Eastern England - Suffolk and Cambridge

Take 3 days to discover the roots of the English which lie in this region known as East Anglia, an area where time seems to have stood still and modern life has passed by large sections of the country. See Tudor villages, Medieval castles, Victorian homes and the timeless British countryside.

Day 1 - Cambridge and East Anglia

We depart from London for our first stop, the sleepy, medieval, university city of Cambridge where we'll watch students punt on the Cam and see the University colleges. 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 and displays on Victorian domestic life, gypsies, farming and industry, plus historic films and videos, all of which make it an ideal stop.

Day 2 - Saxon History and the Norfolk Broads

Our first stop today will be at one of the UK's most important archeological sites, that of the Anglo Saxon Royal Cemetery at Sutton Hoo. Next on our itinerary will be the impressive Framlingham Castle a superb 12th-century castle which, with a spectacular curtain wall, linking 13 towers. 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 either follow the coast road visiting charming coastal villages or visit the mediaeval Otley Hall, home of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold. Further north there's an area of outstanding scenic beauty, the Norfolk Broads, a network of 200 miles of internal waterways, rich in wildlife and birds. There is flexibility in the route taken depending on interests of the group.

Day 3 - Tudor Villages of East Anglia

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. 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 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.

Arrival back into London by 6 pm.

Optional Extras

• Pre or post tour accommodation.
• Private or rail airport transfers.
• Make your mini-tour part of an extended London city break.
• Combine this tour with the "The Search of Arthur " mini-tour.

Tour Itinerary

Prices

Dates and Rates

Departs London selected Wednesdays throughout 2009 season.

Prices are per person land only based on 2 people sharing a twin room.

What's Included

• 2 nights accommodation in traditional bed and breakfast or quaint hotel including all bed taxes.
• 4 meals during tour (2 evening dinners and 2 full english breakfasts).
• Entrance fees to any attractions visited.
• All transport and fuel costs.
• Services of your driver/guide-companion.
• All taxes and tips other than those you may wish to give your guide.

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