Our Top 6 Things to Do in the East of England
The mesmerising huge skies, fine beaches and charming towns of the East of England are hard resist, as many visitors can attest. For our purposes, the East stretches from Lincolnshire to Essex, taking in the coastal counties as well and Cambridgeshire. While the landscape is largely flat (hence those amazing skies), this part of England doesn’t always conform to the stereotype – the coastal cliffs of Norfolk, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the hills of Suffolk provide plenty of topographical variety.
This week we present (in no particular order) our Top 6 Things to Do in in the East of England, and we also couldn’t resist adding a few more less well know honourable mentions, alongside some not-to-be-missed opportunities to relax at a nearby Best Loved hotel.
1. From Southwold to Aldeburgh in Suffolk to Cromer and Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, tour the East Anglia coast. www.visiteastofengland.com
The Globe Inn is the epitome of seaside charm and contemporary style, located in Wells-next-the-Sea – ideal for coastal exploring.
2. Holkham andSandringham, Norfolk’s grand country estate houses, have lavish interiors and vast deer parks.
Heacham Manor is a charming 16th century country house & golf course on the North West Norfolk coastline a short drive from Sandringham and Holkham.
Equally nearby, Congham Hall is an AA Inspector’s Choice country house hotel with spa and 2 AA Rosette-winning fine dining.
3. Get a head for heights on a tour of the roof and tower at Lincoln Cathedral of St Mary.
Located just outside Lincoln town center, Washingborough Hall is a beautiful family-run hotel with 2 AA Rosette-winning cuisine. Washingborough often runs special breaks including tickets to Lincoln Cathedral and Castle with car transfer.
Branston Hall is lovely country house escape with spa and AA Rosette-winning food three miles south of Lincoln.
4. At Sutton Hoo in Suffolk a 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon burial site was discovered in the 1930s.
Seckford Hall is a stunning 4-star Tudor country house which retains its period features. The 2 AA Rosette-winning 1530 Restaurant is excellent.
5. See Cambridge by punt. Drift along the “backs” for the best views of the colleges.
Located about a 35 minute drive from Cambrige, The Cross Keys is a stylish boutique inn at the heart of the Essex market town of Saffron Walden.
6. In Constable Country, pick out the scenes made famous by the 18th Century landscape painter on the Suffolk and Essex border.
Wivenhoe House outside Colchester is the perfect marriage of traditional and cutting edge: an 18th century Grade II listed country manor painted by Constable and with a stylish modern wing next door. It’s a pleasant 20 minute drive to Dedham Vale.
And a few honourable mentions for something completely different!
Book a private audience with some cute feathered friends at Happisburgh Owls, North Walsham, Norfolk.
Take a stroll through the gorse and heather of Dunwich Heath and Beach in Suffolk, passing by the tiny village of Dunwich – once a lively city of 4,000 souls. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Ride a steam train on the Nene Valley Railway from the cathedral city of Peterborough along the original London and North Western line.
Admire the talent of Grayson Perry, expressed in ‘A House for Essex’, a structural work of art located in the village of Wrabness – it even comes with a fictional back story. www.living-architecture.co.uk
Pay a visit to the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art at Palace House in Newmarket, to find out how racehorses are retrained www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk
Follow in the footsteps of the poet Tennyson, ticking off significant sites such as Grunby Hall (his “haunt of ancient peace”) on the trail around his home county. www.visitlincolnshire.com
Wherever in The East of England your travels may take you, there’s a fantastic Best Loved hotel waiting for you: Click here for a full list of Best Loved hotels in the East of England.