John Potter
East Anglia is a photographers dream. At its heart are the unique landscapes of the fens and the broads, both created by human habd. the fens, which stretch from Cambridge to south Linconshire, were drained during the 17th century, resulting in more tham one million acres of rich farmland. Further south, the Broads, which straddle the border between Norfolk & Suffolk, is a beautiful area of overlapping lakes and rivers, created after centuries of peat-cutting.
These two unusual features, combined with the region's low rolling countryside, give East Anglia its special character. Around the Fens and Broads tha land is flat with wide open skies and uninterrupted vistas. The coast is blessed with long sand and shingle beaches fringed by saltmarsh and reedbeds, a haven for wildlife.
The coastal areas of outstanding natural beauty. Long sabdy beaches backed by acres of sand dunes provide a wonderful habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. The area is rich in maritime history: Horatio Nelson, Britain's greatest naval commander, spent his boyhood on this coast and it is widely believed that he sailed his first boat at Brancaster Staithe. further around the coast is Norfolk's premier seaside resort the elegent Victorian town of Cromer with its famous beach & pier.
The Suffolk coast is a landscape of sand and shingle beaches fringed by low marshland and reedbeds. The seaside resorts of Southwold, walberswick and Aldeburgh are full of character and still retain their fishing fleets.
Inland, East Anglia containsthe splendid cities of Cambridge, Ely and Norwich and unique historic towns such as Lavenham, which became wealthy in the middle ages due to the booming wool trade. The heart of constable country straddles the Suffolk-Essex border at Dedham Vale where John Constable was brought up and found the inspiration for many of his most famous paintings.
