Church spires and stately homes stud the East of England’s rolling fields and wetlands as they sprawl from London to the North Sea coast. Cambridge tops the list of things to do in the East of England: like rival Oxford, this university city is famed for river punting and ancient colleges. But the cathedral cities of Ely, Norwich, and Peterborough draw history buffs; Norfolk’s sandy beaches and canal-boat Broads bring families flocking; and many visitors pass through en route from Tilbury cruise port or London Stansted Airport.
With its notoriously gray and rainy weather the rest of the year, summer is the peak season for visiting England, and the East of England is no exception. Norfolk’s beaches fill to bursting during the summer school vacation in late July and August, while Cambridge is tourist central throughout the European summer. The shoulder seasons (May–June, as well as September) offer prospects of decent weather paired with smaller crowds and, often, better-value accommodation.
While strikes can be an issue, efficient trains link cities and many towns across the East of England: even small villages generally have a twice-daily bus service. Cars are more trouble than they’re worth in pedestrian-friendly Cambridge, which encourages drivers to park in out-of-town lots with bus services to the center. However, a tour or a car lets you cover more ground than public transit to explore the eastern coast and countryside.
The classic English accompaniment to a Cambridge punting picnic is Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, a gin-based liqueur that’s served over ice with chopped strawberries, citrus, and cucumber, plus Sprite (or, as the locals call it, lemonade). For a classic taste of the Norfolk coast, walk from sweeping, pine-fringed Holkham Beach to the candy-colored beach huts at Wells-next-the-Sea, then eat a crab sandwich on the seafront.
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Low-lying and generally flat, the East of England’s best-known destination is the university city of Cambridge. But it’s also known for the cathedral cities of Norwich and Ely, the sandy beaches of the North Norfolk coast, the Norfolk Broads’ canals, the royal residence at Sandringham, and stately homes, including Houghton Hall.
...MoreThe North Norfolk coast is one of the most attractive stretches of England’s east coast. Highlights include Blakeney, which has seal-watching in season; Wells-next-the-Sea, a historic fishing village with party-colored beach huts; and Holkham, which offers the Holkham Hall stately home, a nature reserve, and the much-filmed Holkham Beach.
...MoreThat depends. Most first-time visitors to the UK traveling on tight schedules can skip the East of England altogether or simply take a day trip to Cambridge from London: the train takes a little more than an hour. Beach enthusiasts, birdwatchers, and history buffs will want to spend more time.
...MoreMany travelers spend their entire vacation exploring the East of England, but four days let you hit some key highlights. Spend day 1 in Cambridge; explore Ely and King’s Lynn on day 2; discover the cathedral and boutiques of Norwich on day 3; wrap up on the North Norfolk coast.
...MoreNot quite. Many people use the term East Anglia to mean eastern England, but the two areas differ slightly. The East of England is an official UK region that includes the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire; East Anglia covers Norfolk, Suffolk, and parts of the other two counties.
...MoreJune is a great month to visit the East of England, with wildflower meadows in bloom and lavender from mid-month. The days are generally warm and often sunny, ideal for hiking, boating, and beach walks, but the school vacations have yet to begin, so attractions are less crowded.
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