The roots of the English lie in this region known as East Anglia and comprising the counties of Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex. It's an area where time seems to have stood still or at least where modern life has passed by large sections of the country. What is always a surprise is how comparatively few overseas visitors discover the region's charms (although it was home to many US military from the Second World War onward). And what a range of sites there are to see! From the ancient prehistoric to the medieval. From unique flat-lands to the North Sea coast. From perfectly preserved villages to imposing Stately homes. Our tour provides a quick introduction to the region but after this taster, you'll undoubtedly want to return for a longer look next time. If we don't have a departure date below to suit your travel schedule check our 'In Search of the Pilgrim Fathers' and 'Art & Artists' tours as they cover similar territory.

Tour Code

Depart London

Return London

  EE

Wednesday

Friday

Price:   GBP £360 pp twin share / GBP £375 single room / £235 child sharing room

• Clients should wait by the concierge desk.
• We can collect you from your individual hotel if you are not at one above but this attracts a supplementary cost of £25 (per party) for a central London hotel. Please, ask for prices for collection from non-centrally located hotels. info@backroadstouring.co.uk
• Return drop-off are to any central London hotel mentioned above.

Click here to work out prices in other currencies http://www.xe.com/ucc
For what is included/excluded in your tour price, see Tour Inclusions
Contact res@backroadstouring.co.uk, fax 00 44 20 8566 5457

NIGHTSTOP

DAY ONE - WEDNESDAY

We depart from London taking a direct route from the city. An hour or so drive sees us at our first stop, the university city of Cambridge. This sleepy, easily-walked medieval city provides a superb gateway to East Anglia. We'll visit one of the colleges, and see students punt on the backs of the River Cam. There's also the excellent Fitzwilliam museum to visit and great shopping!

We continue into the county of Suffolk and make our next stop the museum of East Anglia life in Stowmarket. This 70-acre all weather museum has reconstruction of buildings including a water mill. There are displays on Victorian domestic life, gypsies, farming and industry, plus historic films and videos, all of which make it an ideal place to spend a couple of hours.

Woodbridge

DAY TWO - THURSDAY

Our first stop today will be at one of the UK's most important archaeological sites, that of the Anglo Saxon Royal Cemetery at Sutton Hoo (www.suttonhoo.org). Here you'll see the uncovered remains of our earliest Saxon ancestors, and learn about their way of life and death.

Next on our itinerary will be the impressive Framlingham Castle. This superb 12th-century castle which, from the outside, looks almost the same as when it was built. From the continuous curtain wall, linking 13 towers, there are excellent views over Framlingham and the charming reed-fringed mere. At different times, the castle has been a fortress an Elizabethan 16th century prison (not least for poor Mary, Queen of Scots), a poor house and a school.

Then we'll follow the coast road visiting charming coastal villages like Adleburgh (home of classical composer Benjamin Brittain) and Southwold. An alternative route would take us to the stunningly beautiful mediaeval Otley Hall, home of  Captain Bartholomew Gosnold, a captain of one of the original ships to Jamestown in 1606 and whose daughter gave her name to ‘Martha’s Vineyard’, an island he discovered on an earlier voyage.  Further north there's an area of outstanding scenic beauty, the Norfolk Broads. The Broads are a network of 200 miles of internal waterways, initially dug to drain the local fens and reclaim the land. Now there are used extensively for leisure activities and are home to a wide variety of wild life and birds.

Woodbridge

DAY THREE - FRIDAY

Lavenham is often referred to as the prettiest village in England. It's certainly historic with its streets of restored Tudor timber-framed buildings. One such is the guildhall museum with exhibits on wool industry of East Anglia. The garden contains examples of plants used in wool industry, plus a parish 'lock-up' and mortuary!

Nearby, Sudbury offers us a completely different attraction, the home and studio of the 18th century artist Thomas Gainsborough with its large display of artists' work, 18th-century furniture and memorabilia.

We've some lovely rural scenery to tour through and at certain times of the year we'll see the great lavender field in bloom.

On our return to London, we'll tour through Essex, and definitely take in the villages of Thaxted & Finchingfield where the typical black and white cottages, gathered around village ponds, make it seem unbelievable that barely an hour's drive away is the great London metropolis.

We'll arrive back into London by 6 pm.

Why not combine this mini-tour with our In Search of Arthur tour, departing London on Saturday?

© As we publish full tour descriptions, you may find others offering our unique itineraries.  But, just as you find when others sing the songs of Paul McCartney, they're often not quite as good as when sung by the original composer!