Advice on things to do in the Gatwick Area

Whether you only have a few hours to spare before heading to the airport or your stay is for a longer period, there are plenty of attractions to visit from your Gatwick Airport Hotel. If you are having a week or two vacation in the area, it is the perfect base to explore both London and the south coast and the many popular attractions in between.
If you only have a few hours to spare, the nearest town is Crawley and here you will find many good retail outlets. If shopping is not for you then a visit to Goffs Park in Crawley has something for all ages. Goffs Park is one of Crawley’s oldest parks and at over 20 hectares in size it offers a museum, lake, woodland walks, pitch and putt, a light railway, play area and pub/restaurant.
Other places to visit if time is short include Dorking with its many antique shops, Horsham for more shopping or the National Trust’s Box Hill in Surrey. Box Hill has some of the finest views in the whole of the south east and plenty of places to walk while you soak up the stunning views. Refreshments are also available. Close to Box Hill is Denbies Vineyard which has a year round visitor centre including a virtual tour.

For those who are visiting the area with more time to spare, or are using the hotels near Gatwick as a base to explore London and the south east as a holiday destination, then there is no shortage of things to do to fill your days. A well planned trip to London  is a popular choice and can even take in a theatre trip. The choice in London is vast but good planning is essential.
For the younger, or more adventurous visitors the south east boasts two very popular theme parks, both in Surrey. Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park both offer full days out with their numerous rides for all age groups, for the little ones there are more gentle rides, to full blown white knuckle rides suited to only the brave!
No visit to the south east would be complete without a trip to the south coast seaside resort of Brighton. A large shopping area, plus the famous Lanes in the historic quarter of Brighton will satisfy those who love to shop. The Lanes consists of a maze of narrow alleyways with independent shops including antiques, jewellery and boutique shops to name a few. Away from the shops there is no shortage of things to see and do.

The 18th century Royal Pavilion, Sea Life Centre, Brighton Pier, open top bus sightseeing tours, boat trips, Volks Railway - which is Britain’s oldest electric railway built in 1883 and runs from the pier to the marina every 15 minutes. Museums, organised walks, and ghost tours all ensure a day trip to Brighton will be a full and busy one. The pebble beach still remains popular, especially with families. There is also no shortage of good places to eat in Brighton.
A little further afield but well worth a visit is 1066 country. In Hastings you can visit the ruins of the famous cliff top castle built by William the Conqueror. A short walk further along the cliff top leads you to St Clement Caves where you can learn the history of smuggling in the area and visit the caves where the smugglers hid their loot.
The famous Battle of Hastings of 1066 did not actually take place in Hastings at all. The battle took place a few miles inland in the aptly named town of Battle. Here you can visit historic Battle Abbey, take an audio-visual tour and view the actual site where the battle took place. Travelling further east, but still in 1066 country, is the famous medieval town of Rye. There still remains a picturesque network of cobbled streets and ancient buildings at the heart of the town. Things to do in Rye include a visit to the museum, the heritage centre, a walk around the old town and for those who are able, a climb to the top of St Mary’s Church gives the finest views of Rye and the surrounding marshes and across to the sea.

Camber Castle can also be seen – built as a coastal castle it now lies 2 miles inland after the sea retreated around 800 years ago. The church has dominated the hill top location for more than 900 years. The town has some fine restaurants, a number of antique shops, and several interesting and quirky independent shops. At the heart of the old town is Mermaid Street and here you will find the historic Mermaid Inn.
Probably the most photographed inn in England (and reputedly the most haunted) the inn was rebuilt in 1420 after the original was destroyed. It has some wonderful stories of smuggling and ghosts attached to it and is a popular part of the old town to visit. If the weather is fine and time allows, a 3 mile trip takes you to the coastal village of Camber. More famously known as Camber Sands, the village of Camber has the only sand dune formation in East Sussex. A climb over the sand dunes leads you to one of the finest beaches in the UK with eight miles of golden sand. Popular with families and water sports enthusiasts, if you are looking for a sandy beach to visit you won’t be disappointed.
Exploring the many other attractions will easily fill a two week vacation – all within reach of hotels close to Gatwick Airport. Using one of these hotels as a holiday base allows you to visit a diverse amount of popular attractions suitable for a whole day trip.