East of England travel guide
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Beautiful timber-framed villages, traditional market towns, gently rolling countryside and unspoilt coastline - this is England as you always thought it should be - right on London's doorstep.
Based around the ancient kingdom of East Anglia, the East of England covers the six counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk - a region where tradition is a way of life, eccentric customs are commonplace and people take the time to offer the warmest of welcomes.
Visit the famous University city of Cambridge, with its ancient colleges, magnificent King’s College Chapel and punting on the river. The medieval city of Norwich is dominated by a superb cathedral and 12th C. castle - plus a vibrant mix of arts, shopping and restaurants. Also don't miss, Colchester - Britain's oldest recorded town, or St. Albans, with its cathedral and the rich treasures of Verulamium, the third city of Roman Britain. Look out for year-round cultural treats, from spectacular festivals to carnivals, theatres, music attractions and fine galleries.
The Broads are Britain’s largest nationally protected wetland, whilst stretching out from The Wash - The Fens are noted for their dramatic skies and sweeping vistas. To the west of the region, the rolling Dunstable Downs offer chalk life flora and fauna. All offer fantastic wildlife-spotting - and alongside other key nature reserves - the region is one of the UK’s best places for bird-watching.
Cycling is a great way to get around - exploring our quiet rural lanes, country pubs and a superb collection of churches. Look out too for scrumptious culinary delights. This is the ‘Food Basket of Britain’ - delicious hams, fine ales and wine, prize-winning jams, seafood treats and fresh fruit and vegetables. Meet our award-winning producers at food halls and farmers’ markets.
The coastline comprises unspoilt sandy beaches, tiny fishing villages, crumbling cliffs, estuaries, shingle spits and Britain's best mudflats and saltmarshes. Here smugglers inns nestle close to the waters where Lord Nelson learnt to sail. Enjoy the
fun-packed family resorts of Great Yarmouth and Southend, alongside idyllic coastal towns such as Southwold and Cromer.
Inland, explore the inspirational landscapes of our artists, authors and films - such as Constable Country, where Britain's greatest landscape painter was born and worked. Whilst picturesque medieval villages (Lavenham) and fine Georgian towns are the legacy of a prosperity past, from weaving to Hanseatic trading. Newmarket is internationally renowned for being the historic home of horseracing.
Discover the spectacular colours and delicate fragrances of some of Britain's finest gardens, and magnificent treasure houses such as Woburn Abbey, Hatfield House, Blickling Hall and Royal Sandringham - alongside ancient castles, steam trains, intriguing museums and a rich aviation and maritime heritage.
Hidden gems
Seal watching at Blakeney - one of Britain's foremost bird sanctuaries, the point is a 3.5 mile long sand and shingle spit noted in particular for its colonies of breeding terns. Seals can also be seen.
www.norfolksealtrips.co.uk
Bodyflight - the World’s largest indoor skydiving wind tunnel. Enjoy flight in the wind tunnel made famous by Daniel Craig in scenes from the 2008 James Bond film.
www.bodyflight.co.uk
Fitzwilliam Museum - fascinating Egyptian, Greek, Roman and other antiquities, an internationally-renowned collection of European paintings, drawings and much more.
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Mersea Island - Britain's most easterly inhabited island, home to the settlements of East and West Mersea.
www.mersea-island.com
Sainsburys Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich - houses the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury collection in a breathtaking Norman Foster building, with works by Picasso, Bacon and Henry Moore also displayed.
www.scva.org.uk
Must see and do
- Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire
- Kings College Chapel, Cambridge
- Norfolk Lavender Ltd, Heacham
- Blickling Hall, Blickling
- Sutton Hoo Burial Site, Woodbridge
- Audley End House and Gardens, Saffron Walden
- Colchester Zoo, Colchester
- Woburn Abbey, Woburn
- Hatfield House, Hatfield
- RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve, nr. Saxmundham
Related Links
Featured destinations in East of England travel guide
Visit Cambridge and explore the historic college buildings, plus a wide range of attractions and museums. Take a short break and enjoy the surrounding areas.
Cambridge travel guide
Colchester is different: 2000 years of history snuggles up to 21st-century culture making the place burst with all sorts of everything you need for a day trip, short break or longer stay.
Colchester travel guide
Great Yarmouth is a hugely popular resort, with an enviable mix of sandy beaches, attractions and heritage.
More about Great Yarmouth
England’s oldest continuously settled Anglo-Saxon town - with medieval streets and architectural gems - from the decorative plasterwork of the ‘Ancient House’ (c.1670), to Sir Norman Foster’s award-winning Willis Corroon building.
Ipswich travel guide
Luton is a lively town. Perfect for business, entertainment and activities in and around the town and the surrounding countryside of Bedfordshire and the Chiltern Hills.
Luton travel guide
In the heart of East Anglia, the historic city of Norwich has everything you could desire of a vibrant regional capital.
Norwich travel guide
Peterborough's 3,000 years of heritage and an extensive choice of leisure, shopping and activity pursuits provide a dynamic experience for leisure and business visitors alike.
Peterborough travel guide
