Southern Counties and West Midlands

Southern Counties: Horsham (West Sussex), Portsmouth (Hampshire) and Brighton (East Sussex)

West Midlands: Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire)

HORSHAM

Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun, in the heart of West Sussex dating back to at least the 10th century.  Surrounded by rolling countryside and charming villages enjoy walking through the mixture of wide pedestrianised streets, intimate alleyways in search of history, scenic walks, garden nurseries, boutique browsing or gourmet food.

Walking around Horsham included Stan’s Way, Talbot Lane, passing the historical landmark, Ye Olde Post Box Historical landmark, the Causeway is one of Sussex’s most famous ‘original’ streets, the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, the oldest existing building in Horsham. It has been associated with the life and worship of the community and in continuous use for nearly eight centuries.  After our walk around historic Horsham we called into Café at Number 4 in Market Square.

English garden centres are popular and we called into Newbridge Nurseries and later enjoyed a Turkish dinner at
Zeytin.  Before heading home to Sydney from Heathrow we enjoyed massive ice-creams at Kaspa’s Ice Cream.

PORTSMOUTH

Portsmouth is an historic port city on the south coast of England in the county of Hampshire primarily situated on Portsea Island and is the United Kingdom’s only island city.  Known as the home of the Royal Navy and nicknamed “Pompey,” famous for its naval history.  The dockyard, which is still a major source of employment, dates from 1496, when the town was already a naval base. 

The Millennium Trail takes you along 3 kilometres of Portsmouth’s historic waterfront.  Starting at Portsmouth harbour, the trail heads along Millennium Promenade past Round Tower and beside the beach, joining the esplanade and making a loop around Southsea Common, before returning to the start via the Nelson Monument. Enjoy the views out to sea on a clear day but take care on the road sections as you make your way along.

The original 14th century fortifications around the town were radically redesigned in the late 17th century with the addition of new features, including an outer moat wall.  The remains of this wall were uncovered along with a walkway and what may have been a slipway or steps to the sea.  Part of this structures are what can be seen around Spur Redoubt today.

Hidden historic fortifications includes:  

Portsmouth Cathedral, The Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury is a 12th century church that became elevated to cathedral status in the 20th century. The core of the building was completed in only 16 years, to a cruciform plan with a crossing tower. The style is transitional Gothic.

We enjoyed a cuppa at Waterstones Café W and dinner at Sakura.

BRIGHTON 

Brighton is a vibrant, seaside city on the English Channel, the southeast coast in East Sussex, just an hour from London and featuring the iconic Royal Pavilion and Brighton Palace Pier. 

For many centuries, nothing more than a tiny fishing community, the site’s modern significance dates from 1754, when Richard Russell, the author of a treatise on the health benefits of seawater, settled there to put his theories into practice, thereby initiating the vogue of sea bathing.  It blends historic Regency architecture with a modern, diverse, and sustainable culture.

Brighton Beach is one of England’s most famous and vibrant seaside destinations. Known for its extensive pebble shoreline, it features the iconic Palace Pier (with rides), the panoramic Brighton i360 viewing tower, and a lively promenade with cafes and bars. Easily accessed from London, it offers swimming, watersports, and a bustling atmosphere.

Having fish and chips at Brighton was on my bucket list and sorry to say it was not so good. It might have helped if we had had some local inside knowledge about where to go. Would prefer my Aussie fish and chips any day.

ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA

Royal Leamington Spa is a renowned spa town in Warwickshire, England, known for its elegant Regency architecture, wide boulevards, and historic Pump Rooms.  Once a small village, it flourished in the 19th century following the discovery of its medicinal spa waters.  In 1808, the town of Leamington Spa was officially established, and in 1838, Queen Victoria bestowed the prefix “Royal” upon it. The approximate population of Royal Leamington Spa was 50,923 in 2021.

The River Leam (pronounced Lem and sometimes spelled “Leame”) is a river which flows through rural Warwickshire, including the town of Royal Leamington Spa.

Royal Pump Rooms, Pump room & Bath opened in 1814, it was the grandest of Leamington’s spa buildings and remained in operation providing swimming and water treatments until the 1990s, when it was converted into a cultural facility for the town.

We found yet another car park, St Peters Multi Story Car Park, Augusta Place, I was discovering how travelling around England had a focus on where to park, paid parking for everywhere and starting to wonder how tourists deal with this on their travels. 

WARWICK

Warwick is a historic, charming market town in Warwickshire, England, famous for its magnificent medieval Warwick Castle, founded by William the Conqueror.  Situated on the River Avon, it is known for its well-preserved, timber-framed buildings, rich history, and proximity to Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa, making it a popular tourist destination.

Walking around we explored the historic streets after crossing Castle Bridge past St Nicholas’ Park along Banbury Road
Warwick Castle was was right there up to the footpath. Passing Eastgate walking along Jury St which side street would we explore. Along Church St and past St Mary’s Church we came across a market in Market Square and found somewhere for lunch,
The Thomas Lloyd, Swan St, Market Place.

There was more to discover as we walked along Castle Street, Castle Lane and on our way back to the car park along Mill Street. A picturesque lane lined with historic buildings and cobbled paths. Running along the edge of Warwick Castle’s grounds, many of its listed buildings date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Stratford-upon-Avon is set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon and famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

We caught the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus passing Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is a picturesque, 12-room, 15th-century farmhouse in Shottery, Warwickshire (near Stratford-upon-Avon), famous as the childhood home of William Shakespeare’s wife. Built in 1463, it was owned by the Hathaway family for 13 generations before becoming a museum managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The site features traditional gardens, an orchard, and original family furniture.

We also passed Mary Arden’s Farm is the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother. Today the property is home to our learning centre for primary school children bringing Shakespeare to life through award-winning programmes across the school year.

Afterwards, walking around included seeing the restored 16th-century half-timbered house of Shakespeare’s birth on Henley street. While his exact birthdate is unrecorded, he was baptised on April 26,1564 and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23.

Some other interesting streets we explored were High Street, Chapel Street and Church Street.

We called into the Garrick Inn which has been an inn since 1718, when it was called the Reindeer. In 1795, then called the Greyhound, it became the Garrick, in honour of David Garrick, well known for raising the town’s profile through his celebration of Shakespeare.