World Country Guide

Southeast and East Anglia

South East England Tourist Board (tel: (023) 8062 5400; e-mail: enquiries@tourismse.com; website: www.southeastengland.uk.com). East of England Tourist Board (tel: (0870) 225 4800; fax: (0870) 225 4890; e-mail: information@eetb.org.uk; website: www.visiteastofengland.com). Southern Tourist Board (tel: (023) 8062 5400; fax: (023) 8062 0010; e-mail: enquiries@tourismse.com; website: www.southerntb.co.uk). Covering the ‘Home Counties’ of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, and West Sussex, plus the East Anglian counties of Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. The Southeast is England’s most populous, and prosperous, region. Despite the degree of development, though, there is huge variety of rural and heritage attractions, together with many major coastal resorts. Interests range from the traditional seaside attractions of Brighton, Great Yarmouth and Southend-on-Sea to historic cities like Cambridge, Colchester, Norwich and St Albans. The rural charms of ‘Constable Country’, straddling the Suffolk/Essex border, draw many visitors, as do the more urban attractions of Windsor and Dover, with their mighty castles.
Known as the ‘Garden of England’ for its copious production of fruit, hops and garden produce, Kent is the southeasternmost county in England. Canterbury is the major visitor magnet, retaining much of its Medieval charm. Canterbury Cathedral, where Thomas à Becket was slain in 1170, is also headquarters of the Anglican Church. Nearby, St Martin’s Church is one of the oldest churches in use in the country, having held services since AD 500.
At Dover, the main cross-channel port, massive Norman Dover Castle rises above the famous White Cliffs, while the White Cliffs Experience portrays a multimedia interpretation of the town’s importance over the centuries. Rochester is a charming old town with strong Dickensian connections, including Restoration House, thought to be the prototype for Miss Haversham’s home in ‘Great Expectations’.
Tunbridge Wells, in the west of the county, is an elegant 18th-century spa town. Historic highlights in the county include Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, and Leeds Castle, said to be the world’s most beautiful.
London now swallows up much of Surrey, but towns like Guildford retain a historic charm. Major attractions include Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventure, both theme parks.
In Sussex, Brighton is perhaps the most popular and lively of the southeast resorts, made famous by the Prince Regent (later George IV) who ordered the remarkably opulent Pavilion to be built here. There are splendid 19th-century terraces and crescents, two piers, the ‘Lanes’ area of antique shops, a museum and an art gallery. Brighton also has a vibrant nightlife with many restaurants, pubs and clubs.
Eastbourne is a somewhat more restrained Victorian resort town, while Hastings was the landing place for the invading Normans in 1066, and nearby Battle stands by the field in which Harold I was slain. Roman Chichester, to the west of Sussex, is famous for its arts festival and the nearby Fishbourne Palace – the remains of the biggest Roman villa yet discovered in Britain.
Colchester, county town of Essex, is Britain’s oldest documented city, continuously settled since pre-Roman times. Norman Colchester Castle, built on Roman foundations, has the largest keep of any such building. The Essex coast stretches from the fringes of London in the south, and Southend-on-Sea has long been the traditional resort for East Londoners. Further north are the resorts of Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze, together with the historic port of Harwich. Hertfordshire’s principal places of interest include the Roman city of St Albans (Verulamiam). Part of the city walls, foundations of Roman houses and a temple remain, while the Verulamiam Museum displays local archaeological finds. To the east of St Albans in Hatfield, Hatfield House dates from the 16th century. It belonged to Robert Cecil, first minister to Elizabeth I and James I, and is one of the southeast’s finest historic houses. On the fringes of northeast London is the huge Epping Forest, which covers some 24 sq km (9.3 sq miles).
The jewel in Berkshire’s crown is Windsor, whose massive castle is one of the Queen’s official residences as well as being open to visitors. It has been a royal home for nearly 900 years since the time of William I. Guided tours of the town are available, as well as bus tours and river cruises. Nearby is the 19 sq km (7.3 sq miles) Windsor Great Park. Some 3km (2 miles) outside the town is Legoland, a major family attraction. Elsewhere in Berkshire, Slough is the major commercial centre, while Maidenhead and Marlow are pleasant riverside towns on the banks of the Thames.
The gently rolling Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire are within easy reach of London, offering pleasant countryside and quiet villages. At Amersham, the Chiltern Open Air Museum reflects five centuries of local life. Near Aylesbury, Waddesdon Manor is an impressive Victorian stately home. The ‘new town’ of Milton Keynes is the county’s largest town, with a broad range of shopping and leisure pursuits. Bedfordshire’s biggest visitor attraction is Woburn Abbey, home of the Dukes of Bedford since the mid-1550s, and surrounded by Britain’s biggest Safari Park. Close to Dunstable, animals are also the focus at Whipsnade Zoo.
(See also the Top Seven Destinations section.) Outside the city of Cambridge, this county largely consists of low-lying agricultural countryside, particularly in the artificially drained Fenlands of the north. Highlights include Ely, with its huge Cathedral (known as the ‘Ship of the Fens’). Cromwell’s House, home of the former Lord Protector, is open to the public and houses the Tourist Information Centre. Huntingdon also has strong Cromwellian connections. Peterborough, in the northwest of the county, also boasts a fine Cathedral, and the Nene Valley Railway. Close to the Norfolk border is Wisbech, inland port and typical fenland town.
Norwich, ‘capital’ of East Anglia and county town of Norfolk, is a delightful city, whose central streets still follow the Medieval pattern. Norwich Cathedral is one of England’s prettiest, while the Castle contains an art gallery, museum and local history exhibitions. Norwich’s daily open-air market is one of the biggest in the country. East of the city, the Norfolk Broads is an extensive network of waterways popular for boating holidays. On the coast beyond the Broads is the major resort of Great Yarmouth. In the north and west are resorts such as Cromer and Hunstanton, plus the former Hanseatic port, King’s Lynn.
Suffolk, to the south, is a county of quiet, typically ‘English’ countryside. The main town is Ipswich, and the coast is dotted with small resorts like Aldeburgh (with its annual arts festival) and Southwold.