Places to visit in Eastern
Explore nature reserves, woodlands, and parks across 45 counties in Eastern.
Wide skies, working estuaries, and some of England's best nature reserves — from the Broads to Breckland to the Essex coast.
Babergh
A rural Suffolk district along the Stour valley, with rolling wooded farmland, ancient market towns, and the Dedham Vale AONB landscape.
Basildon
A largely urban district in south Essex, with the Thames Estuary marshes, RSPB nature reserves, and Wat Tyler Country Park on former industrial riverside land.
Bedford
A market-town district in the Great Ouse valley, with riverside meadows, the John Bunyan Trail, and the rolling Greensand Ridge to the south.
Braintree
A mixed rural-urban district in north Essex, with the Blackwater river valley, ancient field systems, and Marks Hall arboretum and estate.
Breckland
A distinctive district on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, covering the Breckland — a unique sandy heathland landscape with pine forestry, meres, and flint-studded soils.
Brentwood
A compact district west of Chelmsford, with Thorndon Country Park's ancient deer park and the wooded ridgeline of the Essex uplands.
Broadland
A flat waterland district east of Norwich, at the heart of the Norfolk Broads National Park with navigable rivers, reedbeds, and grazing marsh.
Broxbourne
A narrow district along the Lee Valley, with the Lee Valley Regional Park's reservoirs, wetlands, and towpaths running south from Hertfordshire towards London.
Cambridge
A compact university city straddling the River Cam, with Grantchester water meadows, the Cambridge Green Belt, and Wandlebury Country Park on the chalk hills.
Castle Point
A small peninsula district on the Thames Estuary, with Hadleigh Country Park's marshland, castle ruins, and SSSI grassland overlooking Canvey Island.
Central Bedfordshire
A large district spanning the Greensand Ridge AONB, the Chilterns chalk fringe, and the clay vale, with Houghton Hall Park and the Marston Vale Forest.
Chelmsford
A city district in central Essex, with the Chelmer and Blackwater rivers, Hylands Park estate, and Essex Wildlife Trust reserves in the surrounding farmland.
Colchester
A large district on the Colne estuary in north Essex, with Dedham Vale AONB landscape, coastal marshes, and the Colne Valley river corridor.
Dacorum
A district in west Hertfordshire covering the Chilterns AONB chalk escarpment, Ashridge Estate beechwoods, and the Grand Union Canal valley.
East Cambridgeshire
Spanning the chalk Downs of east Cambridgeshire and the flat Fenland plain, this district includes the Devil's Dyke earthwork, Wicken Fen, and the Ely riverside.
East Hertfordshire
A largely rural district in east Hertfordshire with the Lea valley river corridor, ancient woodland remnants, and chalk farmland rolling towards the Essex border.
East Suffolk
A coastal district spanning the Suffolk Heritage Coast, Minsmere RSPB reserve, the Blyth and Alde estuaries, and Rendlesham Forest inland.
Epping Forest
Home to one of England's most accessible ancient forests, this district stretches along the Epping Forest ridge between Essex and the edge of Greater London.
Fenland
A flat, low-lying district at the heart of the Cambridgeshire Fens, with drained peaty farmland, navigable drains, and the wildfowl-rich wetlands of the Ouse Washes.
Great Yarmouth
A coastal district where the Norfolk Broads meet the North Sea, with sandy beaches, the Breydon Water tidal estuary, and RSPB wetland reserves nearby.
Harlow
A planned new-town district in the Stort valley, with the River Stort nature reserve, ancient woodland remnants, and Gilwell Park on the Essex fringe.
Hertsmere
A small district on London's northern fringe, with the Colne valley, Aldenham Country Park, and the remnant woodland of Herts and Middlesex.
Huntingdonshire
A large rural district in the Great Ouse and Nene valleys, with Grafham Water reservoir, Brampton Wood, and extensive fenland nature reserves of the Nene Washes.
Ipswich
A compact port city on the Orwell estuary, with Christchurch Park, the waterfront wetlands of Orwell Country Park, and tidal mudflats to the south.
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
A large district covering The Wash coastline, the Norfolk Sandringham estate, the Fen edge, and the North Norfolk coast AONB on its northern boundary.
Luton
A compact urban district on the Chilterns chalk dip slope, with Wardown Park, the River Lea, and the Chilterns AONB accessible on the southern fringe.
Maldon
A rural and coastal district around the Blackwater estuary, with tidal salt marsh, the Blackwater National Nature Reserve, and the Dengie peninsula marshes.
Mid Suffolk
A predominantly rural district in central Suffolk, with the Waveney, Gipping, and Brett river valleys, ancient hedgerow farmland, and Redgrave and Lopham Fen.
North Hertfordshire
A chalk downland district at the Chilterns' northern edge, with the River Hiz and Ivel valleys and chalk farmland rolling across the north Hertfordshire plateau.
North Norfolk
A celebrated coastal district stretching from Hunstanton to Cromer, with chalk cliffs, saltmarsh, sand dunes, and the Norfolk Coast Path along the AONB.
Norwich
A compact cathedral city on the River Wensum, with Mousehold Heath, Eaton Park, and quick access to the Norfolk Broads waterways to the east.
Peterborough
A city district on the Fen edge, with the Nene Valley Country Park, Ferry Meadows lakes, and the Flag Fen Bronze Age wetland archaeological landscape.
Rochford
A coastal district between the Crouch and Roach estuaries in south Essex, with tidal marshland, Wallasea Island RSPB reserve, and the Foulness Island nature reserve.
South Cambridgeshire
A large rural district surrounding Cambridge, with the Gog Magog Hills, the Roman Road greenway, Wandlebury Country Park, and the upper Cam water meadows.
South Norfolk
A rural district of south Norfolk, with the headwaters of the Broads river system, the Waveney valley, and the wooded sandy farmland of the Tas and Yare valleys.
Southend-on-Sea
A seaside city on the Thames Estuary, with Chalkwell and Southend beaches, Leigh-on-Sea's tidal flats, and nationally important SSSI mudflats and saltmarsh.
St Albans
A historic city district in southwest Hertfordshire, with the River Ver valley, Heartwood Forest, Verulamium Park, and the Chilterns AONB to the northwest.
Stevenage
A planned new-town district in the Beane valley of central Hertfordshire, with country parks, cycling paths, and Knebworth Park's estate woodland on its fringe.
Tendring
A coastal district in northeast Essex stretching from Mersea Island to the Stour estuary, with Colne Point nature reserve, sandy beaches, and tidal marshland.
Three Rivers
A small district at the Chilterns' foot in south Hertfordshire, with the Chess and Colne river valleys, Chorleywood Common, and ancient beechwood on the chalk scarp.
Thurrock
A largely urban-industrial district on the Thames Estuary north bank, with the Thurrock Thameside Nature Discovery Park on former landfill and tidal grazing marsh.
Uttlesford
A largely rural district in northwest Essex, with the Cam and Stort river valleys, Hatfield Forest — an intact ancient royal forest — and rolling chalk farmland.
Watford
A compact urban district in south Hertfordshire, with the Colne valley river park on its western edge and Cassiobury Park following the River Gade through the town.
Welwyn Hatfield
A planned garden-city district in central Hertfordshire, with the Mimram chalk stream, Panshanger Park meadows, and Sherrardspark Wood on the settlement edges.
West Suffolk
A rural district covering the sandy Breckland fringe and the Lark and Stour river valleys, with Thetford Forest and the West Stow Country Park.