Strait of DoverThe Strait of Dover or Dover Strait is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, and separating Great Britain from continental Europe. The shortest distance across the strait, at 20.6 miles (33.2 km), is from the South Foreland, northeast of Dover in the English county of Kent, to Cap Gris-Nez, a cape near to Calais in the French département of Pas-de-Calais.
South East EnglandRegion of EnglandRegion in EnglandSouth East England is one of the nine official regions of England that are in the top level category for statistical purposes. It consists of the nine counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.
Greater LondonGreater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a ceremonial county also called Greater London, and the City of London, which is a separate ceremonial county.
Ceremonial counties of EnglandCeremonial counties, formally known as counties for the purposes of the lieutenancies, are areas of England to which lord-lieutenants are appointed. A lord-lieutenant is the monarch's representative in an area. Shrieval counties have the same boundaries and serve a similar purpose, being the areas to which high sheriffs are appointed. High sheriffs are the monarch's judicial representative in an area.
East SussexEast Sussex is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement is the city of Brighton and Hove. The county has an area of 1,792 km2 (692 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 844,752 in 2024.
Thames EstuaryThe Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. LimitsAn estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salinity). For this reason the limits of the Thames Estuary have been defined differently at different times and for different purposes.
GravesendGravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the Diocese of Rochester, it is the administrative centre of the borough of Gravesham. Gravesend marks the eastern limit of the Greater London Built-up Area, as defined by the UK Office for National Statistics. It had a population of roughly 60,250 in 2021.
Chatham, KentChatham ( ) is a town within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. It forms a conurbation with the neighbouring towns of Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham, and had a population of 80,596 in 2020. The town developed around Chatham Dockyard, established as a Royal Naval Dockyard in 1567, along with barracks for the British Army and the Royal Navy.
EssexCounty of EnglandNon-metropolitan and ceremonial county in EnglandEssex ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the south, Greater London to the south-west, and Hertfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is Southend-on-Sea. The county has an area of 3,670 km (1,420 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,929,610 in 2024.
SurreySurrey ( SUH-ree) is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. The largest settlement is Woking. The county has an area of 1,663 km2 (642 square miles) and had an estimated population of 1,248,649 in 2024.
DartfordDartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located 18 mi (29 km) south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in Essex, which can be reached via the Dartford Crossing. To its east lies the Borough of Gravesham and to the south the district of Sevenoaks. It had a population of 51,240 in 2018.
Gillingham, KentGillingham ( ) is a town in Kent, England, which forms a conurbation with neighbouring Chatham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. It is the largest town in the borough of Medway and in 2022 had a population of 111,033. EtymologyGillingham's name is of Old English origin, derived from the personal name Gylla (or Gilla) combined with the suffixes -ingas (meaning "the people of" or "family") and -hām ("homestead," "village," or "estate").*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.