East Anglia
Richards Mountain Pages

If you're after mountains, this is definitely not the right place. East Anglia is about as flat as it gets. OK its got a little ridge of hills at the Northern end, the Magogs outside of Cambridge (see my impression of them (left)), and a few more on the Southern and Eastern edges, but in the grand scheme of things, East anglia is most definitely flat.

Having put you off by this talk of flatness, I must stress that flat is not necessarily boring. for instance between Norwich and Great Yarmouth there is an excellent walk amongst derelict windmills click here.

The Naze offers a nice retreat amongst a chain of sandy islets cut off at high tide for a couple of hours. The quiet coastal corner of Essex between South Woodham Ferrers and Colchester is also quite relaxing. Much of the coast makes for a nice walk, and the North Norfolk Coast path is ideal for birdwatching as well. I haven't walked there yet, so I'll make do with a picture of California below (a sandy retreat a few miles outside of Great Yarmouth - and hence away from most of the tourists).



Geology
Much of East Anglia was a dumping ground for the last glacier that stopped just north of there. IF the glacier had not dropped by, East Anglia would be largely under water. There are reputedly round ponds fromed by ice lens (Pingos) in the Thetford forests, and drumlins scattered around the area. The small hills along the North coast are probably the remains of moraines. North Cambridgeshire is drained peat bog.

Settlements
There are lots of towns and villages in the region. Here are the main ones, plus a selection of other useful spots:

• Norwich - city with a Northern feel and much history.
• Cambridge - dominated by the University and hi-tech industry (Britains version of Silicon Valley); but has lots of open green spaces around the river.
• Ipswich - large settlement with plenty of shops but not much soul
• Colchester - town on a hill with a very old Roman castle
• Chelmsford - part commuter town, part company town (Marconi's).
• Bury St Edmunds - sleepy market town with a prominent sugar beet factory outside.
• Clacton - faded seaside resort
• Walton On The Naze - more upmarket than Clacton, good for walking round the Naze.
• Frinton - more upmarket still, legendary for banning fast food outlets.
• Harwich - faded seaport with some interesting buildings.
• Felixstowe - don't be put off by the large container port, there is still some charm in the town.
• Great Yarnmouth - seaside resort of some size - useful for walking part of the Broads.
• Cromer & Sheringham - two similar seaside towns without any of the tacky stuff.
• Kings Lynn - strangely quiet, but has plenty of interesting old buildings. Much of the dockside has lost its charm since redevelopment.

Transport
All the towns and cities mentioned above can be reached by train from London Liverpool Street.

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