East Anglia
We’ve compiled the best of the best in East Anglia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Aldeburgh Beach Lookout
This tiny, disused lookout tower is in the middle of the main beachfront in Aldeburgh and has been converted into a bijou space for contemporary art and performances. Artists take up weekly residences here, welcoming the public each Saturday to observe what they've created during the week. This isn't just a space for local talent, however; some big names in the British arts world have taken part in recent years, including the poet Michael Horovitz and painter Eileen Cooper, the first female head of the Royal Academy. They also sometimes show art films projected on the side of the building—an arresting sight against a backdrop of dark seas lapping on the nighttime shore.
31 Crag Path, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5BS, England01728-452754Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun.–Fri. Sometimes closed in winter. -
2. Kettle's Yard
Originally a private house owned by a former curator of London's Tate galleries, Kettle's Yard contains a fine collection of 20th-century art, sculpture, furniture, and decorative arts, including works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Alfred Wallis. The museum reopened in 2018 after a two-year renovation project. A separate gallery shows changing exhibitions of modern art and crafts, and weekly concerts and lectures attract an eclectic mix of enthusiasts. Ring the bell for admission.
Castle St., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB3 0AQ, England01223-748100Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. except bank holidays -
3. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Cambridge University maintains some fine museums in its research halls on Downing Street—the wonder is that they're not better known to visitors. At the recently renovated Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, highlights include an array of objects brought back from Captain Cook's pioneering voyages to the Pacific; Roman and medieval-era British artifacts; and the oldest human-made tools ever discovered, from the African expeditions of British archaeologist Louis Leakey (1903–72).
Downing St., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3DZ, England01223-333516Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. -
4. Norwich Cathedral
The grandest example of Norman architecture in Norwich has a towering 315-foot spire and the second-largest monastic cloisters in Britain (only Salisbury's are bigger). The cathedral was begun in 1096 by Herbert de Losinga, who had come from Normandy in 1091 to be its first bishop; his splendid tomb is by the high altar. The remarkable length of the nave is immediately impressive; the similarly striking height of the vaulted ceiling makes it a strain to study the delightful colored bosses, which illustrate Bible stories with great vigor and detail (binoculars are handy). The grave of Norfolk-born nurse Edith Cavell, a British World War I heroine shot by the Germans in 1915, is at the eastern end. There's also a medieval-style herb garden, a Japanese garden, a restaurant, and a coffee shop. Guided tours are run Monday to Saturday at 10, 11, noon, 1, 2, and 3. The Cathedral Close is one of the most idyllic places in Norwich. Keep an eye out for peregrine falcons; they nest in the spire. Past the mixture of medieval and Georgian houses, a path leads down to the ancient water gate, Pulls Ferry.
62 The Close, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 4DH, England01603-218300Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
5. Polar Museum
Beautifully designed, this museum at Cambridge University's Scott Polar Research Institute chronicles the history of polar exploration. There's a particular emphasis on the British expeditions of the 20th century, including the ill-fated attempt by Robert Falcon Scott to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1912. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the pole first; Scott and his men perished on the return journey, but their story became legendary. There are also collections devoted to the science of modern polar exploration; the indigenous people of northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska; and frequently changing art installations.
Lensfield Rd., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1ER, England01223-336540Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. and Tues. except bank holidays -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. St. Mary-the-Virgin
One of the most remarkable churches in the region, St. Mary-the-Virgin was started just before the Reformation. The doors underneath the ruined archways outside (remnants of a much older church) contain a series of mysterious symbols—actually a coded message left by Catholic sympathizers of the time. The striking interior contains a mini-museum of treasures, including an ancient wall painting of the Virgin Mary in one of the rear chapels, a 14th-century chest, and an extraordinary series of florid memorial stones on the nave wall opposite the main entrance. A unique feature of the church is that its bells are rung from a cage in the graveyard; this was erected as a temporary measure, pending the construction of a tower in 1531 that was never completed.
Flatford Rd., East Bergholt, Suffolk, CO7 6TG, England01206-392646Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
7. The Fitzwilliam Museum
In a classical-revival building renowned for its grand Corinthian portico, "The Fitz," founded by the seventh viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion in 1816, has one of Britain's most outstanding collections of art and antiquities. Highlights include two large Titians, an extensive collection of French impressionist paintings, and many works by Matisse and Picasso. The opulent interior displays these treasures to marvelous effect, from Egyptian pieces like inch-high figurines and painted coffins to sculptures from the Chinese Han dynasty of the 3rd century BC. Other collections of note here include a fine collection of flower paintings, an assortment of medieval illuminated manuscripts, and a fascinating room full of armor and muskets.
Trumpington St., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1RB, England01223-332900Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. except bank holidays -
8. Angel Hill
A walk here is a journey through the history of Bury St. Edmunds. Along one side, the Abbey Gate, Norman Gate Tower, and St. Mary's Church make up a continuous display of medieval architecture. Elegant Georgian houses line Angel Hill on the side opposite St. Mary's Church; these include the Athenaeum, an 18th-century social and cultural meeting place that has a fine Adam-style ballroom.
Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England -
9. Blakeney National Nature Reserve
The 1,000 acres of grassy dunes at Blakeney Point are home to nesting terns and about 500 common and gray seals. The 3½-mile walk here from Cley Beach is beautiful, but a boat trip from Blakeney or Morston Quay is fun and educational. An information center and a tearoom at Morston Quay are open according to tides and weather.
Quay Rd., Morston, Norfolk, NR25 7BH, England01263-740241Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed dusk–dawn -
10. Bridge Cottage
On the north bank of the Stour, this 16th-century home in East Bergholt has a shop, an exhibition about Constable's life, and a pleasant tearoom overlooking the river. You can also rent rowboats here.
Off B1070, East Bergholt, Suffolk, CO7 6UL, England01206-298260Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed mid-Dec.–late Dec. and weekdays Jan., Feb., and Nov.–mid-Dec. -
11. Bury St. Edmunds Abbey
These scattered ruins are all that remain of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, which fell during Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. The Benedictine abbey's enormous scale is still evident in the surviving Norman Gate Tower on Angel Hill (incongruously, but quite appealingly, overlooked by a row of Georgian houses). Besides this, only the fortified Abbot's Bridge over the River Lark and a few ruins are left standing. There are explanatory plaques amid the ruins, which are now the site of the Abbey Botanical Gardens, with roses, elegant hedges, and rare trees, including a Chinese tree of heaven planted in the 1830s. There's also an aviary and a children's play area.
Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1LS, England01284-757490Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
12. Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
Set apart from the village on a hill, this grand 15th-century church was built between 1480 and 1520 by cloth merchant Thomas Spring. The height of its tower (141 feet) was meant to surpass those of the neighboring churches—and perhaps to impress rival towns. The rest of the church is perfectly proportioned, with intricately carved wood.
Church St., Lavenham, Suffolk, CO10 9SA, England01787-247244Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
13. Colchester
Nobody knows for sure whether Colchester is, as it claims, the oldest town in Britain. What’s certain, however, is that it was a major stronghold during the Roman occupation. History buffs enjoy the impressive Roman amphitheater, where parts of the walls and floor are visible. Sections of the original Roman walls are also still standing. Colchester Castle was built on the foundations of the huge Roman Temple of Claudius. Colchester is off the A12, 9 miles southwest of Dedham.
Cambridgeshire, England -
14. Emmanuel College
The master hand of architect Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723) is evident throughout much of Cambridge, particularly at Emmanuel, built on the site of a Dominican friary, where he designed the chapel and colonnade. A stained-glass window in the chapel has a likeness of John Harvard, founder of Harvard University, who studied here. The college, founded in 1584, was an early center of Puritan learning; a number of the Pilgrims were Emmanuel alumni, and they remembered their alma mater in naming Cambridge, Massachusetts.
St. Andrew's St., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3AP, England01223-334200Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed during exam periods -
15. Great St. Mary's
Known as the "university church," Great St. Mary's has its origins in the 11th century, although the current building dates from 1478. The main reason to visit is to climb the 113-foot tower, which has a superb view over the colleges and marketplace (though it may be closed in bad weather). Also here is the Michaelhouse Centre, a small café, gallery, and performing arts venue with frequent free lunchtime concerts. Tours must be booked in advance.
King's Parade, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3PQ, England01223-747273Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; tower £5; guided tours £10 -
16. Holy Trinity Church
This largely 15th-century church, founded by the rich clothiers of Long Melford, stands on a hill at the north end of the village. Close up, the delicate flint flush-work (shaped flints set into a pattern) and huge Perpendicular Gothic windows that take up most of the church's walls have great impact, especially because the nave is 150 feet long. The Clopton Chapel, with an ornate (and incredibly rare) painted medieval ceiling, predates the rest of the church by 150 years. The beautiful Lady Chapel has an unusual cloister; the stone on the wall in the corner is an ancient multiplication table, used when the chapel served as a school in the 17th and 18th centuries. Tours can be arranged in advance; email [email protected] for more details and to make reservations.
Main St., Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9DT, England01787-310845Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
17. Leiston Abbey & Beach
This Augustinian abbey, founded in 1186, was one of the most important religious orders in the area until it fell victim to Henry VIII's troops during the dissolution of the monasteries. It has a highly unusual feature—a 17th-century church built inside (and partially out of) the abbey ruins, effectively making it a church-within-a-church. Just opposite the row of little cottages leading up to the abbey, you'll see a small sign for a walking path to Leiston Beach. The track starts rather unpromisingly by crossing a pig farm, but persevere, because the ¼-mile trail across fields, woods, and cliffs is the only way to access this beautiful sandy beach, one of the area's best-kept secrets. The water here is good for swimming, and the seclusion can be heavenly. There are no facilities whatsoever, but plenty of locals make the trek on a sunny day. Look out for the scattered remains of a few brick houses on your way down. These are all that's left of a village that was completely destroyed by coastal erosion in the 1960s. Leiston Abbey is 5½ miles north of Aldeburgh.
B1122, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP16 4TD, EnglandSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
18. St. Edmundsbury Cathedral
Although the main body of this cathedral dates from the 15th century, its brilliant ceiling and gleaming stained-glass windows are the result of 19th-century restoration by architect Sir Gilbert Scott. Be sure to look near the altar to see the memorial to an event in 1214 when the barons of England took an oath here to force King John to grant the Magna Carta. There was a war, he lost, and the rest, as they say, is history. The cathedral's original Abbey Gate was destroyed in a riot, and it was rebuilt in the 14th century with defense in mind—you can see the arrow slits. From Easter to September, guided tours are available Monday to Saturday at 11:30. There's also a small but popular café. A separate tower tour lasts 85 minutes and takes visitors up 202 steps, rewarding with epic views of the town's skyline.
Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1LS, England01284-748720Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, suggested donation £3; tours £5; tower tour £10, No guided public tours Oct.–Apr. -
19. St. Mary's Church
Built in the 15th century, St. Mary's has a blue-and-gold embossed "wagon" (barrel-shape) roof over the choir. Mary Tudor, Henry VIII's sister and queen of France, is buried here.
Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1RT, England07561-334695Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
20. Whipple Museum of the History of Science
This rather delightful, dusty old cupboard of a museum contains all manner of scientific artifacts, instruments, and doodads from the medieval period to the early 20th century. Most fun is the section on astronomy, including a beautiful 18th-century grand orrery—an elaborate three-dimensional model of the solar system, minus the planets that had yet to be discovered at the time.
Free School La., Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3RH, England01223-330906Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed weekends and bank holidays
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