Ely Cathedral. © Krystal Kradshaw
Ecclesiastical East Anglia
The Isle of Ely is so called because it stands a mere seventy feet above sea level and once became a virtual island during the floods of the winter months. Its cathedral is one of our finest and is surrounded by a Close that still includes several mediaeval houses. Then there's the famous King's College Chapel in Cambridge, from where the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols is broadcast to the world every Christmas Eve. If parish churches are more your thing, there are some superb examples in South Suffolk, near the Essex border, including the wonderful 15th-century churches at Lavenham, Long Melford and Stoke-by-Nayland. All are set in lovely historic villages where you can enjoy a quiet wander.
The East Anglian Coast and Countryside
East Anglia has glorious towns and villages, from Aldburgh (famous for its music festival) and Southwold, to John Constable's Flatford. And there are the incomparable north Norfolk beach resorts, too – like Holkam Bay, Brancaster, Cley and Wells – where artists, aristocrats and overpaid, overstressed City types flock every summer, to find rest and inspiration... Which is why many of us prefer to visit in winter, when the area is just as atmospheric but not as crowded! If you're a fan of ghost stories, take a volume of M.R. James along. You'll be amazed how plausible his tales will feel if you're watching the mist roll in over Holkam Beach at dusk...
For more information on options, charges and booking please contact us