Sunny South East England encompasses a beautiful coastline and gently rolling downs in the lovely counties of Kent, Hampshire and West Sussex.
Five newly published guided travel articles offer a selection of seaside towns and market towns each with a fascinating history and amazing architecture. They are now available on GPSMyCity. Try them to help you uncover some treasures you may not notice otherwise.
The Sea Front of Deal in Kent
I dipped into the county of Hampshire to learn more about the famous author Jane Austen who lived in Hampshire. I stayed in the attractive market town of Alton very close to Chawton Village where Jane lived and wrote her most popular novels. I also ventured into West Sussex when the tulip festival was taking place at Arundel Castle. I discovered that although the castle may be the most popular attraction in Arundel it has a lot more to offer.
Tulips in the Gardens at Arundel Castle, Arundel in West Sussex
The county of Kent is proud of its heritage as the Garden of England and a common theme in its towns is the promotion of local produce in shops and restaurants. On my journey through this verdant county I was introduced to the traditional huffkin a large, soft bread roll. Today it is usually served with savoury fillings but originally it was an afternoon tea treat and filled with pitted cherries. No doubt the cherries were grown in the famous orchards of Kent. I did dispel one myth – the original sandwich has nothing to do with the Kentish town of Sandwich. It is generally believed it comes from a story about John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich. Although he was not the inventor of the sandwich he is credited with making it popular. He asked for some meat to be served between slices of bread, to avoid interrupting a gambling game. Thereafter it may have become the custom to place orders “the same as Sandwich”, and the name has stuck. Whatever its origins I did take time to visit the Wellington Cafe in Deal to try its famous fish finger sandwich. I was not disappointed.
Fish Finger Sandwich at theWellington Cafe in Deal
The GPS Guided Travel Article
GPS Guided Travel Articles have been written by travel writers and bloggers who have visited the city or site that is the subject of the article. They replicate a guide showing you around – in your pocket on your mobile phone. Not only do they have GPS co-ordinates embedded in them and a map of the suggested route but they include advice and tips to maximise your sightseeing experience.
My Newly Available Guided Travel Articles – A Good Place to Start
How to Get Your Guided Travel Article
Visit the website GPSMyCity where you will find thousands of these articles from cities all over the world. For a small fee you can download the app of a city you want to visit. Once you have the app on the phone that is all you will need for a successful visit. The app will show you exactly where you are on the map and guide you from place to place. It could not be easier. The original travel articles are also available from this website free of charge. Once downloaded you can read it when you wish without having to be connected to the internet.
Here are Five of My Guided Travel Articles – all available to download from GPSMyCity
Highlights of Historic Dover
Dover, in Kent has three very different aspects. Its historic town centre features the Dover Museum housed in a modern building behind the façade of the old Market Hall. It features the unique Bronze Age Boat the oldest known sea going boat in the world. Another unique attraction is the Roman painted house believed to have been either part of a large mansion or an official hotel for travellers crossing the English Channel. Its sea front is generally associated with the commercial and ferry harbours but it has a splendid promenade, the Dover Esplanade supplemented by the New Marina Pier. The magnificent Dover Castle perches on the famous
White Cliffs of Dover. Strolling along the marked trails on top of the cliffs offer a very pleasant end to a day in the town below them.
The White Cliffs of Dover in Dover, Kent
To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours in Dover on GPSmyCity
Discover the Delights of Deal on the Coast of Kent
Deal has a pretty, unspoilt sea-front and a long pier from which visitors can admire it. The lovely narrow streets of the old town are a testament to the interesting history of this town and more information is available in the quaint Deal Maritime and Local History Museum. Although Deal does not have a cinema it is home to the intriguing Kent Museum of Moving Image – a fascinating journey through the history of the moving image. Deal features two castles at one end of the town and Deal Castle a defensive castle and the very different Walmer Castle, a residential castle. The castles are at either end of The Strand, an easy walk along the sea front.
The Sea Front at Deal in Kent
To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours in Deal on GPSmyCity
A Meander Through the Medieval Streets of Sandwich
Sandwich was once a prosperous port and so important during the Middle Ages that it was one of the original five Cinque Ports. Its development slowed significantly when its estuary silted up and trade dwindled to almost nothing. It has some interesting historic buildings and features included the “Guildhall”:“https://www.sandwichguildhallmuseum.co.uk/#welcome with its exact replica of the Courtroom that occupied the original Guildhall and the “ town walls”:https://explorekent.org/activities/sandwich-old-town-walls/. Climb the tower of the fourteenth century St Peter’s Church to see the curfew bell that is still rung every evening. Visit the stunning Salutation Gardens designed in the Queen Anne style by the famous English architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The Salutation Gardens in Sandwich, Kent
To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours in Sandwich on GPSmyCity
Alton in Hampshire – All about Jane?
Walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen while visiting the Hampshire town of Alton. She never lived here but spent a lot of time in this attractive market town a short walk (or donkey cart ride) from her home in Chawton Village. She banked here, at her brother’s bank and regularly caught the stage coach to London from outside The Swan. However, the town does boast a very famous resident, Fanny Adams who was the victim of a gruesome murder and subject of the saying Sweet Fanny Adams, meaning nothing or very little. The Allen Gallery has a wonderful collection of pottery that occupies two floors and includes pottery, porcelain and tiles from 1250 to the present day. Follow the Jane Austen Trail follows a route around Alton pinpointing the places Jane would have visited and includes Chawton Village, Jane Austen’s House andChawton House where her brother lived.
The Garden at the Allen Gallery in Alton, Hampshire
To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours in Alton on GPSmyCity
Arundel and its Castle – a West Sussex Gem
The history of Arundel is told in Arundel Museum. It is hard to believe that from the eleventh to the thirteenth century this peaceful little town was a busy international port. Throughout its history it has been dominated by the owners of Arundel Castle. Today the castle and its grounds are open to the public. The interior of the castle features its keep and it is worth climbing to the top for sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The rooms of the main building the rooms are sumptuously and elegantly furnished with many priceless works of art. The grounds of the castle feature beautiful gardens and extensive lawns. Of particular interest is the Collector Earl’s Garden – an exquisite garden decorated with colossal green oak structures surrounded by flowerbeds bursting with colourful blooms. The Fitzalan private chapel in the grounds of Arundel Castle is also part of the parish church of Saint Nicholas. They are divided by a glass wall. To get inside the parish church visitors have to leave the castle grounds and walk through the town.
Arundel Castle in Arundel, Sussex
The articles mentioned here were all based on the personal experience of Valery, an ExperiencedTraveller.