East of England

Britain, places to visit, attractions, heritage
Find places to visit in Britain by name, location, type of attraction, or other keyword.

This listings directory of over 950 entries is being phased out.
It now excludes places and things of interest in the North of England, including Yorkshire.
These can be found in ABAB’s Places.
Places to visit in England’s East Midlands are currently being moved to ABAB’s Places.

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CASTLE ACRE CASTLE and BAILEY GATE

Atmospheric ruin of the castle of the de Warrene's, the Earls of Surrey, at Castle Acre in Norfolk.  The entire village was once protected by its defences.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Castle Acre
County
Norfolk
Post Code
PE32 2XB
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Castle Acre Priory
Primary Management
English Heritage
CASTLE ACRE PRIORY

The ruins of Castle Acre Priory are impressive and extensive. They include a virtually complete west range with the prior's lodging and several wonderful features - including a ceiling with original painted Tudor roses. There's also an exhibition and a herb garden.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Castle Acre
King's Lynn
County
Norfolk
Post Code
PE32 2XD
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Primary Management
English Heritage
Christ's College, Cambridge

Christ's College, Cambridge, was first established as God's House in 1437 by William Byngham, a London parish priest, for training grammar school masters. However, its site was needed for King’s College, so it had to move to its present location in 1448.   Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, decided to enlarge God's House and in 1505 the College was re-founded as Christ's College. Lady Margaret has been honoured ever since as the Foundress.  You can spot her coat of arms on the gatehouse and as pictured. The Beaufort family motto, 'Souvent me Souvient' is usually translated as ‘I often remember’, but can also be thought of as ‘Forget me Not’.

Christ's became one of the leading Puritan colleges of Elizabethan Cambridge. In 1625 it admitted the young John Milton. The Garden still boasts what is known as 'Milton's Mulberry Tree'.  Charles Darwin is another famous old boy.  Further noted alumni include JH Plumb, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Simon Schama, Roy Porter, Colin Dexter, CP Snow, Rowan Williams and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
St Andrew's Street
Cambridge
County
Cambridgeshire
Post Code
CB2 3BU
Main Historic Period
Victorian
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Central Cambridge attractions and colleges
CREAKE ABBEY

The flint ruins of the crossing arch from Creake Abbey’s church are pretty much all that remains of a medieval Augustinian house.  And it’s a sad tale.  The abbey probably began as a small chapel founded in 1206 by Sir Robert and Lady Alice de Nerford. In 1217, they established a hospital of St Bartholomew there, which developed into a priory dedicated to the rule of St Augustine.  A devastating fire in about 1484 left the place much reduced.  Then, early in the 16th century, the plague struck; one by one, the canons died until only the abbot remained.  When he too died, alone on 12 December 1506, the abbey closed.  The cloister and monastic buildings became a private house and the south wall of the old nave is now the garden wall.

Under separate management, Creake Abbey is also home to a small retail complex, with a café, food hall and farmers’ market.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Burnham Road
North Creake
Fakenham
County
Norfolk
Post Code
NR21 9LF
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Tip/Nearby
Walsingham Abbey, Holkham Hall, north Norfolk coast.
Primary Management
English Heritage
DUXFORD IWM

IWM Duxford is a historic RAF airfield also used by the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. It houses the Imperial War Museum's huge collection of historic aircraft and other large vehicles like tanks. Permanent exhibitions include the American Air Museum, Battle of Britain, Land Warfare and Historic Duxford (many of the buildings are original). You can get up close and personal with some of the most famous aircraft ever, including the Spitfire, Lancaster, Concorde and Vulcan. It's probably the best aviation collection and museum in the country, and enormous, so allow enough time. Air Shows are a regular feature and Duxford is also home to the Airborne Assault and Royal Anglian Museums.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Imperial War Museum
Duxford
County
Cambridgeshire
Post Code
CB22 4QR
Main Historic Period
Modern
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Just off J10 of the M11
Primary Management
Imperial War Museum
ELEANOR CROSS, Waltham

One of three surviving original Eleanor Crosses of the 12 ordered by Edward I to commemorate his deceased wife, Eleanor. Eleanor died at Harby in 1290 and a cross was subsequently erected at every point where the cortege carrying her body rested on its journey to Westminster. The other three surviving crosses are at Geddington and Hardingstone in Northamptonshire; the final cross was at Charing, London. The Waltham Cross is in the centre of the town near the Pavilions Shopping Centre and has been heavily restored.

Photo Nigel Cox via Wikimedia.  Post code is approximate.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Waltham Cross
County
Hertfordshire
Post Code
EN8 7AJ
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Waltham Abbey
Primary Management
Local Authority
ELSING HALL

Elsing Hall is a moated manor house in a rural location built in about 1470 by the Hastings family and set in a small park - which hosts the local village cricket team. The house has a traditional great hall open to the rafters and its own chapel adjacent to the house. It is not generally open to the public, but the gardens are open to groups by prior arrangement.

Image: Historic Houses

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Elsing
Dereham
County
Norfolk
Post Code
NR20 3DX
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Elsing church, Swaffham, Castle Acre
Primary Management
Independent – Historic Houses member
ELY CATHEDRAL

Ely Cathedral was founded by Queen Etheldreda in the 7th century on the site of an earlier church. Sacked by the Danes, it was re-founded by Benedictine monks in the 10th century. The present, magnificent yet serene, cathedral dates from 11th century, was heavily refurbished in the 19th century and is partly surrounded by parkland. Do not miss the amazing octagon tower, the ceilings and the Lady Chapel.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Chapter House
The College
Ely
County
Cambridgeshire
Post Code
CB7 4DL
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Oliver Cromwell's House
Primary Management
Church authorities
Fitzbillies, Cambridge

Part of Cambridge's student life since 1920 (and now on the tourist trail), Fitzbillies is a quality bakery and café, particularly famous for its Chelsea buns. When it became known that it was heading for bankruptcy in 2011, it was saved by Alison Wright when she saw a tweet by Stephen Fry, which said: “No! No! Say it ain’t so - not Fitzbillies? Why I tweeted a pic of one of their peerless Chelsea buns but a sixmonth ago”.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
51-52 Trumpington Street
Cambridge
County
Cambridgeshire
Post Code
CB2 1RG
Main Historic Period
Modern
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Fitzwilliam Museum and all central Cambridge attractions
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
Fitzwilliam Museum

The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 with the legacy of the library and art collection of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam. Its collections include antiquities from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome; medieval and renaissance art; English and European pottery and glass, furniture, clocks, fans, armour; Chinese, Japanese and Korean art; coins and medals; literary and music manuscripts and rare printed books; paintings, including works by Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, Canaletto, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Constable, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne and Picasso. The building itself is stunning too!

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Trumpington Street
Cambridge
County
Cambridgeshire
Post Code
CB2 1RB
Main Historic Period
All
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
City Centre location close to other colleges and sights
Primary Management
Educational establisment

If your favourite attraction is not listed yet, and you have a good quality digital photograph of it that you are able to freely send, please get in touch

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