the surrounding area over the last 500,000 years. It's built around the remains of a Roman bathhouse, so an entire floor is given over to life in Roman Chichester (or Noviomagus Reginorum, as it was known then). Explore further, and you'll delve both back and forward in time, with exhibits ranging from Bronze Age remains to 17th-century memorials. There are also excellent, regularly changing exhibitions on local history.

Augustine of Canterbury ordained the first English bishop in a small cathedral that stood on this site in the year 604. The current cathedral, England's second oldest, is a jumble of architectural styles. Much of the original Norman building from 1077 remains, including the striking west front, the highly carved portal, and the tympanum above the doorway. Some medieval art survives, including a 13th-century Wheel of Fortune on the choir walls; it's a reminder of how difficult medieval life was. Informative, 60-minute guided tours are available most days, and there are occasional special evening viewings and events.

One of the oldest Cistercian abbeys in England, this was an important center of monastic power from 1128 until Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. What remains is a strikingly picturesque ruin surrounded by open countryside. Roofed sections of the undercroft and monks' dormitory survive, as do the refectory tunnel and a magnificent yew tree in the former churchyard, thought to be around 700 years old. A more unexpected historical footnote sits on the banks of the abbey stream: moss-covered tank traps, overlooked from across a field by a pillbox (sniper station). They were placed here during World War II after British generals role-played a Nazi invasion and decided this was the route they'd choose to attack London. Unused plans later found in Berlin showed they were right. The abbey is off the B3001, 11 miles southwest of Guildford. Parking is limited so it's best to visit during weekdays if possible.