South England: Dover to Land's End: Travel Details
This is a quick and handy source for details on the sights, hotels, tour guides and restaurants featured in the "South England:Dover to Land's End" show. For much more (and updates), see this year's edition of Rick Steves' England guidebook.
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. When the Romans finally left England 400 years later, the pharos was said to have burst into flames as the last ship departed. The adjacent church, St. Mary-in-the-Castle, was built when the Saxons invaded in the 6th century. Set behind heavy castle fortifications, the Keep was built by King Henry II in the 12th century making Dover castle the most secure fortress in all England (£9, included in English Heritage pass, daily 10:00-18:00, last tour 17:00, tel. 01304/211-067 www.english-heritage.org.uk).
Brighton's Royal Pavilion
King George IV was well known for being lively, decadent and trendsetting. Famous for his scandalous secret marriage to catholic widow Mrs. Fitzherbert, he loved to vacation at the sea and host glamorous dinner parties. He was enamored of the Asian cultures, so when he built a vacation home he created a style that would display some of the features found on distant and exotic buildings. Colorful and exhuberant, the product can only be described as a spectacular assault on the eyes and aesthetic sensibilities.
While the palace was a royal holiday residence, its focus was on entertaining. Music was a passion of King George IV. In the massive music room the king's own band serenaded guests under Chinese-inspired decor. The King's other passion: dining. In the banquet room, the elaborate table is permanently set for the dessert course. Imagine England's elite munching crumpets under the one-ton chandelier...with its dragons exhaling light through lotus-shaped shades. The elaborate kitchen was one of the most innovative of its time. Smoke from the fireplace rotated a huge rotisserie that could cook enough meat to feed a hundred dinner guests. The king was so particular about his food that he insisted his kitchen be attached to the dining room (unheard of at the time) and had a warming table built to keep food at the optimum temperature. George was known for his extravagant spending habits, carrying huge debts. Throughout the house elegant furnishings and lavish silk wallcoverings prove that no expense was spared. Queen Victoria, who would take the throne 7 years after George's death, was far more conservative and scorned the excesses seen in George's court. She was not a fan of the pavilion, remarking that it was such a shame to be so close to the sea, but be unable to see it. Soon after the beginning of her reign, she packed up the furnishings and sold the pavilion to the local town council, who own it today. It was only recently that Queen Elizabeth brought the original furniture out of storage and returned it to the pavilion (£6.10, £1.50 guided tour daily 11:30 & 14:30, Apr-Sept 9:30-17:45, Oct-Mar 10:00-17:15, last entry 45 minutes before closing, tel. 01273/290-900, www.royalpavilion.org.uk).
Dartmoor
Windswept and desolate, Dartmoor is one of the few truly wild places you'll find in this densely populated land. Vast medieval commons, these 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. A place like Dartmoor gives you a chance to be alone with England's history. It is also a moody place. At sunset on a clear evening, the gold tinged heather and rolling hills can be romantic. On a gray and misty day it is foreboding — you can almost hear the Hound of the Baskervilles growling. Arthur Conan Doyle most certainly was thinking of Dartmoor when he wrote it. Princetown, in the center of the moors, is home to a high-security prison, which held American prisoners of war during the war of 1812.
Throughout Dartmoor there are over 10,000 ancient monuments, all accessible to walkers with good shoes and an Ordnance Survey map, a highly detailed plan of the area. You'll need the map, as the land can be boggy but also because part of the moors are used by the military for target practice. The small villages that encroach on the park are charming, and a few are good as home bases for exploring the misty moors.
Stone Circle
Thousands of Neolithic ruins dot the landscape of Dartmoor, but the stone circle at Gidleigh may be the best. Similar to Stonehenge but smaller and without the fences or tourist craziness, it is worth a visit but can be difficult to find. 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. If you blink while driving through the town of Gidleigh, you may miss it. A small crossing in the road and a couple of buildings mark the center.