Visit the surprising English region named by Lonely Planet as one of the best in the world – and find out why it deserves this praise
Cornwall? Forget it. ‘God’s own country’ – Yorkshire? Please try again. The Highlands? Doesn’t cut the mustard.
No, the best region in Britain right now, according to Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2025 book – is East Anglia. Moreover, it is the eighth best region worldwide.
Why? Because it is ‘enigmatic’ and offers a ‘real taste of England’.
But what does that actually mean? Somewhere mysterious with bland pub food?
I’m on a mission to find out with my partner and seven-year-old daughter and a little help from BMW, who have lent me a rather exciting car for the weekend to search for hidden gems in one of the East’s most famous areas. Anglia tempting counties – Norfolk.
As someone who grew up reading Arthur Ransome’s The Big Six, about a group of sailboat child explorers who roam the rivers of the Norfolk Broads, I’ve always imagined that wind power would be the ultimate way to explore the area.
But I can be sure that the all-new Mini Cooper C is also a compelling means of transport for discovering the delights of Britain’s premier district.
For starters, the appealing car has an exceptionally bright circular OLED display, which sits in the center of the cabin, and a handy heads-up screen, which deploys from the top of the dash at the touch of a button.
Ted Thornhill discovers Norfolk in East Anglia – the region that Lonely Planet says is the best in Britain for 2025 – in a new Mini Cooper C. Ted is pictured above with the car at his adventure digs – Cley Windmill in the ‘ chocolate box’ ‘ village of Cley-next-the-Sea
LEFT: Ted behind the wheel of the new Mini Cooper in Norfolk. RIGHT: The car has multiple experience modes, with ‘go-kart’ (photo) proving to be ‘the most fun’
They clearly display navigation information that makes finding the nooks and crannies of Norfolk a breeze.
The first location I punch into the sat-nav as we idle outside our residence in South London ahead of our Mini Adventure is one that I hope will demonstrate why East Anglia is so highly praised: a windmill hotel on the coast on the Norfolk coast. National Landscape Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
We’re dealing with tiring queues on the M11 northbound – but it doesn’t seem like it’s all good things, but magical things come to those who wait.
A real taste of England? Staying at Cley Windmill in the chocolate box village of Cley-next-the-Sea is like being in a living Constable painting.
The former corn mill, built in the early 19th century, stands five stories high on the edge of the village, next to the River Glaven and is positioned like a sentinel over a mini wilderness, a fascinating swampy interface between the land and the North Sea that is laced with water. with ponds and home to dozens of bird species, including marsh harriers, barn owls, curlews, avocets and pink-footed geese.
The windmill has 10 rooms, including one halfway up the tower, the ‘Stone Room’, where singer James Blunt stayed when his family owned the property. Above this is the Wheel Room, where guests must sign a waiver to stay in it, as access is via a very steep ladder.
We stay in the River Room on the ground floor, which has direct access to a lawn and a walkway that extends into a reed forest.
Apart from a temperamental private shower that drips water, it is a lovely accommodation. And the Windmill as a whole, with its charming staff, rustic beamed interiors and excellent breakfasts, makes for a wonderful base for exploring the area.
Ted notes that his stay at Cley Windmill (above) was ‘like being in a living Constable painting’
Above this is the ground floor River Room, where Ted and his clan reside
This is the Wheel Room at the top of the windmill tower. Guests must sign a waiver to stay here as access is via a steep ladder
On foot from our headquarters we head to the North Sea, where we see a seal patrolling the coastline, and the local pub the Three swallowswhere we enjoy fish and chips and eavesdrop on locals discussing astronomy, a subject close to the hearts of the local parish council, which has banned street lighting for the benefit of local wildlife and stargazers.
Norfolk, it turns out, is the eighth darkest county in England and there’s an area nearby with official ‘dark sky’ status – the Wiveton Downs Dark Sky Discovery Site.
The lack of light certainly helps create an enigmatic atmosphere that Lonely Planet refers to.
Attractions further afield are best reached, I discover, by driving the Mini in ‘go-kart’ mode, one of eight ‘experiences’ available at the touch of a rocker switch.
Each room has its own distinctive lighting and soundscape (see box for details), but the ‘go-kart’ mode is the most fun, with a ‘woo-hoo!’ sounds when activated and an analogue sports car tachometer and speedometer are simulated on the OLED display.
In addition, with the automatic gearbox (currently there is no manual option for the Mini Cooper C), shifting occurs at higher speeds and the steering becomes stiffer.
One port of call by car is scenic Wells-next-the-Sea, approximately 15 minutes away.
From the harbor car park we walk a mile to beautiful Holkham Beach, lined with executive-looking beach huts and with an extensive stretch of sand, before enjoying a delicious seafood platter at Wells Crab House.
In ‘quaint’ Wells-next-the-Sea (above), Ted and his family enjoy a ‘crushing’ seafood platter at Wells Crab House
The ‘beautiful’ Holkham Beach and its ‘executive looking’ beach huts
The timetable also states: Wells and Walsingham Light Railwayon the edge of the city.
It runs four miles along the old Great Eastern line from Wells-next-the-Sea to Walsingham and is billed as the longest 10.25-inch narrow gauge steam railway in the world.
What a treat this is.
We have the option of returning straight away, but instead taking a later train back and exploring Walsingham for a few hours – a picturesque spot and absolutely mysterious.
The village is known for its beautifully preserved half-timbered houses and for being one of the most important pilgrimage sites in medieval England. It was here that in 1061 the lady of the house, Richeldis de Faverches, is said to have visited the city. series of visions of the Virgin Mary, who showed her the house of Nazareth where the angel Gabriel foretold the birth of Jesus. Mary asked Richeldis to build a replica of the holy house in Walsingham.
The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is proving to be a ‘treat’
The Wells and Walsingham Light Railway runs for four miles from Wells-next-the-Sea to the medieval village of Walsingham (above)
Notable pilgrims to Walsingham in the years that followed included Henry III and Henry VIII, who came twice.
There is a lovely abbey with landscaped gardens to visit, with the excellent farm shop And The Black Lion Hotel also worth a pilgrimage, the latter being a much better option for refueling than the Bull Inn, where my fears of the ‘taste of England’ being boring pub food come true.
Our bland ploughmen, jacket pud and cheese sandwich here are just a minor blemish on an otherwise brilliant weekend that leads me to agree with Lonely Planet’s listing of East Anglia as a very special region.
Woohoo!
TRAVEL FACTS
Ted was loaned a Mini Cooper C by BMW, which also covered his stay at Cley Windmill. All extra activities and meals were paid for by Ted.
The Mini Cooper features multiple ‘experience modes’, accessible via a touch of the switch bar, or via the OLED display ‘at the heart of the interior’. ‘Core’, ‘go-kart’, ‘green’, ‘lively’, ‘timeless’, ‘balance’, ‘personal’ and ‘trail’ all have their own distinctive lighting, soundscape and design. What’s more, “some of them can even enhance that Mini feeling,” says manufacturer BMW – “from the sportier handling of Go-Kart mode to the extraordinary interior environment of Vivid Mode.”
For more information about the new Mini and visit its modes of experience www.mini.co.uk/en_GB/home/experience-modes-hub.
For more information Cley Windmill – www.instagram.com/cleywindmill And cleywindmill.co.uk.
