Facts about South East England

General information and facts about South East England presented in a series of FAQs based on questions we receive from our website visitors.

For extensive information on things to do, places to visit, events and accommodation, please visit the relevant section of this website or view the site map to see what we cover.

What counties are in South East England?

The nine counties which make up South East England are Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey & West Sussex.

What is the weather like in South East England?

South East England is the sunniest region in the UK with its entire section of coastline averaging more than 1600 sunshine hours per year and more than seven hours per day during summer months.

London is the only hotter region in the UK while East Anglia is the only drier region, making South East England's climate ideal for short breaks and holidays.

What is the highest point in South East England?

Walbury Hill in Berkshire is the highest point in South East England at 297 metres (974 feet) above sea level. The National Trust's Leith Hill in Surrey, is a close second at 294 metres (965 feet) above sea level.

What is the travel infrastructure of South East England?

There are fifteen roads classified as motorways in South East England, 11 of which are M roads with 4 upgraded A roads. These are:

• M2 for Canterbury
• M20 for Folkestone and Dover
• M23 for Gatwick Airport
• M25, the London circular
• M26 for Sevenoaks
• M27 for southern Hampshire and the New Forest
• M271 for Southampton
• M275 for Portsmouth
• M3 for Winchester
• M4 for Windsor, Reading & Newbury
• M40 for High Wycombe and Oxford
• A3(M) for East Hampshire
• A308(M) for Maidenhead
• A329(M) for Bracknell
• A404(M) for the rural River Thames

South East England is well connected with three international airports (Gatwick in Sussex, Southampton in Hampshire and Heathrow on the north Surrey border) and passenger ferry ports along the south coast including Dover and Portsmouth.

The South East is also the main rail gateway to Europe through the channel tunnel.

How much is tourism worth to the South East economy?

In 2015, the South East attracted 237.9 million visitors comprising 216m day-visitors, 16.8m staying overnight from the domestic market and 5.14m visitors from overseas. The total spending by visitors to the South East reached £11.4bn in 2015, over half coming from day-visitors.

How much coastline is there in South East England?

South East England's coastline spans more than 300 miles from the New Forest in Hampshire, around the Isle of Wight, to west of the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.