When families arrive they start to think of how best to capitalize upon their time here in the U.K., with visits to British attractions and sights. Many immediately think of travels to London, Wales or Scotland, but there are many fun activities for families right here on our East Anglian doorstep. Whatever your interest, there should be something for you and all within a drive of an hour or so from home

 

Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your time in East Anglia

 

Airplanes and railways

The Imperial War Museum in Duxford near Cambridge is Europe’s Premier Aviation Museum. This famous heritage site began as an airfield in the First World War and also played a vital role in the Second World War, firstly as an RAF fighter station and later as an American fighter base. Duxford houses a large collection of both military and commercial aircraft, as well as having one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits in the country.

The American Air Museum at the site stands as a memorial to the 30,000 Americans who died flying from the UK in the Second World War. Here you will find Duxford's unique collection of historic American combat aircraft including the B-17 Flying Fortress.

If trains are what excite members of your family, there are a number of sites to visit in the region. Apart from taking a trip on a modern train, perhaps to London, there are also a number of vintage train options for you. The Nene Valley Railway runs for seven and a half miles between Yarwell Junction and Peterborough. Its headquarters are based at Wansford. Passengers can get on and off at a number of stations en route where there are also have attractions to visit. Steam trains or vintage diesel trains run on certain days. During Spring break steam trains will run on the 9^th and 10^th April. For younger visitors, on certain dates throughout the year, the railway plays host to the famous Thomas the Tank engine, which families can visit and ride.

Another vintage train option is the North Norfolk Railway, which offers a 10.5 mile round trip by steam train (vintage diesel trains on some journeys) through a delightful area of North Norfolk known for outstanding natural beauty. To the south are wooded hills and the Norfolk beauty spots of Kelling Heath and Sheringham Park, and to the north is the sea. All of these are within easy walking distance from the various stations. The train runs from Sheringham to Holt and stops at various stations in between.

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Animals and Wildlife

There are many places to enjoy animals in our region. Colchester and Banham zoos are both popular choices. A little further away, but still worth the visit is Woburn Safari Park near Bedford. Here, visitors can drive through the open animal enclosures for a more authentic safari experience.

For less wild animals and particularly suitable for younger children, you could visit Snettisham Park Farm near Kings Lynn. This 320-acre farm has a herd of Red deer. Children can help to bottle feed lambs and piglets, take a pony ride, and see lots of other animals as part of the visit.

For a true wildlife-viewing day out, take a boat trip from the North Norfolk Coast to see the common and grey seals basking at Blakeney Point. The views are stunning and what better chance to breathe in the fresh sea air. There are a number of operators working in the area, mostly out of the village of Moreston. Booking is essential, as trip times vary daily according to the tides. Tourist information centers will give you booking numbers.

East Anglia is one of Britain’s top areas for bird watching with many sites of an internationally recognized reputation. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has a number of important reserves in the region, which you are able to visit. They include hides and walk areas and can be investigated at www.rspb.org.uk/reserves

The Welney Wildfowl Trust near Ely is also a significant bird watching location and while it is most popular during the November to February ‘swan season’ it has much to offer year round.

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Historic Buildings and archaeological sights

East Anglia has a rich historical heritage and this is reflected in the large number of historic buildings and sights displaying over 4000 years of our local history. The Cathedrals at Ely, Norwich, Bury St, Edmunds and Peterborough date back almost 1000 years and are all worth a visit and can be combined with other attractions or shopping to make a pleasant day out. Cambridge is a city certainly worth a trip. You can mix visits to the beautiful historic college buildings with walks in their attractive gardens, shopping and of course punting on the River Cam. Spring break is a great time to visit, as the University students are all at home for the holidays and more colleges will be open to the public. Also, the spring bulbs are all in bloom, making the gardens particularly lovely at this time of year.

Other historic buildings in the area include castles, which while not as numerous as those in some other parts of the country, date back to the 12^th Century. Framlingham Castle, hidden behind curtain walls linking 13 towers and Norfolk’s Castle Rising are both interesting choices.

Some of the buildings you can visit reflect the development in domestic architecture and taste through the centuries. Oxburgh Hall near Swaffham, is a quintessential Tudor moated manor house built in 1482. It has a magnificent gatehouse with gardens and woodland which are great for family walks. The wonderful displays in the main house include an outstanding display of embroidery worked by Mary, Queen of Scots. If Tudor architecture is your area of interest, visits to Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall in the picturesque Suffolk village of Long Melford may also be on your itinerary.

For other impressions of how the British used to live, you may also consider Ickworth House near Bury St Edmunds, an unusual Georgian house and landscaped park, which was created in 1795. Blickling Hall near Aylsham in Norfolk was built in the early 1600’s and is one of England’s great Jacobean houses, while Felbrigg Hall near Cromer is one of the regions finest 17^th Century houses. Wimpole Hall and Wimpole Home Farm near Cambridge are worth considering, as they have something to offer all ages of the family. The Hall is a magnificent 18th-century house with fine interiors, fascinating servants’ quarters and an extensive wooded park. Next door is Wimpole Home farm and both can easily be visited in a day. This is an 18th-century model farm built in 1794 and is now home to a fascinating range of rare animal breeds, including sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and horses. At this time of year, the farm holds special lambing weekends and events popular with younger children. The Hall gardens also have thousands of daffodils making this a great Spring Break choice.

If earlier history is of interest, you could consider Grimes Graves, near Thetford. This is a Neolithic flint mine where you can discover the conditions of Stone Age man some 4,000 years ago. Sutton Hoo in Melton, Suffolk is an Anglo-Saxon royal burial site. It is the site of one of the most important archaeological finds in this Britain’s history. One of several large burial mounds was excavated, revealing the now famous treasures, including a warrior’s helmet, shield and gold ornaments in the remains of a burial chamber of a 90ft ship. The exhibition hall houses a full-size reconstruction of the chamber and tells the story of the site – described as ‘page one of English history’. In addition a new exhibition area houses original artifacts from the Sutton Hoo collection, on loan from the British Museum in London.

Flag Fen Centre at Peterborough is an open, outdoor museum area, where you can view ongoing archaeological excavations of a Bronze Age site. The centre also houses an excellent museum displaying outstanding Bronze Age finds.
For more ideas of historic buildings to visit, check out these websites:

www.englishheritage.org.uk/eastofengland

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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The Royal family

You don’t have to go to Buckingham Palace in London or to Windsor Castle to get a taste of Royal life in Britain. Built in 1870, Sandringham House near Kings Lynn has been passed down as a private home through four generations of British monarchs and is now the country retreat of Her Majesty The Queen. All the main ground floor rooms used by The Royal Family, full of their treasured ornaments, portraits and furniture, are open to the public throughout the spring and summer. The surrounding gardens are also quite beautiful and are open to the public for viewing.

 

Sports and adventure

If your family prefers a more active day out, there are many sporting activities in the area for them to enjoy. The Norfolk Broads, South east of Norwich, are designated as a National Park as a result of the beauty of its waterways. Boating and sailing are very popular in this area and so motor launches, cruisers, sailing yachts, sailing dinghies, rowing boats, canoes and windsurfers can be hired throughout the area. These are available to rent by the hour, day, short break or week from boat yards. 

Angling is also popular in East Anglia and apart from fishing in the many rivers and waterways, sea fishing trips are available from coastal areas in North Norfolk and in Suffolk. (Contact tourist information centers for more details.)

For horseracing you should visit Newmarket, which is both the historical home and the current powerhouse of British horseracing. You can visit the National Horseracing Museum here and also attend the races. During Spring break there will be races between 12^th and 14^th April but book ahead if possible as tickets do sell out. If you prefer riding horses yourself, there are many horse riding centers in the area. Just look them up in your local yellow pages.

For something a little different, why not visit Thetford Forest, Britain's largest lowland pine forest. High Lodge Forest Centre, is in the heart of the forest, with walks, an adventure playground, a maze, giant sculpture trail & the new ‘Go-Ape’ ropes course, which takes you on a two and a half hour trip high above the forest floor! There are also many cycle trails and you can hire cycles if needed. 

Paintballing can be a popular family day out. There are a number of paintballing companies in the area. For example this can be arranged at Pidley Paintball in Pidley and at Mepal Outdoor Centre near Ely. If you enjoy speed, go kart racing is a fun activity to consider. Kartsport near Caxton offers kart racing on both indoor and outdoor tracks.

Many people like walking in the countryside and are spoiled for choice in our part of England. Thetford forest, and the regions beaches are all excellent destinations. In addition, Ordnance Survey maps can be purchased from local newsagents and gas stations and these will show all the public footpaths that traverse our countryside. There are also numerous country parks and nature areas in the area for you to enjoy, such as Wicken Fen near Ely. Check out some of the tourist websites listed for more ideas.

For a true British experience why not go to a football (soccer!!) match. There are top teams in Norwich and Ipswich. Ticket prices will be quite high for these teams and booking will need to be made well in advance, but the noise and excitement will be unforgettable. For a less expensive option and one where such advance booking is not necessary, you could try Cambridge United. The team is not of the very top standard but the supporter’s passion is no less for that. During Spring break the team have a home game on 9^th April.

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Theme Park thrills and Spills

If rollercoasters are your family’s choice, there are a couple of options locally.

Pleasurewood Hills is East Anglia´s theme park located between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. It has over 50 acres of rides, attractions and shows including roller coasters, the Mega Drop Tower, (100ft of freefall), water rides, and more. The park takes care to also cater for the younger members of the family and grandparents and has plenty of places to eat and shop.

Pleasure Beach is a Funfair/Theme Park located on the seafront at Great Yarmouth. There are over 70 rides and attractions including some for thrill seekers such as the awe-inspiring Ejector Seat The main park has over 20 large rides and there are gardens, mini golf courses, water attractions and rides for small children. You can choose to pay for rides individually or you can purchase an unlimited free ride wristband to use for the day.

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Other resources

 

Hopefully this will have given you some inspiration as to how to entertain your family this holiday. If you need more ideas, take a look at these websites:

 

www.visitcambridge.org                            www.visitnorfolk.co.uk

www.visitnorwich.co.uk                             www.visit-suffolk.org.uk

www.broadland.gov.uk                               www.southernbroads.com

 

 

Alternatively contact your local Tourist Information Center. These can give you information about visit ideas in our area and also throughout the U.K.

 

Newmarket: Palace House, Palace St, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 8EP   Tel: 01638 667200

 

Ely:Oliver Cromwell's House, 29, St. Marys St, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4HF  Tel:   01353 662062

 

Brandon :Elbourne House, 31, High St, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 0AQ Tel: 01842 814955

 

Bury St. Edmunds: 6, Angel Hill, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1UZ  Tel: 01284 764667

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