Things to do in Eastern England
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Clippesby
Bike hire.
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Chuzzlewits
Gourmet sandwiches made with freshly baked bread and its locally famous Earl Grey teacake can be eaten inside this delightful cafe, or taken away.
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Chop House
Set on the busy corner of Kings Pde and Bene't St, this place has wooden floors, giant windows overlooking the street, and – true to the name – a menu of classic, meat-heavy English cuisine. If you're craving sausage and mash, a sizzling steak, suet pudding, fish pie or potted ham, look no further. Sister restaurant St John’s Chop House has the same menu and is located near the rear entrance to St John’s College.
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CB2
Internet cafe, bistro, music venue and cinema all rolled into one, this lively place dishes up a great range of rustic cuisine in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The menu features everything from salads, pastas and wraps to heartier bistro specials. There's live music on the top floor on Wednesday nights and every other Thursday. To get here take a left off Parkside onto East Rd. Norfolk St is about 300m along on the right.
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Canoe Man
To see the broads at a slower pace, take to the water by canoe. Day and overnight guided trips to areas the cruisers can't reach are available, as well as canoe and kayak hire, weekend camping canoe trails, bushcraft courses, geo-caching challenges, and paddle-steamer trips, which combine a canoe and steam train trip.
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Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Founded by Charles Darwin's mentor, Professor John Henslow, the beautiful Botanic Garden is home to 8000 plant species, a wonderful arboretum and glasshouses – home to carnivorous pitcher plants as well as the delicate slipper orchid, a winter garden and flamboyant herbaceous borders. You can take an hour-long guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 11am and on some Wednesdays. The gardens are 1200m south of the city centre via Trumpington St.
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Cambridge Revisited
Set in the former Cambridge courts, this light-hearted attraction, consisting of an introductory video and self-guided walk, follows the trial and punishment of fictional Mr Tymins, found guilty of using the word 'Oxford' while in Cambridge. The show aims to be a virtual educational tour of Cambridge and its colleges.
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Bure Valley Steam Railway
This narrow-gauge steam train runs between Aylsham and Wroxham and is an ideal way to see some hidden parts of the Broads. Trains operate on different schedules depending on the month so check the website for details. For an even better experience, take the train in one direction and canoe or cruise your way back. The Canoe Man and Broads Tours both operate a connecting service.
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Broads Tours
Frequent 1½-hour pleasure trips from Potter Heigham and Wroxham.
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Broads Authority
Short boat trips from Beccles, Neatishead, Ranworth and How Hill.
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Britons Arms
Fifteenth-century thatched restaurant serving classic English dishes in a historic setting. Cash only.
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Boats for the Broads
Short-term rental from Wroxham.
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Blue Pig
A cosy nook of a pub in a half-timbered Tudor building, serving a fine selection of thirst-quenching real ales.
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Blakes
Boating holidays from Wroxham and Potter Heigham.
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Birdcage Bar
A bohemian hang-out, this is one of Norwich's quirkiest bars, with slightly kitsch decor that includes strips of bunting, mismatched furniture and a much-loved jukebox. There's eclectic music in the back room, plenty of board games, free wi-fi, cabaret nights and a lovely outside deck area.
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Bewilderwood
A forest playground for children and adults alike, this place is littered with zip wires, jungle bridges, tree houses and all sorts of old-fashioned outdoor adventure. It's a magical kind of place where children can run, jump, swing and climb to their hearts' content. There are marsh walks, boat trips, mazes, den-building activities, plenty of mud and peals of laughter all over the site. You and your young ones will wish you'd found it sooner.
Bus No 12a from Norwich drops you right at the door.
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Barnes Brinkcraft
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Alimentum
Slick and stylish and eager to impress, this place aims to wow you with its ambitious menu and wonderfully attentive service. The emphasis is on slow cooking and ethically sourced local produce, and the dishes are imaginative and very nicely presented, but somehow lacking the ‘wow’ factor. It's a short bus ride out of the centre.
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Adam & Eve
Norwich's oldest surviving pub, Adam & Eve have been on that same spot since biblical times (okay, since at least 1249, when it was built to quench the thirst of the cathedral builders). It’s a tiny place with a sunken floor and a mixed clientele of regulars, choristers and ghost hunters. There’s even a ‘spooky’ meal-and-ghost-walk deal, to top the already enticing selection of ales, bitters and malt whiskies.
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Abbey & Park
Now a picturesque ruin residing in beautiful gardens behind the cathedral, the once all-powerful abbey still impresses despite the townspeople having made off with much of the stone after the Dissolution. The Reformation also meant an end to the veneration of relics, and St Edmund's grave and bones have long since disappeared.
You enter the park via one of two well-preserved old gates: opposite the tourist office, the staunch mid-14th-century Great Gateis intricately decorated and ominously defensive, complete with battlements, portcullis and arrow slits. The other entrance sits further up Angel Hill, where a gargoyle-studded early-12th-century Norman Tower looms.
Just…
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The Backs
Behind the grandiose facades, stately courts and manicured lawns of the city's central colleges lies a series of gardens and parklands butting up against the river. Collectively known as the Backs, these tranquil green spaces and shimmering waters offer unparalleled views of the colleges and are often the most enduring image of Cambridge for visitors. The picture-postcard snapshots of college life, graceful bridges and weeping willows can be seen from the pathways that cross the Backs, from the comfort of a chauffeur-driven punt or from the lovely pedestrian bridges that criss-cross the river.
The fanciful Bridge of Sighs (built in 1831) at St John's is best observed from…
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Tourist Tracks
For those that prefer to wander at their own pace, there are MP3 walking tours of the city. They can be downloaded for around £5, mail ordered on CD for around £7 or hired with an MP3 player at the tourist office for around £6. The pack contains four separate 30-minute tours of the city centre.
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Waterside Antiques Centre
Ely is a great place for rummaging through antiques, and signs lead down to the river and bargain-hunting heaven Waterside Antiques Centre.
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