|
Flat.
That's the word that best describes East Anglia. The level
landscape imparts a sense of space and freedom, and also
allows opportunities for easy walks and cycling. Much of
that landscape was under water until several centuries ago;
prodigious drainage projects from the Middle Ages onward
have reclaimed land that was once best navigated in a flat-bottomed
boat.
 |
|
Ely
Cathedral carving
|
One
of the highlights of the Fen Country is Ely, with its superb
Cathedral
rising on a low hump of ground above the surrounding fens.
Ely is renown for its remarkable octagonal lantern tower,
one of the engineering triumphs of medieval architecture.
Vying
for cathedral honours in East Anglia is Norwich,
where the cathedral has the unusual - for England - feature
of a rounded apse behind the high altar. Look for the carvings
on the bosses of the nave and in the cloister walk.
 |
|
Norwich
Cathedral
|
The
interior is a superb example of Norman architecture, and
the bishop's throne behind the high altar is the oldest
in England. William the Conqueror built a castle at Norwich
in 1067, using the townsfolk as forced labour, and the present
stone castle was built on the same mound some 60 years later.
 |
|
The
Norfolk Broads
|
Norwich
is the gateway to the Norfolk
Broads, a National Park made up of a multitude of broad,
shallow lakes lying along five major rivers. The Broads
are a very popular sailing centre, and provide excellent
walks along miles of seaside trails and through several
nature reserves.
Moving
from the delights of nature to rich architectural heritage,
Cambridge is first and foremost a university town - though
the inhabitants have struggled to accept the large student
population in their midst down the centuries. Cambridge
University was founded by students and masters fleeing an
outbreak of "town and gown" violence at Oxford
University in the early medieval period.
|
|
|
Trinity
College clock tower
|
But
the colleges of Cambridge do not play second fiddle to those
of Oxford! Most renown of the colleges are Trinity and King's,
where the Choir is one of the marvels of late Perpendicular
architecture. Near Cambridge is Ickworth House, an amazing
Italianate structure topped by a massive rotunda, built
for the 4th Earl of Bristol in 1795. It was to house the
earl's art treasures, but they were seized by Napoleon and
the Earl died (and his body was shipped home from Italy
in a coffin labeled "antique sculpture").
Blickling
Hall is Jacobean stately home surrounded by a dry moat.
The long gallery at Blickling is a reminder of the house's
Tudor origins, and the gardens blend yew hedges, a parterre
and topiary, large herbaceous beds, pools and fountains.
At Framlingham the remains of 12th century Framlingham
Castle is surrounded by a perfectly preserved curtain
wall with 13 towers.
Although
Cambridge can be crowded with tourists on occasion, East
Anglia as a whole is largely unaffected by the onslaught
of tourism. There are still pockets of rural calm, such
as Dedham Vale, the valley of the river Stour around Dedham
and East Bergholt so beloved of native son John
Constable. Many of the scenes that Constable painted
can still be appreciated today.
For
more in depth information about East Anglia:
Ely
John Constable
biography
Norfolk Broads
Norwich
Attractions
Map
Tourist Information Centres
Web links
|
Britain
Express Virtual Tour of England