Planning Your Time

Cambridge is the region's most interesting city, and ideally you should allow two days to absorb its various sights. (In a pinch, you could do it as a day trip from London but only with an early start and a good pair of walking shoes.) You could easily use the city as a base for exploring Ely, Bury St. Edmunds, Lavenham, Long Melford, and Sudbury, although accommodations are available in these towns as well. The Suffolk Coast has enticing overnight stops in such small towns as Dedham and Aldeburgh. In the northern part of the region, Norwich makes a good place to stop for the night and has enough sights to keep you interested for a day. If you're here to see the coast, you'll do better staying in villages such as Blakeney or Wells. Allow several hours to see the large Blickling Hall, near Norwich, and Burghley House, outside Stamford. Lincoln, notable for its cathedral, and Stamford are west and north of Norfolk if you want to work them into an itinerary.