Halfway between London and the south coast, Gatwick is perfectly positioned for you to explore the many and varied delights of the capital and south-east of England. Gatwick is the ideal starting point for both business and leisure trips to the UK.
Capital assets
One of the world's most visited cities, London offers something to suit every taste. From history and culture to an unparalleled array of cuisines, music and theatre, you’ll find it all in London. Evidence of the city’s rich and eventful past are everywhere, from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey, but these ancient landmarks have been joined by some equally striking 21st century buildings in a city that refuses to stand still.
Most notable among these are the wonderfully innovative Tate Modern extension and the Switch House, described as the capital’s ‘cathedral of culture’ and housing some of the most important works in modern art. The Big Smoke’s cultural credentials run deep, but pride of place has to go to the British Museum, which houses a vast collection of art and artefacts from all corners of the globe, the largest and most comprehensive in existence; all of which can be admired for free.
Make sure to plan a trip to central London and you’ll be almost overwhelmed with the constant clamour of major museums, galleries and iconic sights, huddled closely together. But it’s worth venturing out a little to wander the green expanses of Hampstead Heath, in the north of the city, or Kew Gardens and Richmond Park in the south-west, with Henry VIII’s impressive Hampton Court Palace standing on the opposite bank.
Brighton rocks
Only 40 minutes south of Gatwick, on the Sussex coast, stands bohemian Brighton, one of England’s most famous old seaside resorts. The must-see sight is the Royal Pavilion, built as a seaside pleasure palace for King George IV. It’s one of the most opulent buildings in England, and mixes regency grandeur with the exotic stylings of the Orient. It’s also worth making time for Brighton’s newest attraction, the i-360, a slender 162m-tall tower of reinforced steel and concrete that punctures the skyline. The tower is encircled by a huge glass doughnut that will whisk you into the air, hurtling high above the city for some dizzying views of the Sussex coast.
Canterbury tales
Canterbury is one of England’s finest cathedral cities and one of southern England’s top attractions. Its 1400-year-old Gothic cathedral is one of England’s oldest Christian buildings and part of a World Heritage Site. It’s a truly extraordinary place with an absorbing history and the site of English history’s most famous murder when Archbishop Thomas Becket was killed here in 1170. Aside from the cathedral, it’s also worth wandering the town’s narrow medieval alleyways, riverside gardens and ancient city walls to see what little delights and hidden gems you can uncover there.
Of castles and courts
The impossibly romantic moated Leeds castle, just east of Maidstone, is one of Britain’s most popular. During its 1000-plus years of history, it has been home to a who's who of medieval queens, most famously Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The castle was transformed from fortress to lavish palace over the centuries, and its last owner, the high-society hostess Lady Baillie, used it as a family home where she entertained the likes of Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks and John F Kennedy.
Arrive here and car hire at Gatwick Airport is just the very beginning of your adventure in London and the UK.