An early landscape by JMW Turner, thought to be the first painted by the artist in the open air, has been saved for the nation with the help of £2.1m of lottery money.

Turner’s Walton Bridges was the subject of a temporary export bar preventing it from leaving the UK after it was sold at auction for £3.4m.

A campaign was launched by museums in East Anglia to raise the money to match the auction price. On Tuesday, its success was announced.

Although the painting is a scene of the Thames in Surrey, Norfolk was keen to get the painting because there are no Turners in east of England collections.

It fills a gap and will complement holdings of important landscapes by painters such as John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough and Norwich School artists including John Sell Cotman and John Crome, for whom Turner was an important influence.

Margaret Dewsbury, a Norfolk county councillor and cabinet member for communities and partnerships, said: “This news is cause for celebration for everyone who cares about the cultural heritage of the nation. For the east of England, the acquisition of Walton Bridges will make a significant contribution to the region’s cultural economy, bringing in many more visitors and raising its profile nationally.”

She said she hoped the presence of a “Turner for the east” would encourage complementary loans, “enriching the cultural life of East Anglia for decades to come”.

The Turner painting, which dates from 1806, is particularly significant because it is thought to be the first oil painting the artist completed in the open air, a practice that became an important element of his work.

The arts minister Rebecca Pow said she was delighted the piece had been saved for the nation. “Turner’s magnificent work, painted at the beginning of the industrial revolution, will now continue to be exhibited and admired and will inspire future generations of British artists thanks to Norfolk Museums Service,” she said.

The painting will go on display at Norwich Castle from September and will embark on a three-year tour around the region, including King’s Lynn, Ipswich, Colchester and Great Yarmouth, before returning for permanent display in Norwich.

The money for the acquisition came from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Art Fund and private donors.