located_next_to_body_of_water high halstow
Maidstone is the county town of Kent , England , south - east of London . The ___MASK13___ runs through the centre of the town , linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary . Historically , the river was a source and route for much of the town ' s trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent , known as the Garden of England . There is evidence of a settlement in the area dating back to before the Stone Age . Hampshire (; abbreviated Hants , archaically known as the County of Southampton ) is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom . The county town of Hampshire is Winchester , the former capital city of England . Hampshire is the most populous ceremonial county in the United Kingdom ( excluding the metropolitan counties ) with almost half of the county ' s population living within the South Hampshire conurbation which includes the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth . The larger South Hampshire metropolitan area has a population of 1 , 547 , 000 . Hampshire is notable for housing the birthplaces of the Royal Navy , British Army , and Royal Air Force . It is bordered by Dorset to the west , Wiltshire to the north - west , Berkshire to the north , Surrey to the north - east , and West Sussex to the east . The southern boundary is the coastline of the ___MASK38___ and the ___MASK41___ , facing the Isle of Wight . London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom , as well as the most populous city proper in the European Union . Standing on the ___MASK49___ in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". London ' s ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " London " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly . South East England is the most populous of the nine official regions of England at the first level of NUTS for statistical purposes . It consists of Berkshire , Buckinghamshire , East Sussex , Hampshire , the Isle of Wight , Kent , Oxfordshire , Surrey and West Sussex . As with the other regions of England , apart from Greater London , the south east has no elected government . The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest and second - most populous island in England . It is located in the ___MASK38___ , about 4 miles ( 6 km ) off the coast of Hampshire , separated by the ___MASK41___ . The island has resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times , and is known for its mild climate , coastal scenery , and verdant landscape of fields , downland and chines . Sussex ( abbreviated Sx ), from the Old English " Sþsaxe " ( South Saxons ), is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex . It is bounded to the west by Hampshire , north by Surrey , north - east by Kent , south by the ___MASK38___ , and divided for local government into West Sussex and East Sussex and the city of Brighton and Hove . Brighton and Hove was created as a unitary authority in 1997 , and granted City status in 2000 . Until then , Chichester was Sussex ' s only city . East Sussex is a county in South East England . It is bordered by the counties of Kent to the north and east , Surrey to the north west and West Sussex to the west , and to the south by the ___MASK38___ . High Halstow is a village and civil parish on the Hoo Peninsula in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England . It was , until 1998 , part of Kent and is still ceremonially associated via the Lieutenancies Act . The parish had a population of 1 , 781 according to the 2001 census , increasing to 1 , 807 at the 2011 census . Originally known as Hagelstowe ( in Textus Roffensis ) , Hagelsto or Agelstow , it was named from an Old English word denoting a high , holy place . The area has been occupied by Romans , Saxons and Normans . The village lies on the junction of the ancient roads from Hoo and Cliffe to the Isle of Grain , now a crossroads to the north of the A228 road . One of the highest points on the Hoo peninsula , at 30 to 50 metres above sea level , the modern village consolidates into a single community the four hamlets of Clinch Street , Fenn Street , Sharnal Street and High Halstow Street . Berkshire ( or , abbreviated Berks ) is a county in south east England , west of London . It was recognised as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of Windsor Castle by the Queen in 1957 and letters patent issued in 1974 . Berkshire is a county of historic origin and is a home county , a ceremonial county and a non - metropolitan county without a county council . Berkshire County Council was the ___MASK29___ county governance from 1889 to 1998 except for the separately administered County Borough of Reading . The Thames Estuary is the estuary in which the ___MASK49___ meets the waters of the ___MASK34___ , in the south - east of Great Britain . A County town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within the county , or it has been established over time as the " de facto " ___MASK29___ town of a county . The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its original meaning of where the county administration or county hall is based . In fact , many county towns are no longer part of the administrative county . For example , Nottingham is administered by a unitary authority entirely separate from the rest of Nottinghamshire . Many county towns are classified as cities , but all are referred to as county towns regardless of whether city status is held or not . West Sussex is a county in the south of England , bordering East Sussex ( with Brighton and Hove ) to the east , Hampshire to the west and Surrey to the north , and to the south the ___MASK38___ . Chichester in the southwest is the county town and only city in West Sussex , with the largest towns being Crawley , Worthing and Horsham . West Sussex has a range of scenery , including wealden , downland and coastal . The highest point of the county is Blackdown , at 280 metres ( 919 ft ). It has a number of stately homes including Goodwood , Petworth House and Uppark and also castles such as Arundel Castle and Bramber Castle . Over half the county is protected countryside , offering walking , cycling and other recreational opportunities . Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties . It borders Greater London to the north west , Surrey to the west , East Sussex to the south west , and Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north . The county town is Maidstone .