Alternative destinations near London.
Places near London that score high on beauty and low on crowding, according to our data.
Royal Tunbridge Wells
One of only three towns in England to hold the "Royal" prefix — granted by King Edward VII in 1909 — Tunbridge Wells in Kent built its reputation as a fashio…
Clacton-on-Sea
This seaside town on the Essex coast that developed as a resort from the 1870s, Clacton-on-Sea has a walkable centre with a concentrated food-and-drink scene…
Windsor
Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British monarch, anchors this walkable Berkshire town on the south bank of the River Thames, just west…
Tonbridge
This walkable Kent market town on the River Medway, Tonbridge has a centre thick with listed historic buildings and churches, a real café and restaurant scen…
Alton
Heritage-dense market town in East Hampshire near the source of the River Wey, Alton has a compact centre with cafés and listed buildings within easy walking…
Chatham
Chatham Historic Dockyard, a museum built around the naval buildings that once supported one of Britain's most significant Royal Navy bases, anchors this Ken…
Godalming
A heritage-dense market town in south-west Surrey where the Rivers Wey and Ock meet, Godalming has a compact centre thick with listed buildings — several dat…
Bexhill-on-Sea
A seaside town on the East Sussex coast, Bexhill-on-Sea sits between Hastings and Eastbourne with a walkable centre full of cafés and a heritage-dense street…
St Albans
A cathedral city in Hertfordshire north of London, St Albans sits on the site of the Roman city of Verulamium — one of the first major stops on Watling Stree…
Cranbrook
Compact Wealden town in Kent where a working windmill rises above a street of whitewashed and brick buildings, with a walkable historic core, independent sho…
Colnbrook
A compact Berkshire village straddling two river branches, Colnbrook's town centre features a traditional whitewashed pub, a cast-iron street clock, and a pa…
Crowborough
Crowborough sits at the edge of Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, making it the highest town in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a base for…