If you are looking for a part of England that feels like it has its own internal clock, head east until the land flattens out and the sky starts doing most of the heavy lifting. East Anglia, comprising Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex, is a bit of a glorious paradox. It is home to some of the country’s most sophisticated history, and yet it remains blissfully, stubbornly rural.
The City of Spires and Cycles
Start your journey in Cambridge. It is a place where everyone seems to be either a Nobel Prize winner or someone about to fall off a bicycle. The best way to see the university backs is by punting on the River Cam. It looks incredibly elegant when professionals do it, but if you try it yourself, prepare to be a local laughing stock as you inevitably get your pole stuck in the mud and drift helplessly into a willow tree. Once you have dried off, a visit to King’s College Chapel is non-negotiable. The fan-vaulted ceiling is so beautiful that it makes you want to apologise for every IKEA shelf you have ever assembled.
Waterways and Windmills
Heading north into Norfolk, you will hit the Norfolk Broads. This is a massive network of navigable rivers and lakes where the speed limit is essentially "leisurely." Hiring a boat is the law here, or it should be. You can spend days meandering past windmills and waving at herons. If you find yourself in Norwich, do not miss the Cathedral. It has a spire that seems to pierce the clouds and more medieval roof bosses than you can shake a stick at. Norwich also prides itself on having a pub for every day of the year, though I wouldn’t recommend testing that theory in a single weekend unless you have a very understanding doctor.
Coastal Charms and Fish and Chips
Suffolk offers a coastline as pretty as a postcard, but with significantly more wind. Southwold is the crown jewel here, famous for its colourful beach huts that cost more than a three-bedroom house in the Midlands. It is also the home of Adnams Brewery, so a pint of local ale is mandatory. Just down the coast is Aldeburgh, where the fish and chips are legendary. Eating them on the pebble beach is a rite of passage, though you will have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with seagulls that have the tactical brilliance of a commando unit.
The Big Sky Country
The magic of East Anglia is often found in the gaps between the famous bits. It is in the "Big Skies" that stretch forever and the flint-walled villages that look like they haven’t changed since the 1600s. Whether you are exploring the majestic ruins of Bury St Edmunds or wandering the lavender fields of Heacham, there is a sense of space here that is rare in the rest of overcrowded England. It is a place to breathe, to eat far too many scones, and to finally understand why people have been fighting over this corner of the world for centuries. Just remember to bring a jumper, even in July.
