EASTERN ENGLAND
This is the region for you if you have an aversion to towing up and down hills – and it has a lot to offer. Eastern England comprises Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, with a 400-mile-plus coastline packed with nature reserves and seaside resorts. Inland, it’s a mix of gently undulating landscape and fenlands hosting great gardens, racecourses (check out the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art at Newmarket) and fine houses. Its history is one of invasion by the Romans, the Saxons and the Angles, and defence. Suffolk and Norfolk once made up the Kingdom of the East Angles and you can see the ship burial of Raedwald, King of the East Angles, at Sutton Hoo. It’s a region that has inspired poets and artists – visit Thomas Gainsborough’s house in Sudbury or explore the area around Dedham Vale favoured by John Constable. If you love exploring stately homes, there are a few to choose from, including Sandringham, the summer home of the royal family, and Burleigh House for the ultimate in Elizabethan opulence. Gardeners will want to visit Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex and the walled garden at Holkham Hall. This is also the area for aviation fans; visit the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at Spilsby to experience what it was like on an airfield during WWII, and take a taxi ride in a Lancaster Bomber. At RAF Coningsby’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre you’ll find Spitfires, Hurricanes and a Lancaster bomber.
Cathedral city
In the medieval centre of Lincoln you will find one of Britain’s grandest cathedrals. It sports three towers and is more than 900 years old. Lincoln is also home to a piece of priceless heritage; it owns original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta and the 1217 Charter of the Forest – both documents are kept in the castle. Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire is older still; its origins date back to the seventh century, with the present building drawing thousands of visitors a year. Norfolk is famous for the Broads, which were created in medieval times when peat was dug for fuel and today’s waterways were created. And the city of Cambridge is one of Britain’s great seats of learning. Take a punt along The Backs by the colleges and visit Grantchester Meadows.
■ Turn to p45 of the Top 100 guide for site info