The Undiscovered Corner. East Anglia: windmills, timber-framed houses and impressive stately homes.
On the drive through the former kingdom of East Anglia you pass abundance of windmills with white blades, beautiful timber-framed houses and lordly estates, as well as many medieval churches. There are said to be over 500 such churches in the area between southern Colchester, Hull to the North, Cambridge to the West and Aldeburgh to the East. The countryside of endless hills and skies enchanted the likes of local painter John Constable (1776-1837) and Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). Constable Country can be explored on long hikes, bicycle tours or boat trips, and it often seems as though one has wandered directly into an 18th century painting. During the Dark Ages, East Anglia was the most important economic centre of England. The cloth produced in the area was most desirable, but with the invention of the steam engine and the power loom, the textile industry moved north. This is a good thing for today’s visitors, because many lovely villages like Dedham have retained their original atmosphere and architecture. Cathedral city Norwich in county Norfolk was also able to retain its medieval look, and in recent years word has spread about the good life to be had in East Anglia. An increasing number of people are moving to the area, and though the medieval look is being preserved, the cities are exceptionally dynamic. The university town of Cambridge has turned into an English Silicon Valley, and the ultra-modern horse sport centre in Newmarket is also definitely worth a visit.
