Two cities – Cambridge, possibly the most famous university city in the world and Norwich, the best-preserved medieval city in England with a vibrant, contemporary feel. Some of the best beaches in Britain. Unique Broads National Park. Traditional seaside towns. Suffolk wool towns and home of horseracing.
This journey will show you the highlights of the East of England, taking in stunning coast and countryside, and exploring one of the most historic regions of the country.
Cambridge is one of the most famous university cities in the world, and one of the most historic – it dates back to 1209. You can do some learning yourself, at the magnificent Fitzwilliam Museum, before enjoying a walking tour of the centre, taking in ‘The Backs’ of the universities, King’s College, Trinity Hall and other highlights.
The other must-do activity is hiring a punt on the river Cam, or go on a boat trip and let someone else do the work.
Drive to the historic port of King’s Lynn through the Fens, flat reclaimed marshland, and stop on the way to see magnificent Ely Cathedral. Visible for miles around, ‘The Ship of the Fens’ is the only UK building to be listed as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages’.
Head to Sandringham House, the Royal Family’s private estate that is open except when The Queen is in residence over Christmas.
In King’s Lynn wander the heritage quarter that contains more graded buildings than any other town in the country, taking in the Custom House, described by Pevsner as ‘one of the most perfect buildings ever built’, Guildhall and Minster.
Spend a day enjoying the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with stunning coast and countryside. There are fabulous beaches at Brancaster and Wells-next-the-Sea, with its 200 higgledy-piggledy multi-coloured beach huts. Nearby Holkham has been voted the best beach in Britain and it has a magnificent Palladian hall as well!
Birdwatch at Snettisham, Titchwell or Cley-next-the-Sea, or take a boat trip to see the seals at Blakeney Point.
Burnham Market is called ‘Chelsea on Sea’ for its upmarket shops and boutiques; Burnham Thorpe is the birthplace of the English naval hero Horatio Nelson; Wells town has a smuggler’s vibe; Holt is a perfect Georgian market town; Cromer has the world’s last end-of-pier theatre.
Head towards Norwich via Wroxham at the heart of the unique Broads National Park where you can hire a day boat and enjoy miles of navigable, lock-free waterways.
Norwich is the country’s best-preserved medieval city, with magnificent Norman cathedral and imposing castle. It also has fantastic independent shopping in The Lanes and a vibrant nightlife and cultural scene. Its compact city centre is walkable, with river views and the largest covered market in Europe.
A journey through the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB is like stepping back to a gentler, quieter time. Take in delightful Southwold, home of Adnams Brewery and quirky pier; wander around sleepy Walberswick; visit Dunwich, a tiny hamlet that was once one of the largest ports in England; go birdwatching at RSPB Minsmere; take a rowing boat on the mere at Thorpeness, a recreation of ‘merrie England’; have fish and chips on the seafront at Aldeburgh.
Enjoy a day travelling through beautiful rolling countryside, taking in Snape Maltings, home of the Aldeburgh Music Festival; see Pin Mill on the river Deben at Woodbridge; explore some of Suffolk’s pretty and well-preserved medieval wool towns such as Lavenham, Long Melford and Clare on your way to Bury St Edmunds; see the home of horseracing at Newmarket, made famous by King Charles II.
