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East Anglia

Unfurling gently eastwards to the sea, the vast flatlands of East Anglia are a rich web of lush farmland, melancholy Fens and sparkling rivers. The area is justly famous for its sweeping sandy beaches, big skies and the bucolic landscape that once inspired Constable and Gainsborough.

It's not all rural idyll though: rising out of the Fens is the world-famous university city of Cambridge, with its stunning classical architecture and earnest attitude, while to the east is the cosmopolitan city of Norwich. Around them, magnificent cathedral cities, pretty market towns and implausibly picturesque villages are testament to the enormous wealth amassed here during medieval times, when the wool and weaving industries flourished.

The meandering coastline is peppered with charismatic fishing villages and traditional seaside resorts, while inland lie the languid, hypnotic charms of the Norfolk Broads, an ideal location for serious relaxation.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout East Anglia.

  • See

    King's College Chapel

    In a city crammed with showstopping buildings, this is a scene-stealer. Grandiose 16th-century King's College Chapel is one of England’s most extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture. Its inspirational, intricate 80m-long fan-vaulted ceiling is the world’s largest and soars upwards before exploding into a series of stone fireworks. This hugely atmospheric space is a fitting stage for the chapel's world-famous choir; hear it sing during the free and magnificent evensong in term time (5.30pm Monday to Saturday; 10.30am and 3.30pm Sunday). King's steeples have long been a magnet for student night climbers, and today images of the chapel adorn thousands of postcards, tea towels and choral CDs. But it was begun in 1446 as an act of piety by Henry VI and was only finished by Henry VIII around 1516. The lofty stained-glass windows that flank the chapel’s sides ensure it’s remarkably light. The glass is original, a rare survivor of the excesses of the 17th-century Civil War in this region. It's said that these windows were ordered to be spared by Oliver Cromwell, who knew of their beauty from his own studies in Cambridge. The antechapel and the choir are divided by a superbly carved wooden screen, designed and executed by Peter Stockton for Henry VIII. The screen bears his master's initials entwined with those of Anne Boleyn. Look closely and you may find an angry human face (possibly Stockton's) amid the elaborate jungle of mythical beasts and symbolic flowers. Above is the magnificent bat-wing organ, originally constructed in 1686, though much altered since. Beyond the thickly carved dark-wood choir stalls, light suffuses the high altar, which is framed by Rubens' masterpiece Adoration of the Magi (1634) and the magnificent east window. To the left of the altar in the side chapels, an exhibition charts the construction stages and methods. Note the chapel itself (but not the grounds) is open during the exam period (April to June). Each Christmas Eve, King’s College Chapel stages the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols. It’s broadcast globally by the BBC, and to around 300 US radio stations. You can also queue for a place – if you arrive early enough (often by around 9am), you could well get in.

  • See

    Trinity College

    The largest of Cambridge's colleges, Trinity offers an extraordinary Tudor gateway, an air of supreme elegance and a sweeping Great Court – the largest of its kind in the world. It also boasts the renowned and suitably musty Wren Library, containing 55,000 books published before 1820 and more than 2500 manuscripts. Works include those by Shakespeare, St Jerome, Newton and Swift – and AA Milne's original Winnie the Pooh; both Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, were graduates. As you enter Trinity through the part-gilded gate, have a look at the statue of the college's founder, Henry VIII, that adorns it. His left hand holds a golden orb, while his right grips not the original sceptre but a table leg, put there by student pranksters and never replaced. It's a wonderful introduction to one of Cambridge's most venerable colleges, and a reminder of who really rules the roost. In the Great Court beyond, scholastic humour gives way to wonderment, thanks to its imposing architecture and sheer size. To the right of the entrance is a small tree, planted in the 1950s and reputed to be a descendant of the apple tree made famous by Trinity alumnus Sir Isaac Newton. Other alumni include Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, Tennyson, HRH Prince Charles (legend has it his bodyguard scored higher in exams than he did), at least nine prime ministers (British and international) and more than 30 Nobel Prize winners. The college's vast hall has a dramatic hammer-beam roof and lantern; beyond lie the dignified cloisters of Nevile's Court. Henry VIII would have been proud to note, too, that his college would eventually come to throw the best party in town, the lavish May Ball in early June, though you will need a fat purse, and a friend on the inside, to get an invitation.

  • See

    Ely Cathedral

    Ely Cathedral’s stunning silhouette dominates the whole area; it’s dubbed the 'Ship of the Fens' because it’s so visible across the vast, flat sweeps of land. The early-12th-century nave dazzles with clean, uncluttered lines and a lofty sense of space. Look out for the entrancing ceiling, the masterly 14th-century Octagon, and towers that soar upwards in shimmering colours. Standard admission includes a ground-floor guided tour. The tower tours (four to five daily) deliver behind-the-scenes glimpses, 165 steps and remarkable views. Ely has been a place of worship and pilgrimage since at least 673, when Etheldreda, daughter of the king of East Anglia, founded a nunnery here (shrugging off the fact that she had been twice married, in her determination to become a nun). She was canonised shortly after her death. The nunnery was sacked by the Danes, rebuilt as a monastery, demolished and then resurrected as a church after the Norman Conquest. In 1109, Ely became a cathedral. Gothic arches were added later to support the weight of the mighty walls. The vast 14th-century Lady Chapel is filled with eerily empty niches that once held statues of saints and martyrs. They were hacked out unceremoniously by iconoclasts during the English Civil War. But the delicate tracery remains, overseen by a rather controversial statue of Holy Mary by David Wynne, unveiled in 2000 to mixed reviews. The cathedral's beauty has made it a popular film location: you may recognise some of its fine details from scenes in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Other Boleyn Girl. For optimum atmosphere, visit during evensong (5.30pm Monday to Saturday, 4pm Sunday) or a choral service (10.30am Sunday).

  • See

    Fitzwilliam Museum

    Fondly dubbed 'the Fitz' by locals, this colossal neoclassical pile was one of the first public art museums in Britain, built to house the fabulous treasures that the seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam bequeathed to his old university. Expect Roman and Egyptian grave goods, artworks by many of the great masters and some quirkier collections: banknotes, literary autographs, watches and armour. The building’s unabashedly over-the-top appearance sets out to mirror its contents; this ostentatious jumble of styles mixes mosaic with marble, and Greek with Egyptian. The lower galleries are filled with priceless treasures spanning the ancient world; look out for a Roman funerary couch, an inscribed copper votive plaque from Yemen (c AD 100–200), a figurine of Egyptian cat goddess Bastet, splendid Egyptian sarcophagi and mummified animals, plus dazzling illuminated manuscripts. The upper galleries showcase works by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Rubens, the Impressionists, Gainsborough, Constable, Rembrandt and Picasso; standout works include the tender Pietà by Giovanni del Ponte and Salvator Rosa's dark and intensely personal L'Umana Fragilita. The Fitz has a tragic footnote: although begun by George Basevi in 1837, he didn’t live to see its completion. While working on Ely Cathedral he stepped back to admire his handiwork, slipped and fell to his death. One-hour guided tours (£8) of the museum are held at 2.30pm on Saturdays.

  • See

    Sandringham

    Both monarchists and those bemused by the English system will have plenty to mull over here, at the Queen's country estate. It's set in 25 hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens, and wandering around sumptuous reception rooms regularly used by the royals reveals a wealth of objets d'art and glinting gifts from European and Russian royal families. Sandringham is 6 miles northeast of King's Lynn off the A149. Bus 35 runs from King's Lynn (£2.50, 20 minutes, hourly). Sandringham was built in 1870 by the then Prince and Princess of Wales (who later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and the house's features and furnishings remain much as they were in Edwardian days. The stables, meanwhile, now house a flag-waving museum filled with diverse royal memorabilia. The superb vintage-car collection includes the very first royal motor from 1900, and the buggy in which the Queen Mother would bounce around race tracks. There are guided tours (£3.50, 11am and 2pm Wednesday and Saturday) of the gardens. The shop stocks organic goodies produced on the vast estate.

  • See

    Imperial War Museum

    At Europe's biggest aviation museum, 200 lovingly preserved vintage aircraft are housed in several enormous hangars. The vast airfield showcases everything from dive bombers to biplanes, Spitfire and Concorde. The awe-inspiring American Air Museum hangar pays homage to US WWII servicemen, hosting the largest collection of American civil and military aircraft outside the USA. Duxford is 9 miles south of Cambridge at Junction 10 of the M11. Buses only run to the museum on Sunday (bus 132; £3.90, 50 minutes). Make this a day trip, especially if you're bringing kids – the interactive rocket launchers and flight simulators prove pretty irresistible. The slick AirSpace hangar houses an exhibition on British and Commonwealth aviation. Modern warfare is also covered, including the latest conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, featuring an assortment of tanks and artillery from WWII onwards. The planes aren't here just to look pretty – a number, such as the legendary Flying Fortress, take to the skies during ultrapopular airshows in May, July and September.

  • See

    Norwich Cathedral

    Norwich's most impressive landmark is a magnificent Anglican cathedral. Its barbed spire soars higher than any in England except Salisbury's, while the size of its cloisters is second to none. Highlights include the mesmerising ceiling, the ornate roof bosses, and the striking modern features of the Hostry. The 50-minute guided tours (donation requested, hourly Monday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm) are an engaging way to find out more. Work started on the cathedral in 1096 and it remains one of the finest Anglo-Norman abbey churches in the country. The sheer size of its nave is striking, but its most renowned feature is the superb Gothic rib vaulting added in 1463. Among the spidery stonework are 1200 sculpted roof bosses depicting Bible stories. Together they represent one of the finest achievements of English medieval masonry. Similar bosses can be seen in closer detail in the cathedral's remarkable, two-storey cloisters. Built between 1297 and 1430, they are unique in England and were originally built to house a community of about 100 monks. Above the bronze font (which came from a nearby chocolate factory), look out for Censing Angel (2012) – a suspended celestial figure woven out of willow branches by sculptor Joy Whiddett, trailing the words 'peace', 'hope' and 'love'. Outside the cathedral's eastern end is the grave of the WWI heroine Edith Cavell, a Norfolk-born nurse who was executed for helping hundreds of Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium. The handsome cathedral close also contains the old chapel of King Edward VI School (where naval hero Admiral Nelson was educated). Today's students make up the choir, which performs in services.

  • See

    The Backs

    Behind the Cambridge colleges’ grandiose facades and stately courts, a series of gardens and parks line up beside the river. Collectively known as the Backs, the 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 student life and graceful bridges can be seen from the riverside pathways and pedestrian bridges – or the comfort of a chauffeur-driven punt. For the best views of the fanciful Bridge of Sighs head into St John's College. Built in 1831, it's best observed from the stylish bridge designed by Wren just to the south, also on St John's grounds. The oldest river crossing is at Clare College, built in 1639 and ornamented with decorative balls. Its architect was paid a grand total of 15p for his design and, feeling aggrieved at such a measly fee, it's said he cut a chunk out of one of the balls adorning the balustrade so the bridge would never be complete. Most curious of all is the flimsy-looking wooden construction (visible from Silver St) that joins the two halves of Queens' College. Known as the Mathematical Bridge, it was first built in 1749. Despite what unscrupulous guides may tell you, it wasn't the handiwork of Sir Isaac Newton (he died in 1727), originally built without nails, or taken apart by academics who then couldn't figure how to put it back together.

  • See

    Norwich Castle

    Crowning a hilltop overlooking central Norwich, this massive 12th-century castle is one of England’s best-preserved examples of Anglo-Norman military architecture. Its superb interactive museum crams in lively exhibits on Boudica, the Iceni, the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings. Perhaps the best bit though is the atmospheric keep itself with its graphic displays on the grisly punishments meted out in its days as a medieval prison. Guided tours (adult/child £3.70/3) around the battlements and creepy dungeons run at least twice daily. The castle's art gallery houses works of the acclaimed 19th-century Norwich School of landscape painting founded by John Crome, and (drum roll) the world's largest collection of novelty teapots.