The East of England is the most easterly region of England and indeed of the whole United Kingdom. It lies broadly to the north of London, the Thames estuary and South East England, to the south of the Wash (the square shaped indentation on England's east coast) and to the east of the East Midlands. The most easterly parts of this region are known as "East Anglia", which at its strictest definition only includes Norfolk and Suffolk but often includes all or part of Cambridgeshire and at its loosest definition covers the entire East of England.
The East of England is a largely flat region consisting of the following counties:
Listed below are ten cities and towns of greatest interest to travellers:
- Cambridge. (Cambridgeshire)
- Ely. (Cambridgeshire)
- Norwich. (Norfolk)
- Peterborough. (Cambridgeshire)
- St Albans. (Hertfordshire)
Cambridge. ([[Cambridgeshire]])
Ely. ([[Cambridgeshire]])
Norwich. ([[Norfolk (England)|Norfolk]])
Peterborough. ([[Cambridgeshire]])
St Albans. ([[Hertfordshire]])
- Colchester. (Essex)
- Great Yarmouth. (Norfolk)
- Ipswich. (Suffolk)
- Southend-on-Sea. (Essex)
- Sudbury. (Suffolk)
Colchester. ([[Essex]])
Great Yarmouth. ([[Norfolk (England)|Norfolk]])
Ipswich. ([[Suffolk]])
Southend-on-Sea. ([[Essex]])
Sudbury. ([[Suffolk]])
- The Broads.
- The Sunrise Coast.
- Weald Country Park.
- Minsmere Nature Reserve.
- Sutton Hoo.
The Broads.
The Sunrise Coast.
Weald Country Park.
Minsmere Nature Reserve.
Sutton Hoo.
The East of England is historically a rural region of small capitals, market towns and picturesque villages. The character of the flattish landscape has been heavily influenced by the people that live on it - most notably with the draining of the Fens transforming marshland into fertile farmland, and the ancient excavations that resulted in the waterways of Norfolk's Broads.
Proximity to the capital city and good farming has long made the region relatively prosperous, and much of the southern area of the region now serves as a base for commuters to London. The effect of this London overspill has been the rapid growth of suburban housing in the regions towns and the construction of purpose-built "New Towns" such as Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City, and Stevenage.
The East of England is an English-speaking region, and travellers should have little difficulty in understanding locals, who generally speak in an accent similar to that of London and most of South Eastern England. The exception to this is East Anglia, in which a strong local dialect persists.
The East of England is a prosperous and predominantly rural region presenting relatively few hazards to the traveller, but a little common sense can go a long way. See the England page for more general safety tips in England
Drivers should be careful on the region's roads, which often have deceptively sharp corners and are flanked by deep, unfenced drainage ditches.
- Take a train to enjoy the faster pace of life and greater cultural diversity of London.
- Mediaeval Lincoln and Robin Hood's old haunt Sherwood Forest are just a short hop away in the East Midlands.