South England: Dover to Land's End

Rick Steves' Europe: Episode 103

From the white cliffs of Dover to Land's End, we ponder Roman, Norman, and Nazi invasions. After exploring Admiral Nelson's flagship, we chase wild ponies across the moors and discover an ancient stone circle. For refreshment, it's cream tea and Cornish pasties.

• Read the script from the show.
• For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' England guidebook — or join us on one of our free spirited England tours.

Dover Castle

Long considered the "the key to England" by potential invaders, Dover Castle provides a quick review of England's military history. The Roman Pharos, or lighthouse, is a reminder that Julius Caesar landed nearby as the Romans established their colony of Britannia and based their fleet in the harbor below. The adjacent church, St. Mary-in-the-Castle, was built when the Saxons invaded in the 6th century. The Keep was built by King Henry II in the 12th century, making Dover castle the most secure fortress in all England (tel. 01304/211-067).

Brighton Royal Pavilion

King George IV, famous for his scandalous secret marriage to Catholic widow Mrs. Fitzherbert, loved to vacation by the sea and host glamorous dinner parties. George was enamored with Asian cultures, styling his vacation home with exotic decorations from the East. The result is colorful and exuberant...some would say gaudy. Like Brighton itself, the place smacks of faded elegance — but it's fun to tour (head up Pavilion Parade from The Lanes, on Old Steine Road, tel. 03000/290-900). It's free to enter the restored Regency gardens surrounding the Pavilion, and the nearby Brighton Museum and Art Gallery

Dartmoor

Windswept and desolate, Dartmoor — one of England's best national parks — is one of the few truly wild places you'll find in this densely populated land. Dartmoor's vast medieval commons are still places where all can pass, anyone can graze their sheep, and ponies run wild. Old stone-slab clapper-bridges remind hikers that for thousands of years, people have walked these same paths. Throughout Dartmoor there are over 10,000 ancient monuments, all accessible to walkers. Princetown, in the center of the moors, has the park's primary information office, the High Moorland Visitor Centre (Tavistock Road, tel. 01822/890-414).

Scorhill Stone Circle

Thousands of Neolithic ruins dot the landscape of Dartmoor, but the Scorhill Stone Circle at Gidleigh may be the best. Tranquil, forgotten Scorhill is yours alone — the way a stone circle should be. Buy an Ordnance Survey map and have a local help you locate it. Once you hike out and find it, you'll be alone with the heather, broom and ancient history.

Updated for 2010.