East of England

The East of England is an unspoilt region which has preserved its character, architecture and traditions through the centuries. It is known for its unique lowlying landscape, which inspired Britain’s great painter, John Constable. It contains the ancient university city of Cambridge, the cathedral cities of Norwich and Ely, historic Colchester, many picturesque market towns and villages, and a variety of seaside resorts.

In ancient times the  area was  the kingdom of East Anglia, close to London but isolated by its many wetlands, waterways and frequent flooding. It was the home of legendary Queen Boadicea (or Boudicca), who challenged the Romans in the first century AD, and of the eleventh century hero,  Hereward the Wake. The unpopular and greedy King John famously drowned  trying to cross The Wash in the north of the region  with his treasure. Today the East of England is mainly rural and agricultural, with a strong tradition of horse breeding and horse racing centred on towns such as Newmarket.

Large areas of  land in the East of England were reclaimed through the centuries including those  known as the Norfolk Broads and the Fens. The Broads, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are a completely flat landscape  drained by crisscrossing manmade waterways and providing a superb habitat for birds and wildlife.  A boat trip through the Broads is an unforgettable experience. The mysterious and atmospheric  Fens cover  a huge  area, most of which is less than  10m above sea level; any higher areas were once islands, hence the inland ‘Isle of Ely’, not far from Cambridge, with its stunning cathedral.
 
The region offers a wealth of places to visit. Most of the coastline is also officially an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with wide sandy beaches and characteristic sand dunes as well as many piers and promenades. There are a number of  lively popular resorts in the southern section of the coast closest to London, from  Southend-on-Sea up to  Great Yarmouth. In this area too is the historic  Roman city of Colchester, Britain’s first recorded town,  which is well worth a visit.  Resorts like Cromer,  Sheringham and the elegant town of Hunstanton  on the Norfolk coast have a different flavour and have changed little since Victorian days. The  university city of Cambridge in the centre of the region must not be missed for its fantastic architecture, glorious gardens, excellent shops and entertainment and, in summer,  punting trips  on the River Cam. Norwich is also a beautiful old city with medieval  cobbled streets, the old city wall and a magnificent cathedral, as well as  great shops and a six-day market. Other top visitor attractions include Woburn Safari Park and the Royal Family’s country estate,  Sandringham House.

One of the great charms of this area is the traditional architecture, ranging from the medieval timber-framed buildings typical  of Suffolk, to the characteristic flint houses of Norfolk, the fishing huts along the coast and  idyllic thatched cottages wherever you go. Traditional arts and crafts are also everywhere to be found, and so are the many speciality foods of the region. These include pork, turkey, oysters, crab, cockles, eels, samphire  and ‘clangers’ – a pie which is savoury at one end and sweet at the other. These delicacies can be washed down with the excellent local cider or beer.

Featured places in East of England

Cities and towns near here

  • Bury St Edmunds
  • Cambridge
    Cambridge is one of Britain’s loveliest cities, graced by the presence of its ancient university which dates back to the 13th century. Unlike modern universities but like its sister university, Oxford, it has no single campus, but consists of 31 separate colleges which were built over the centuries. Many of them are architecturally magnificent, with ancient ivy-clad courtyards and splendid chapels, cloisters and libraries. The city is packed with cultural attractions of all kinds and is also a very lively, modern place as one would expect with its population of bright young students. It has outstanding shopping facilities for such a small city, and excellent entertainment in the way of cinemas, theatres, restaurants, cafes and pubs.
  • Colchester
  • Letchworth
    Letchworth is a 'new town' conceived and planned by Ebenezer Howard in the 1890's. Howard was appalled at the very unpleasant living and working conditions in the late 19th Century towns and cities and wrote a book outlining his ideas for a completely new way of living. The book, 'Tomorrow, A Peaceful Path to Real Reform', was later republished as 'Garden Cities of Tomorrow' in 1902. Ebenezer Howard believed that the very best of both town and country life should be married together in small Garden Cities, each with its own greenbelt. He promoted well-planned towns with careful land zoning and a quality of life.
  • Norwich
  • Stowmarket

Airports near here