4 Best Sights in The Southeast, England

Situated 6 miles northwest of Hastings, this great Benedictine abbey was erected by William the Conqueror on the site of the Battle of Hastings—the all-day battle in 1066 was a decisive turning point in English history and the last time the country was successfully invaded. All of this meant little to Henry VIII, who didn't spare the building from his violent dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. Today the abbey is a ruin, but a very pretty one. Start at the visitor center to get the full story through a series of films and interactive exhibits before taking a walk around the abbey site, including up to the first floor. A memorial stone marks the high altar, which in turn was supposedly laid on the spot where Harold II, the last Saxon king, was killed.

You can also follow a trail around the 1066 battlefield, lined with intricately-carved wooden sculptures of Norman and Saxon soldiers, or climb the gatehouse for an exhibiton on the site's post-invasion history as well as spectacular rooftop views of the town. For a potted history of Battle, head to nearby St. Mary's Church, where the 10-foot-long Battle Tapestry artfully illustrates how the town developed around the abbey.

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.

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.