| Suffolk Villages and Towns often reflect the county's | | | | there is much to see and do in Sudbury. Sudbury was |
| rich history as a centre for the wool industry in the | | | | the largest of all the old wool towns, and it still has |
| Middle Ages and Tudor times - timber framed | | | | three highly specialised textile mills (spinning silk good |
| houses, magnificent Guildhalls, opulent stately houses, | | | | enough for Ralph Lauren and Princess Anne's (first) |
| as well as the humble thatched cottages Suffolk is | | | | wedding dress). |
| well known for. | | | | When Gainsborough failed to get the commissions he |
| The streets of Lavenham are like timber-framed | | | | was hoping for in Sudbury, he left the town in 1752 |
| avenues, and walking through the village itself is like | | | | and moved to Ipswich for 7 years. The town was |
| walking through a medieval world, one that must be | | | | founded by Anglo-Saxon settlers around AD600, and |
| better preserved than anywhere else in England. | | | | with its naturally protected port on the upper course |
| Lavenham was one of the centres of the wool trade | | | | of the Orwell, it developed during the Middle Ages |
| in Suffolk in the Middle Ages, exporting its materials | | | | into an important trading town. Queen Elizabeth 1 |
| via Ipswich to Holland and Spain. Very successful it | | | | visited in 1561, and in 1741 the great actor David |
| was too - in Henry V111's reign, Lavenham was the | | | | Garrick made his debut here. |
| fourteenth wealthiest town in England. The stunning | | | | Thomas Wolsey, the son of an Ipswich butcher, was |
| Guildhall in the centre of Lavenham, was built c1520 | | | | born here in 1471 and went on to become the |
| by the Guild of Corpus Christi, one of the town's four | | | | Cardinal Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor to |
| medieval guilds, and is today maintained by the | | | | Henry V111. Still in the town today as a symbol of his |
| National Trust. | | | | affection for his birthplace, lies the creation known |
| Just down the road is another weaver village, called | | | | commonly as Wolsey's Gateway. Not much of old |
| Long Melford. 'Melford' is derived from 'mill' and 'ford', | | | | Ipswich remains but the town is enjoying an |
| and 'Long' doesn't need explaining to anyone who has | | | | impressive regeneration, particularly around the docks. |
| attempted to walk the main street in Long Melford - | | | | Another Suffolk town that built up around its docks |
| all 2 ½ miles of it! The longest in England. There are | | | | in Victorian times is Felixstowe. It is still the largest |
| many interesting sights in Long Melford, starting at | | | | container port in the UK and one of the largests in |
| the Holy Trinity Church at one end of the village | | | | Europe. More interestingly to tourists though the |
| overlooking a substantial green, where there are also | | | | resort became very fashionable in the Victorian era |
| two Tudor mansions in close proximity - Kentwell Hall, | | | | and there are many interesting buildings that remain in |
| a romantic, completely moated Tudor mansion, and | | | | the town as a result. There is also a nature reserve |
| Melford Hall, built in 1450. | | | | and bird observatory at Landguard Fort, and a Golf |
| There are numerous antique shops and pubs, several | | | | Club which is amongst the oldest in the UK, having |
| boutiques, restaurants and cafes, and a growing hub | | | | been established in 1881. The Rt. Hon. Arthur Balfour |
| of Art Galleries including The Jessica Muir Gallery,Lime | | | | Captain of the Golf Club in 1889, became Captain of |
| Tree Gallery. | | | | the R&A in 1894 and British Prime Minister from |
| Nearby Cavendish has probably won the best kept | | | | 1902-1908. |
| Village competition more times than most of us have | | | | The town has the Spa Pavilion theatre, a 900 seat |
| had hot dinners! The reason for this is clear to | | | | art deco-tyle building on the promenade, now |
| anyone who has visited this picture-postcard village. | | | | managed by a private contractor, (Jimi Hendrix, the |
| With an impressive village green, surrounded by pink | | | | Who, Led Zeppelin and Showaddywaddy all played |
| thatched cottages, pubs and a Church on the hill, | | | | there), and a Sunday market that is larger than the |
| Cavendish is the archetypal Suffolk village. Until | | | | one at nearby Ipswich. |
| recently the HQ for the Sue Ryder charity was | | | | Felixstowe has a pebbly beach extending from the |
| based here, since the charity's foundation in 1953. | | | | port at Landguard Fort to Felixstowe Ferry, an old |
| There is still a small Sue Ryder museum and shop in | | | | fishing hamlet on the River Deben. A promenade runs |
| the centre of the village as a tribute to this | | | | along part of the beach, from the nature reserve in |
| remarkable woman. One important feature to be | | | | the south-west to Cobbolds Point (Maybush Avenue |
| sought out is the tiny village shop - appropriately | | | | in east), with traditional beach huts along most of |
| named 'Duck or Grouse'! | | | | that length. An amusement arcade with snooker halls |
| Just along the River Stour lies Clare, a little town with | | | | and food outlets can be found at the southern end |
| a great past. Clare College, Cambridge, has its roots | | | | of the prom. The pier has a cafe and amusement |
| here as it was founded by Elizabeth de Clare, | | | | arcade. |
| daughter of the 9th Earl. The Clare Priory, founded in | | | | Back inland, Walsham Le Willows lies a few miles |
| 1248 by Richard de Clare, is the first Augustinian | | | | away from Bury St Edmunds, between Ixworth and |
| house in England, and is still run by Augustinians. | | | | Finningham. It's a large village and encompasses an |
| Unfortunately not much remains of the Clare Castle | | | | estate that was owned by a former partner of the |
| except a few dramatic walls on a hilltop in the | | | | Whitbread Brewery. |
| Country Park, but still worth a climb to the top for | | | | Richard Martineau made the purchase in the mid |
| the stunning views of the surrounding countryside. | | | | 1800s. It was his family line which is alleged to have |
| The Ancient House does remain though. | | | | made big differences to the community - creating |
| Kersey too was well known for cloth-making - so | | | | homes and livelihoods for local people. There are a |
| well known that it is mentioned in Shakespeare's | | | | number of features around the village today, which |
| Love's Labours Lost. Kersey was famous for a | | | | have all been provided by the Martineau family. |
| rough, ribbed cloth which was especially suitable for | | | | Fressingfield is one of those lovely Suffolk villages |
| hosiery. Today Kersey is yet another picturesque | | | | typical of the county, with it's great sense of |
| Suffolk village, probably best known for pottery and | | | | community spirit. The village is in high Suffolk, close to |
| right in the centre, a road that fords River Brett, | | | | Diss and just 40 minutes drive from the coast at |
| where once the cloth-makers used to soak their | | | | Southwold. It has a population of over 900, a mixture |
| materials. | | | | of long established local families, who have lived here |
| The town of Hadleigh hasn't changed much over the | | | | for generations, and also a substantial number of |
| years and the town council has recently rejected a | | | | people who have moved into the area from London |
| planning application for a supermarket, on the | | | | and the home counties since electrification of the |
| grounds that it would be unsuitable for the area and | | | | Norwich to Liverpool Street line in the 1980s. |
| might be bad for local traders. So hopefully things | | | | The village is compact, but has everything you could |
| won't be changing much here in the future either! | | | | possibly need, including 2 shops, churches, excellent |
| Hadleigh is a fine example of the mix of architecture | | | | sports facilities, a garage, a pub, a top restaurant, a |
| seen in Suffolk throughout the ages - varying roof | | | | medical centre and a modern primary school all within |
| heights and facades, some brick buildings and some | | | | easy walking distance. Like a lot of Suffolk still, the |
| timber framed, some tiled and others thatched, with | | | | village is predominantly an agricultural community, now |
| an odd assortment of medieval buildings in the centre | | | | mainly arable, pig and poultry farming. |
| of town. The church is flint, the Guildhall | | | | There is a real village community in Fressingfield, with |
| timber-framed and the Deanery Tower is Tudor red | | | | a wide range of activities for all ages and interests. |
| brick. In 1748 the Rector of Hadleigh, Thomas | | | | These range from a preschool group, brownies, |
| Tanner, commissioned a local young artist to paint a | | | | beavers, cubs and scouts, alongside the Women's |
| piece for the Deanery. Gainsborough's picture shows | | | | Institute, Mothers' Union, Royal British Legion and |
| the parsons residency and place of work, and it | | | | over-50s Luncheon Club amongst others. All welcome |
| seems that very little has changed since then. | | | | new members! Come and spend some time in this |
| Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, on the River | | | | lovely village and get a sense of country life at its |
| Stour and just 12 miles from East Bergholt, | | | | best. There are several accommodation options and |
| Constable's birthplace. In addition to Gainsborough's | | | | lots of activities throughout the year, including the |
| House, which is the only house in England in which an | | | | Fressingfield Garden Festival in June. |
| artist was born and which is now open to the public - | | | | |