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East Anglia | |
|---|---|
| Etymology: Kingdom of the East Angles | |
 East Anglia: with the ceremonial counties ofNorfolk andSuffolk (in red) to the north and south andCambridgeshire andEssex (in pink) to the west | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | East of England |
| Largest city | Norwich |
| Ceremonial counties | |
East Anglia is an area of theEast of England,[1] often defined as including the counties ofNorfolk,Suffolk andCambridgeshire,[2] with parts ofEssex sometimes also included.
The name derives from theAnglo-Saxonkingdom of theEast Angles, a people whose name originated inAnglia (Angeln), in what is now theSchleswig-Holstein state ofNorthern Germany. East Anglia is a predominantly rural region and contains mainly flat or low-lying and agricultural land.[3][4] The area is known for considerable natural beauty, sharing a longNorth Sea coastline, andThe Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park).[5]Norwich is the largest city in the region.
Definitions of what constitutes East Anglia vary. TheAnglo-SaxonKingdom of East Anglia, established in the 6th century, originally consisted of the modern counties ofNorfolk andSuffolk and expanded west into at least part ofCambridgeshire, typically the northernmost parts known asThe Fens. The modernNUTS 2 statistical unit of East Anglia comprises Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (including theCity of Peterborough unitary authority).[2] Those three counties have formed theRoman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia since 1976, and were the subject of a possible government devolution package in 2016.[6][7]
Essex has sometimes been included in definitions of East Anglia, including by the London Society of East Anglians.[note 1] Although theKingdom of Essex to the south was a separate element of theheptarchy ofAnglo-Saxon England and did not identify asAngles butSaxons, many people in Essex today still consider themselves to be East Anglian. For example,Colchester United F.C. is one of the clubs competing for the informal football titlePride of Anglia, but notSouthend United F.C. from further south in the county. Culturally, north Essex has much more in common withSuffolk and the rest of East Anglia due to its similar rural landscape, when compared to the south which is much more urban given its proximity toLondon. However, the county of Essex by itself forms aNUTS 2 statistical unit in theEast of Englandregion.
Other definitions of the area have been used or proposed over the years. For example, theRedcliffe-Maud Report in 1969, which followed theRoyal Commission on the Reform of Local Government, recommended the creation of eight provinces in England. The proposed East Anglia province would have included northern Essex, southernLincolnshire and a small part ofNorthamptonshire as well as Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Despite being considered by some to be a sub-region of theEast of England, it is considered to have its own differing cultural identity and characteristics, with some considering it an informal region in its own right.[citation needed] It has more distinct accents within the area compared to the rest of the East of England region, such as the Norfolk and Suffolk accents.[8] It is also considered a less commercialised area, with more agricultural business being based within East Anglia.[9] However, several areas of East Anglia are starting to experience a renaissance, with more frequentdecentralisation and expansions of certain businesses taking place in several areas such as the recent introductions of commercial businesses such asTaco Bell andOdeon Cinemas into areas of East Anglia.[10][11][12] However, despite a recent economic renaissance, East Anglia is also still a poorer area than the rest of the East of England region, with several areas suffering from intense deprivation and poverty.[13][14][15]
From a geographical perspective, East Anglia also differs hugely from the rest of the East of England due to it being somewhat situated on the east coast of England, leading to several seaside towns being situated within the area.[16] A more noticeable differing geographical feature isThe Fens, an area of low-lying marshland populated throughout East Anglia as well as, to a lesser extent, theEast Midlands.[4] It has managed to define East Anglia, especially from a historical perspective, and help it stand out from the rest of the East of England, with several plans recently set up to restore The Fens to its initial state, prior to its drainage, as a big wetland area.[1][3] East Anglia is also more likely than any other area in the East of England to be considered part of theMidlands.[dubious –discuss][17] This is mostly because East Anglia's geographical location aligns with The Midlands.[18] It is also likely due to several areas of East Anglia being situated above or on several somewhat common but unofficial borders that separate the Midlands and even the North in some cases, fromSouthern England such asRiver Great Ouse,River Nene or even theThames.[citation needed] East Anglia and the Midlands were also previously combined in a grouping known as "Central England" based onEuropean Parliament constituencies in the United Kingdom.[citation needed] Similarly, some East Anglian citizens have expressed interests in turning East Anglia into its own independent state.[dubious –discuss][19][20]
The kingdom of East Anglia initially consisted ofNorfolk andSuffolk, but theIsle of Ely also became part of it upon the marriage of East Anglian princessÆthelthryth (Etheldreda). It may have been formed around 520 by merging the North and South Folk,[21] Angles who had settled in the former lands of theIceni during the previous century, and it was one of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy kingdoms as defined in the 12th-century writings ofHenry of Huntingdon.[22][page needed] East Anglia has been cited by a number of scholars as being a region where settlement of continental Germanic speakers was particularly early and dense,[23][24][25] possibly following a depopulation in the 4th century.[26]
A 2016 study found that modern East Anglians share a strong genetic affinity with Anglo-Saxon era skeletons, but differ substantially from Iron Age and Roman era ones, which are more similar to the Welsh. This was taken to support a major influence of the Anglo-Saxon migrations on the genetic makeup of East Anglia.[27] In a 2022 study by Joscha Gretzinger et al., the populations of Norfolk and Suffolk were found to be the group with the lowest amount of Iron Age/Roman periodBritish Isles-related ancestry, with only about 11–12.7% of their ancestry being derived from that group, while having one of the highest amounts ofContinental North European (45.9–46.1%), and the highest amount of Continental West European (41.2–43.1%) ancestry in all of England.[28]
East Anglia was the most powerful of the kingdoms ofAnglo-Saxon England for a brief period following a victory over the rival kingdom ofNorthumbria around 616, and its KingRædwald wasBretwalda (overlord of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms). Just before this point East Anglia startedbecoming Christian. However, this did not last; theMercians defeated it twice over the next 40 years, and East Anglia continued to weaken in relation to the other kingdoms.Offa of Mercia finally had kingÆthelberht killed in 794 and took control of the kingdom himself.[29] Independence was temporarily restored by rebellion in 825, but the Danes killedKing Edmund on 20 November 869 and captured the kingdom.Edward the Elder incorporated East Anglia into the Kingdom of England, and it later became anearldom.
TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicles make reference to East Anglian military heroUlfcytel, first described for his attempts to ward off an attack by the Danes in 1004. The Norwegian court poetSigvatr Þórðarson called all of East Anglia "Ulfkell's land" (Ulfcytel's land), named for the military leader.[30][31]
Parts of East Anglia remained marshland until the 17th-century drainage of the Fens, despite some earlier engineering work during the Roman occupation. Thealluvial land was converted into wide swaths of productivearable land by a series of systematic drainage projects, mainly using drains and river diversions along the lines of Dutch practice.[citation needed] In the 1630s, thousands ofPuritan families from East Angliaemigrated to New England in America, taking much East Anglian culture with them that can still be traced today.[32] East Anglia based much of its earnings on wool, textiles, and arable farming and was a rich area of England until theIndustrial Revolution caused a manufacturing and development shift to theMidlands and the North.
During theSecond World War, theRoyal Air Force and theUnited States Army Air Force constructed many airbases in East Anglia for the heavy bomber fleets of theCombined Bomber Offensive againstGerman-occupied Europe. East Anglia was ideally suited to airfield construction, as it includes large areas of open, level terrain and is close to mainland Europe. Many of the airfields can still be seen today, particularly from aerial photographs, and a few remain in use, the most prominent beingNorwich International Airport.Pillboxes were erected in 1940 to help defend the nation against invasion, and they can also be found throughout the area at strategic points.[33] Similarly, but from theNapoleonic Wars, a number ofMartello towers can be found along the coast.
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East Anglia is bordered to the north and east by theNorth Sea, to the south by theestuaries of the riversOrwell andStour, and shares an undefined land border to the west with the rest of England. Much of northern East Anglia is flat, low-lying and marshy (such asthe Fens ofCambridgeshire andNorfolk), although the extensive drainage projects of the past centuries actually make this one of the driest areas in the UK.[clarification needed][citation needed] Inland, much of the rest of Suffolk and Norfolk is gently undulating, with glacial moraine ridges providing some areas of steeper relief. The highest point in Norfolk is the 103 metres (338 ft)Beacon Hill;[34] the supposed flatness of Norfolk is noted in literature, includingNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives – "Very flat, Norfolk".[35]: 23
On the north-west corner East Anglia is bordered by a bay known asThe Wash, where owing to deposits of sediment andland reclamation, the coastline has altered markedly within historical times; several towns once on the coast of the Wash (notably King's Lynn) are now some distance inland. Conversely, over to the east on the coast exposed to the North Sea the coastline is subject to rapid erosion and has shifted inland significantly since historic times.[36]
Major rivers include theRiver Nene and Suffolk'sStour, running through country beloved of the painterJohn Constable. TheRiver Cam is a tributary of theGreat Ouse and gives its name to Cambridge, whilst Norwich sits on theRiver Yare andRiver Wensum. TheRiver Orwell flows through Ipswich and has its mouth, along with the Stour atFelixstowe. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads form a network ofwaterways between Norwich and the coast and are popular for recreational boating. The Ouse flows into the Wash at King's Lynn.
Major urban areas in East Anglia include the cities ofNorwich,Cambridge andPeterborough, and the town ofIpswich. Other towns and cities includeBury St Edmunds,Ely,Lowestoft,Great Yarmouth,King's Lynn, andNewmarket. Much of the area is still rural in nature with many villages surrounded by a mixture ofbreckland,fens,broads and agricultural land.[37]
The climate of East Anglia is generally dry and mild. Temperatures range from an average of 1–10 °C in the winter to 12–22 °C in the summer, although it is not uncommon for daily temperatures to fall and rise significantly outside these averages. Although water plays a significant role in theFenland andBroadland landscapes, the area is among the driest in the United Kingdom and during the summer months, tinder-dry conditions are frequently experienced, occasionally resulting in field and heath fires.[38] Many areas receive less than 700 mm of rainfall a year and this is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Sunshine totals tend to be higher towards the coastal areas.[39]
Transport in East Anglia consists of an extensive road and rail network. Main A roads, such as theA12 andA47 link the area to the rest of the UK, and theA14 links the Midlands to thePort of Felixstowe. This is the busiest container port in the UK, dealing with over 40% of UK container traffic and is a major gateway port into the country.[40] There is very little motorway within East Anglia.
Rail links include theGreat Eastern Main Line fromNorwich toLondon Liverpool Street and theWest Anglia Main Line connectingCambridge to London. Sections of theEast Coast Main Line run through the area andPeterborough is an important interchange on this line. The area is linked to the Midlands and north-west England by rail and has a number of local rail services, such as theBittern Line from Norwich toSheringham.[41]
East Anglia is ideal forcycling andNational Cycle Route 1 passes through it. Cambridge has the largest proportion of its residents in the UK cycling to work with 25% commuting by bicycle.[42] The city is also home to theCambridgeshire Guided Busway, which at 13.3 miles (21.4 km) was the longest stretch of guided bus-way in the world when it opened in 2011.[43]
The only major commercial airport isNorwich Airport, althoughLondon Stansted Airport, the fourth busiest passenger airport in the UK, lies just south of Cambridge in north-west Essex.[44]
TheUniversity of Cambridge, established at the start of the 13th century and in the town of the same name, is East Anglia's best-known institution of higher learning and is among the oldest and most famous universities in the world. Other institutions include theUniversity of East Anglia (inNorwich),University of Essex,Norwich University of the Arts,Anglia Ruskin University (based in Cambridge),University of Suffolk (based in Ipswich) andUniversity Centre Peterborough.
Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone, anenterprise zone initiated by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership,[45] was announced in 2011 and launched in April 2012.[46] It includes six sites with a total area of 121 hectares (300 acres), which have attracted a number of energy-related businesses.[45] The sites are Beacon Park and South Denes in Great Yarmouth, Mobbs Way, Riverside Road and South Lowestoft Industrial Estate in Lowestoft and Ellough Business Park inEllough near Beccles.[46] There is also an enterprise zone in Cambridgeshire,Alconbury Enterprise Campus inHuntingdon.[47]
A shield ofthree golden crowns, placed two above one, on a blue background has been used as a symbol of East Anglia for centuries. Thecoat of arms was ascribed by medieval heralds to the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of East Anglia and theWuffingas dynasty which ruled it. The arms are effectively identical to thecoat of arms of Sweden.
The three crowns appear, carved in stone, on thebaptismal font (c.1400) in the parish church ofSaxmundham,[48] and on the 15th-century porch ofWoolpit church, both in Suffolk. They also appear in local heraldry and form part of the arms of thediocese of Ely and the arms of the borough ofBury St Edmunds, where the crowns are shown pierced with arrows to represent the martyrdom ofEdmund the Martyr, the last king of East Anglia. Other users of the arms include the formerIsle of Ely County Council, theBorough of Colchester and theUniversity of East Anglia. Theflag of Cambridgeshire (adopted in 2015) includes the three gold crowns on a blue field.[49]
The East Anglian flag as it is known today was proposed by George Henry Langham and adopted in 1902 by the London Society of East Anglians (established in 1896). It superimposes the three crowns in a blue shield on aSt George's cross.
East Anglia features heavily in English literature, notably inNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives and the history of its waterways and drainage forms the backdrop toGraham Swift's novelWaterland. The area also figures in works byL.P. Hartley,Arthur Ransome andDorothy L. Sayers, among many others.
"Suffolk pink" and similar pastel colours ofwhitewash are commonly seen on houses in Suffolk, Norfolk and their neighbouring counties.
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East Anglia has holiday resorts that range from the traditional coastal towns ofFelixstowe andLowestoft in Suffolk and Great Yarmouth andHunstanton in Norfolk, to towns likeAldeburgh andSouthwold in Suffolk. Other tourist attractions include historic towns and cities like Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Ely as well as areas such asConstable Country,the Broads and theNorth Norfolk coast.
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