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East Anglia

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East Anglia

Where to go and what to see in the East of England

Even now, the East of England remains host to a treasure trove of delights, just waiting to be discovered. Even in the hub of today’s hustle and bustle, it is still possible to be completely alone and listen to nothing but.... silence! But if it is the hustle and bustle you’re looking for, there are still parts of the region with plenty to go around - parts that are so special that they are deservedly popular.

The East of England has much to offer; from the enchanting coastlines of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, to the quiet, picturesque villages nestling deep in the rolling countryside. Explore narrow streets and cobbled lanes to discover country churches with wooden and thatched roofs, timber framed houses and chocolate box cottages painted “Suffolk Pink” - or simply whitewashed and adorned with flowers.

Essex
Keep an eye open for smugglers still hiding in the creeks and inlets of this mysterious edge of England. The “Secret Waters” of Arthur Ransome’s stories were here in the backwaters behind Walton-on-the-Naze, and the flat saltmarshes and mudflats are a precious habitat for wildlife both here and elsewhere along the coast.

Three river estuary towns are centres of maritime heritage. Maldon is full of interesting, historical buildings, including the 15th C. Moot Hall in the High Street. The Quay is home to several Thames sailing barges - a magnificent sight. Brightlingsea has one of the best stretches of sailing on the East Coast, and superb walks along with banks of the creek. Burnham-on-Crouch has a picturesque charm created by the historical character of the buildings on the waterfront and along the High Street. Most of the Essex Coast has been designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area, but it is still more famous for its seaside resorts.

Southend-on-Sea is one of the best loved and most friendly of the resorts. It has the longest pleasure pier in the world and seven miles of beaches with seaside awards. There’s an amusement park and sea life centre, plus museums and an art gallery. Southend has won numerous awards for it’s magnificent floral displays in parks and gardens throughout the town.

Further up the coastline is Clacton-on-Sea with its south-facing, long sandy beach. There are plenty of amusements for all ages at this friendly, popular resort. In contrast, is the town of Frinton-on-Sea - quiet, secluded and unspoilt.

Also to be found in Essex is the historic town of Colchester - indeed, Colchester is Britain’s oldest recorded town. With over 2,000 years of history involving the Romans, Saxons and the Normans, this is brought to life in Colchester Castle Museum. Here it is possible to touch Roman pottery, feel what it is like to wear medieval clothes and experience the murky past in the depth of the Castle’s prisons.

Essex has its fair share of rogues and villains from days gone by and probably the most famous of these is Dick Turpin. This famous highwayman’s daring exploits to relieve the rich of their money and jewels are well known. Dick Turpin’s birthplace was at Hempstead, and he worked as a butcher in the town of Thaxted. Hardly a rogue, but nevertheless a notorious and fascinating character also from these parts, was Matthew Hopkins the Witchfinder General. He came from the tiny and attractive town of Manningtree, and used his talent for unmasking witches to sentence many women to death.

Suffolk
A whole host of creative talent is also associated with this part of the world, no less than the artist John Constable. The area surrounding the Stour Valley bordering Essex and Suffolk has now become well known as Constable Country; with it’s beautiful landscape, wide skies and inspirational light. Right at the heart of Constable Country is the village of Dedham, with its array of pastel washed cottages and houses.

Close by is the market town of Sudbury, whose talented son was Thomas Gainsborough. Sudbury and many of the surrounding towns and villages prospered from the wool trade in the 14/15th C. In particular, the town of Lavenham which is still regarded as England’s most complete medieval town, with many fine buildings as evidence of it’s wealth, including the half-timbered Guildhall and Little Hall. Both of which are open to visitors. Lavenham and other wool towns in the area boast spectacular churches, including Long Melford and Hadleigh.

A little further north lies the Horseracing Capital of the World - Newmarket. This has been the home of horseracing ever since James I’s Scottish Nobles introduced racing to England. A visit to the National Stud and the National Horseracing Museum will provide a fascinating insight into the way horses are bred, trained, raced and cared for.

Bury St. Edmunds now has a new skyline, following an exciting Millennium Project which saw the completion of a tower on its magnificent Cathedral. Close by are the dramatic ruins of the medieval abbey set in the Abbey Gardens, where Bury’s gardeners show off their skills with stunning floral displays, thus earning Bury St. Edmunds the name of “Britain’s Floral Town”.

Britain’s most easterly town can be found on the Suffolk coastline - Lowestoft, which successfully combines the roles of holiday resort and modern fishing and commercial port. Southwold and Walberswick, linked by a ferry over the river, are two very attractive and individualist seaside places. So resistant are they to change that when a young lady proposed to sell ice-cream from a barrow on Southwold’s promenade, there was an uproar of disapproval from the townsfolk. It is this very resistance to change, which makes two places so special.

Parts of the Suffolk coastline, battered by weather and the might of the North Sea, are gradually being eroded into the sea. A visit to Dunwich Museum will bring the home the reality, for the once significant town simply slipped into the sea; in fact, it is said that the church bells can be heard tolling under the sea from the top of the cliff.

The holiday village of Thorpeness was a “dream” creation as a sanctuary for children and a place to while away long hours in fascination and safety. On the horizon is the “House in the Clouds”, the most fantastic of dwelling places which began life as a water tower.

Fishing boats may be seen drawn up on the beach in the little town of Aldeburgh. But Aldeburgh boasts it’s famous festival, which was made famous by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears in 1948. This has now been developed into a year round programme of music and arts shared between Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings Concert Hall.

Norfolk
Moving further up the coastline, the seaside town of Hunstanton is the only East Coast resort to actually face west! It is famous for it’s red and white striped cliffs, made from layers of red carrstone and white chalk. Hunstanton was built as a sea bathing resort in 1846 and still retains much of its Victorian elegance.

Eastwards, the coastline becomes salt marsh, ideal habitat for many sea birds.There is an abundance of undisturbed space around here, scattered with bird reserves. Holkham Beach is a paradise of wide open sand backed by dunes and pine trees, and nearby Wells-next-the-Sea has the most fascinating array of beach huts of all shapes and sizes. The small village of Blakeney is famous for its seals - a boat trip shows them basking on the sand and shingle spit. Slightly inland is the very cosmopolitan market town of Holt, with many houses made of flint, a building material frequently used in this area. Both the neighbouring towns of Sheringham and Cromer grew up around the fishing industry and it is possible to buy freshly caught crabs and seafood. Of course, Norfolk is also home to the popular seaside resort of Great Yarmouth, with all the fun of the fair, and more besides.

Perhaps Norfolk is best recognised for Britain’s newest National Park - The Broads. In the Middle Ages, Norwich was England’s third largest city and Broadland was one of the most densely populated parts of the country. In need of fuel, people turned to the peaty marshes around the rivers and excavated huge pits by hand. As the sea level rose, the peat diggings started to flood and today these are the shallow lakes we know as 'Broads'. The best way to experience them is at a gentle pace from a boat, travelling through a beautiful, timeless environment.

In the heart of Norfolk, lies the Norman city of Norwich, with it’s imposing castle dominating the centre of the city, and more modernly, the discreetly designed Castle Mall shopping centre. Norwich has one of England’s finest Norman cathedrals, and also boasts the most complete medieval street pattern in England with 1,500 historic buildings.

Nearby is the maritime town of King’s Lynn, with a foray of merchant’s houses complete with their own private warehouses, a reminder of the former wealth of the town. Of course, no visit to Norfolk would be complete without a visit to H.M. The Queen’s country retreat at Sandringham - it is possible to visit the house itself when the Royal family are not in residence and discover the fascinating museum of royal vehicles and mementoes. There are also over sixty acres of glorious grounds to enjoy. More.

Cambridgeshire
There are beautiful areas of countryside to be discovered around Cambridgeshire. Of course, perhaps the most immediate image of this county is that of the famous University of Cambridge, established in the 13th C. and connected to many famous people including sixty-two Nobel Prize winners, thirteen Prime ministers and nine Archbishops of Canterbury!

The first college was founded in 1284, and others including Kings and Trinity were built in medieval times. King's College Chapel is a place of great beauty, with fabulous carved woodwork and a bold fan-vaulted ceiling. The “Backs” of the colleges are lush and green and a peaceful place to wander as a break from shopping. Of course, no visit to Cambridge is complete without an attempt at punting - self-drive or even chauffeur driven for a more leisurely “cruise”.

Nearby is the town of Huntingdon, birthplace of Oliver Cromwell. This famous statesman's career began as a Member of Parliament for Cambridge in 1640. He fought at the outbreak of The Civil War two years later, rising through the ranks to become second in command of the new Parliamentary Army. In 1653, he was declared Lord Protector, the most powerful man in the land - and King in all but name. His family home still stands in the town of Ely and today serves the purpose of a Tourist Information Centre, imaginatively restored to show his life and times, complete with the sounds and smells of the period.

The Imperial War Museum at Duxford is Europe’s top aviation museum, home to numerous historic aircraft, many in flying condition. It is appropriate that this part of England has such a long association with flying, dating right back to the First World War when this was the base for many military aerodromes.

Fenland covering parts of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk is a uniquely special part of the country. Before The Fens were drained, this was a different world of misty marshes and bogs. There are many tales of web-footed people, ghosts and witchcraft. Today’s Fen landscape is the result of man’s determination to tame this former wet wilderness and create more farmland - and a sophisticated network of drains, embankments and pumps help protect the land from the ever-present threat of rain and tide.

Fenland has many habitats for wildlife. Along the coastal marshes of The Wash, the Peter Scott Walk provides opportunities for birdwatching and the quiet contemplation of nature.

Only twenty minutes north of London, the East of England region is amazingly accessible. With three major airports - London Stansted, Norwich and London Luton, alongside excellent road and rail connections - gaining access to this corner of the country which seems to have escaped the harshness of time has never been easier.

Allow yourself to be gently seduced and enchanted; step back in time and discover The Real England - unspoilt and unassuming, still individual, still uncrowded - a place with its own character still intact.

Over in the west of the region lie the counties of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire where The Chilterns escarpment runs through. The Hertfordshire city of St. Albans has been of significant importance since Roman times. Indeed, an important treasure of the past is Verulamium, site of the country’s third largest Roman town. It is still possible today to see the remains of the Roman walls, and the Hypocaust, the bath suite of a 2nd C. Roman villa, in a lovely parkland setting, surrounded by fine trees and a lake and river, all providing a haven for ducks, herons and kingfishers. The Clock Tower in St. Alban’s market place is the only medieval town belfry in England and was built as a political statement by the town, asserting it’s freedom and wealth in the face of the powerful Abbey, allowing it to sound it’s own hours and curfew. It is still possible to gain marvellous views of the surrounding city and countryside from the top of the Clock Tower.

Hertfordshire
Bishop’s Stortford is a fascinating, ancient market town on the River Stort with fine buildings including 16/17th C. inns and the remains of a Norman Castle. Hitchin is a medieval market town with many Tudor and Georgian buildings based around a central market square. Ware is a delightful market town on the navigable section of the River Lee boasting many delightful buildings; in particular, it’s Grotto decorated with flints, minerals and shells, is one of the finest in England. Of course, the largest town in Hertfordshire is Watford with a prosperous shopping centre, which has been developed extensively since the Middle Ages when it was a market town. Indeed, the Harlequin Centre draws visitors from far and wide.

Hertfordshire is also home to a plethora of imposing stately homes and magnificent gardens. One of the most famous of these is Knebworth House, home to the Lytton family for over five hundred years. It is here that thousands flock to the now legendary rock concerts held in the grounds of Knebworth Park. The gardens of Hatfield House are fabulous and have been developed following traditions of design and using organic methods.

Hertfordshire in particular is the home of English golf. In St. Albans it is possible to trace historical connections with the Ryder Cup - St. Albans was the home club of wealthy seed-packer Samuel Ryder, founder of the Ryder Cup. In the surrounding areas, Hertfordshire has everything from championship golf courses to those such as Chesfield Downs which have been designed for all the family to enjoy.

The aviation theme is particularly strong in the county of Hertfordshire, where the “de Havilland Aircraft Company” at Hatfield became a world leader. The Tiger Moth, Mosquito, Vampire, Trident and the world’s first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, were all developed here. Interestingly enough, England’s first hot balloon flight set off from London and landed at the village of Standon Green where a sandstone boulder still marks the event today.

Bedfordshire
Across the border, the county of Bedfordshire can also boast strong links with the country’s aviation heritage, with both the renowned Shuttleworth Collection where aviation history bursts into life, and the imposing airship hangars in Cardington.

The towns of Dunstable and Luton were once famous centres for the straw plait and hat making industries. At the Stockwood Park Museum in Luton, you can see displays and demonstrations of crafts past and present. Dunstable was built by the Romans at the junction of Icknield Way and Watling Street and was once a coaching town.

There are lots of attractive villages in this part of the country; Old Warden was created in a style fashionable in the 19th C. with Swiss chalets and charming thatched cottages.Turvey is a delightful 19th C. estate village, with cottages built of limestone beside the River Ouse. In the High Street at Harrold, the Old Manor dates back to 1600, whilst on the triangular green is the octagonal market house and behind it a circular stone lock-up built in 1824 to deter wrong-doers.

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