East Of England

The East is an enchanting region of rural landscapes, ancient fens, idyllic coastline, imposing cathedrals and stately homes, historic cities and bustling market towns. The vibrant university city and shopping mecca of Cambridge oozes sophistication, architecture and tradition. Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex each have their fair share of character with tranquil gardens and fascinating heritage. The Norfolk Broads have long been popular and the fashionable Suffolk and North Norfolk coasts have some of the most beautiful beaches in Britain and fine dining to rival London.

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire

Bedfordshire has plenty of attractions, from exotic animals at Whipsnade Zoo to vintage aeroplanes at The Shuttleworth Collection and the Swiss Garden in Old Warden Park, and some notable historic houses open to the public. Luton Hoo is a fine Robert Adam designed house in a 1200 acre Capability Brown designed park and Woburn Abbey, the still inhabited home of the Duke of Bedford stands in a 3000 acre park and is part of one of Europe’s largest drive-through game reserves. Turvey House, a neo-classical house in picturesque parkland bordering the River Great Ouse is home to a fine collection of art and antiques, and Wrest Park at Silsoe has over 150 years of English gardens including a painted pavilion, Chinese bridge, lakes and classical temple.

Hertfordshire also has its fair share of sprawling country houses and landscaped parklands. There are summer concerts and events at popular Knebworth and much to see at elegant Hatfield House, interspersed with fascinating smaller manors and fabulous gardens – Ashridge and Benington Lordship are excellent examples.

Verulanium, St Albans and Much Hadham retain evidence of the region’s Roman roots with walls, mosaic floors and part of an amphitheatre still visible. For culture vultures, the Hertfordshire home, galleries and gardens are all open to the public. Visit the studios of the great Henry Moore at Perry Green, including the recently opened visitor centre and new exhibition exploring Moore’s creative journey through the years.

Cambridgeshire & Essex

The river Cam provides a gently flowing backdrop to the winding streets and architectural wonders of Cambridge.
Visit as many of the world-famous colleges as you can and don’t miss Kings' College Chapel, started by Henry VI in 1446. Soak up some culture in one of the many galleries and museums - The Fitzwilliam Museum is one of Europe’s treasure houses with antiquities from Greece and Rome and makes for a good afternoon mooch. For retail therapy, the quirky shops and stylish boutiques tucked away on cobbled streets compete for your attention with the designer label stores of the Grand Arcade.

There is a never ending choice of places to eat and drink, with everything from afternoon tea and buns at Fitzbillies, a Cambridge institution since 1921, to cosy brasseries and extravagant dining at Michelin starred restaurants on offer. And no trip to Cambridge would be complete without a spot of punting – book a tour at one of the authorised punt stations and take in the beautiful views of the college ‘Backs’ from the river. Miles of perfect walking and cycling countryside is right on the doorstep, with charming towns and villages to stop off at. Take a relaxing boat trip along the River Great Ouse at Ely and visit the magnificent cathedral with its unique Octagon Tower.

Wisbech, said to be the capital of the fens, has elegant Georgian architecture and the historic Peckover House. Elton Hall has a fine collection of paintings, furniture, antiquarian books including Henry VIII’s prayer book and beautiful gardens. Peterborough has a statuesque Norman cathedral with three soaring arches and has been settled for at least 3,500 years, explore its story at the Museum and Art Gallery in the city and at Flag Fen, the finest Bronze Age archaeological site in Northern Europe.

The Essex coast is home to family seaside resorts such as Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea and the Blackwater and Crouch estuaries are havens for yachts and pleasure craft. Inland, the county city of Chelmsford has a historic 15th century cathedral and Hylands House is a beautiful Grade II* listed neo-classical villa set in over 500 acres of Hylands Park. County town Colchester was founded by the Romans and its massive castle keep, built in 1067, houses a collection of Roman antiquities.

The National Trust’s Paycocke’s House is a delightful half-timbered merchant’s house with a lovely arts and crafts garden at Coggeshall, while Constable and Turner painted some of the region’s loveliest countryside, on the Essex/Suffolk border around Dedham Vale. Pretty, historic market towns and villages like Saffron Walden and Thaxted are dotted across the west of the county, interspersed with grander homes and landscaped gardens. Audley End House is one of England’s most decadent Jacobean mansion houses, with a unique natural history collection and tranquil gardens created by ‘Capability’ Brown.

Norfolk

A trip to Norfolk is always full of adventure and discovery.
The North Norfolk coast, from Hunstanton in the West to Cromer in the East is home to nature reserves, windswept beaches and quaint coastal villages, and has rapidly become a sought-after weekend destination with a reputation for fine dining. Wells-next-the-Sea, with its long sweeping beach bordered by pine woodland has a pretty harbour with small fishing boats where children fish for crabs.  

Steeped in history, nearby Holkham Hall is a stunning Palladian mansion with its own nature reserve and  one of the most beautiful, unspoilt beaches in the country. Families will delight in the traditional seaside charms of Sheringham, Cromer and Mundesley.

In the East, Norfolk is criss-crossed by waterways and lakes known as The Broads - apparently the remains of medieval man’s peat diggings but now popular with boaters, walkers and cyclists alike. In the West, Thetford Forest is said to be the oldest in England while Sandringham, near Kings Lynn is the royal palace bought by Queen Victoria for the then Prince of Wales and where the present Queen spends many a family holiday.

The county town of Norfolk and unofficial capital of East Anglia is Norwich, a fine city whose cathedral walls are decorated with biblical scenes dating from 1046. There are 30 medieval churches in central Norwich and many other interesting historic sites, but modern Norwich is a stylish and contemporary city with first rate shopping and an excellent programme of arts, music and other cultural events.

Suffolk

The Suffolk Coast and Heaths ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve have miles of windswept shingle beaches, unspoilt wildlife-rich wetlands and ancient heaths for you to explore. Its inlets and estuaries are ever popular with yachtsmen and The Alde, The Deben and The Orwell all offer interesting boating and even more interesting waterside pubs and restaurants.

Coastal gems include Southwold, with its brightly coloured beach huts, and Aldeburgh, both home to flourishing arts and culinary scenes. Nearby Snape Maltings is renowned for an eclectic programme of events including the world famous Aldeburgh Festival of music and its association with composer Benjamin Britten. Step back in time with a visit to Somerleyton, one of Britain’s most well-preserved stately homes and gardens, or climb the ramparts at Framlingham Castle, once a fearsome fortress where Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England, for great views of the surrounding countryside.

Lavenham, Sudbury and Long Melford are home to magnificent churches, well worth a visit and the Church of the Holy Trinity at Blythbrugh is a stunning medieval building rising alongside the Blyth estuary, sometimes affectionately called ‘The Cathedral of the Marshes’. Across the River Deben, the historic market town of Woodbridge has a working tide mill, a fabulous riverside walk and an abundance of delightful pubs and restaurants.

The multi-million pound regeneration of county town Ipswich has turned it into a vibrant, exciting waterfront town with shops, restaurants, bars and culture. Modern buildings jostle with period architecture and the annual Maritime Ipswich festival celebrates the towns rich maritime history with themed events. Famed for its winding lanes and pastel painted thatched cottages, the countryside is dotted with idyllic villages such as Nayland and Dedham. The hills and valleys on the Suffolk-Essex border open up to the stunning skies of ‘Constable country’ in the South of the county and Dedham Vale ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ is the perfect place for walking, cycling and a leisurely picnic.