SOUTHEAST ENGLAND HOSTEL GUIDE

Southeast England is the most populated part of Britain and you are never far from habitation. Yet most of the region is well-wooded and undulating, and it includes much pleasant scenery, interesting towns and villages and some coastal areas. There are several hostels which are much nicer than most of the London ones!

Transport

Trains and buses are frequent throughout this area, so you should have few transport difficulties. Trains and many buses run until late evening, and on Sundays, but some bus routes have few or no buses on Sundays. All the hostels can be reached from a regular bus or train route, although a few involve a walk of up to 3 km.

Several of these places are ideal for a short break from London, and some are very convenient if you would like to stay in a peaceful area and travel into London for the day.

Choose one of these areas:

• THE CHILTERNS Well-wooded hills with lots of footpaths
• HERTS AREA Pleasant mixed countryside with some forest
• KENT Rolling wooded hills and historic cities
• SURREY Hills with good viewpoints
• SUSSEX Coast with fine cliffs and ridge walk with wide views

Hostels

There are several hostels in this region, some of them small and cosy. Many of them are near enough that you can visit London for the day from a nearby rail station. Most are in quiet country areas, some even away from a road. They are mostly cheaper and nicer than most London hostels. Many of them have parking, while most London hostels do not.

Transport

If you stay in any of these areas you can usually get a day train ticket which includes unlimited travel in central London. So you can go in for the day, see the sights and return to a peaceful village or country atmosphere at night. The cost is offset by the saving of some £6-£10 in the accommodation cost.

THE CHILTERNS

In the Chiltern hills, although you are never far from habitation, most houses are hidden away in woodland. You can explore a network of public footpaths joining the many hidden valleys, slopes and plateaus and leading to attractive villages with cosy pubs.

Jordans hostel, in a village with historical associations with the Quaker movement, is open throughout the year. It is 1 km from a station with day return tickets to London:

HERTS & ESSEX AREA

Most of this area is pleasant though not exciting, but Epping Forest has some excellent peaceful walks.

Harlow is a good town base for exploring the area, with frequent trains to London and Stansted airport. Its hostel is well-located near trains and buses, with parking close by, and both a pub and a town park next door:

Just by Cheshunt station, with access to countryside, is a new hostel. Trains run frequently from London Liverpool Street until midnight. This hostel is particularly convenient if you are travelling from Stansted airport, or travelling with a car, and it is also on the rail line to Cambridge. The hostel lies next to a lovely country park with trails around lakes, and it is a short walk to pubs and eating places in Cheshunt. From Cheshunt station, walk 100m E and you see the hostel sign):

Also accessible for London by tube, but with a 3 km uphill walk to the hostel in the evening, is a cheap but very sociable hostel:

SURREY

Surrey has hills, small secluded valleys and plenty of woodland. Hidden among these are two tiny, very remote-feeling, primitive hostels and a larger one, any of which makes a good weekend retreat from London. Transport needs a little planning, but Holmbury St Mary hostel is 3 miles from a station which has good access to Gatwick airport and also (but slow) to Heathrow.

WINDSOR

Windsor has many attractions including the famous Windsor Castle, the Great Park and Eton College, and there are frequent trains to London. There is no known hostel, so you will have to visit here on a day trip.

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KENT

Kent has a pleasant countryside of orchards, hop fields and farmland. Towns and villages are close together, but there are many peaceful corners. Cities and towns with historical interest and all worth visiting include Rochester, Faversham, Canterbury and Dover.

A favourite place to visit is Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. This is very expensive at £13, though you might be able to get a discount through age or a membership (but not YHA). There's 3 hours worth of great interest including the castle itself, extensive grounds with gardens, lakes and bird collections, and a super maze.

Rochester

Rochester has great historical interest including a castle. The hostel is a busride out from the city, in a country park with pleasant evening walks:

Canterbury

Canterbury is a crowded busy city with a wealth of history and a famous cathedral. It makes a pleasant day trip from London, or you can stay here, with a choice of 2 hostels:

Kent countryside

The Kent countryside is peaceful and remarkably varied, with plenty of footpaths through woods, fields and delightful villages. You can stay in the heart of the Kent countryside at Palace Farm Hostel. You can come here by car, perhaps on your first night across the Channel or your last night in England, then do some local walks in pleasant and varied countryside. Or you could come on a short break from London by taking the train to Sittingbourne then a bus (5/day, none Sun):

Seaside resorts

Kent has some rather ordinary but very pleasant seaside towns. Those with hostels are:

Dover

If you arrive by ferry you may land at Dover, which is worth an hour or two, and longer if you explore the imposing castle. A convenient place to stay is:

SUSSEX

The Sussex coast, the sunniest area of Britain, has a string of resorts, some cosmopolitan like Brighton, some sedate and some tacky. There are stretches of good cliff scenery of which Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, is outstanding. Most of the hostels are near the coast, and several are close to the South Downs Way which gives easy hiking along bracing hilltops. The inland part of Sussex has much very pleasant and varied scenery. The hostels are listed from east to west.

Eastbourne

Eastbourne is a refined seaside resort at the foot of the chalk cliff of Beachy Head. There are many bracing walks on the South Downs, and you can walk to Alfriston. In a secluded valley near Alfriston is a delightfully situated Youth Hostel with a 5 km footpath to the sea and chalk cliffs. Train then bus will get you there:

Brighton is a lively seaside resort. The Backpackers hostel is in the centre close to the seafront. The Brighton YHA is actually at Patcham, 3 miles from central Brighton.

Arundel hostel is well-placed for walks on the South Downs, provides meals and is popular with families. It is a good place to stay if you are touring by car, and backpackers can reach Arundel by bus or train then walk 2 km along a riverside path:

You have a 5 km walk across country to get to this bothy:

The only hostel well inland is a small self-catering hostel tucked away in wooded countryside. Local buses within 1 km, rail within 4 km, National Express bus at Uckfield 7 km away:

BLACKBOYS YHA has been closed by YHA, but may be reopened as a YHA- affiliated hostel.

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