These stunning images were taken on an early morning hot air balloon ride over the Norfolk countryside by our photographer James Bass.

The flight began from Old Buckenham airfield early on Saturday morning, just as the mist began to make way for bright sunshine.

And while Wymondham and Norwich were still shrouded in a thin layer of cloud, Attleborough, Hingham, Mattishall and Dereham could be seen in all their glory.

Heading north towards Bawdeswell, the balloon floated peacefully over the heart of Norfolk, with landmarks, villages and beauty spots emerging along the route.

On such a beautifully clear morning, Blakeney, The Wash and even Lincolnshire could all be spotted.

By the time the balloon landed, at Sparham, it had travelled more than 20 miles in one hour and 20 minutes, reaching a height of some 5,000 feet.

The balloon's pilot was Robert Keron, a commercial hot air balloon pilot for 24 years who has worked for Virgin for five years.

Mr Keron said: 'Someone once said to me that if there was any such thing as a magic carpet, this would be it.' He added he never tired of his job – as these images show, it's easy to see why.

If you have lovely pictures of our region's countryside, you can send them to us via www.iwitness24.co.uk