The East of England region is home to The University of Cambridge, Britain’s second oldest and Oliver Cromwell, England’s Lord Protector after the Civil War. In the 20th century, these counties were home to RAF squadrons during the Second World War and to the experimental developments of the Garden Cities.
The magnificent country estates of Holkham, Houghton and Woburn Abbey share big horizons over the landscapes they protect as well as great collections of art and interiors. Look for the unexpected in the East of England: the palace at Hatfield where Queen Elizabeth lived as a child; the rotunda at the National Trust’s Ickworth; the gothic pinnacles of Knebworth House and the private gardens of Raveningham Hall and Mannington Hall.
Did you know that the oldest human footprints outside Africa were discovered on a beach at Happisburgh in East Anglia? Initially a watery land until new 17th century drainage systems turned it into the richest farmland in the country and Medieval wood merchants made fortunes shipping English wool to the Continent and built exceptional parish churches to give thanks. The East of England has a host of heritage discoveries to be made.