Where to go in England this summer if you want to skip London

Norfolk has long been the butt of jokes, with its capital city belittled as a sleepy backwater adrift in England’s secluded east. But over the past couple of decades, hip independent boutiques, bars and restaurants have sprung up in Norwich’s historic streets and squares, while districts such as the Silver Triangle, north of the centre, have quietly blossomed. In 2012, Norwich was designated England’s first Unesco City of Literature. This year, the city was named the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times, with its medieval Lanes, 900-year-old open-air market, leafy parks and welcoming pub gardens begging to be discovered on foot over long summer days and warm evenings.