There are some wonderfully historic cites in South England and within these are places that have hardy changed in centuries. They were built to last, and if they could speak, what stories they could tell.
Wonderful Canterbury has been designated a World Heritage Site. The Cathedral has been welcoming visitors for over 2000 years and some of our ancient kings lay buried here. It was to Canterbury that pilgrims would come to pray at the shrine of the murdered Thomas A Becket, immortalised in Chaucer’s book, Canterbury Tales.
The Romans founded Chichester in AD43, and you can see the remains of those days at nearby Fishbourne - there are some amazing mosaics here, found by workmen in the 1960s. Chichester is a pleasant, sedate city, lots of Georgian buildings, good shopping and all dominated by the spire of the Cathedral.
There’s mellowness about Oxford; maybe it’s the colour and the grace of the golden stone buildings; all spires and towers and domes. This is one of the best-known university towns in the world. Many of Britain’s cleverest people were educated here - even visiting the city for the day makes you feel more intelligent! The best way to see Oxford is on foot, join a guided walking tour and take a look inside some of the colleges and chapels. Or visit the Oxford Story; you can sit as you ride by the sights, sounds and smells of 900 years of history.
Famous the world over as England’s party capital, Brighton also has a fascinating history stretching back many thousands of years into the times of our ancestors. A tour with The Antiquarian Society offers visitors and locals alike the chance to see tumuli (Ancient mounds), long barrows, earthworks, Hillforts, ancient stones, an Elizabethan mansion house and traditional English pubs. Sussex tours are complimented by talks on astro-archaeology, Leylines, folklore and wild food.
The ancient city of Rochester, with its Norman castle was favourite with Charles Dickens and you’ll recognise some of the buildings from his stories. You can see some of those tales enacted at the Charles Dickens Centre.
Discover the rich heritage of Winchester, which in the days of King Alfred the Great, was England’s capital city. You can see his statue in the Broadway, and further up the High Street is the Great Hall where his Round Table is displayed. The Cathedral is 900 years old and many of the great and good were entombed here, including Jane Austen who lived just round the corner in College Street. Look out for the intriguing story of the diver who kept the cathedral from sinking!
More on historic and other cities in South East England