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Cambridge and East Anglia

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These tour options will take you to the world-famous university city of Cambridge, but the
region has much more to offer than just the beauty of this ancient seat of learning.

Norfolk County is famous for the Broads – vast areas of pancake-flat land. So level, in fact,
that you can swing through a 180 deg arc of dead-flat horizon.

The region was originally swamp land, but in the 17th century a Dutch engineer name Vermuyden
developed a system of drains and rivers that dried the peaty soil, turning it into the rich farm land
you see today.

As the water drained away, the peat dried and shrank so that the drains ended up higher than the
surrounding countryside. They built levees to hold the water back with the result that in some
places you may see a river boat coasting along above you.

This was never coal mining or industrial country. Its fortunes were built on wool and Norfolk
woollen goods were exported to the world. Towns like Lavenham grew prosperous on the trade
and it shows in the fine buildings still there to be admired today.

In many ways, Norfolk, Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire are classic English
countryside counties and were
immortalised in the paintings of John
Constable.

If you are in London, go to the National
Gallery and the Victoria and Albert
Museum to see his famous works such as
Dedham Vale and The Haywain (pictured)
then take a detour to Constable Country to
see the landscape he so perfectly captured
in oil on canvas.

Don’t be surprised, however, if the real scene is slightly different to his paintings. The old boy
cheated a bit – let’s call it “artistic licence”. If a painting would look better with a church spire in the
distance he simply shifted it in from a few miles away. Who cares – the scenery is still beautiful
and well worth the diversion.