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ON-LINE GUIDE TO SUFFOLK
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Suffolk as well as some interesting facts and
anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific place either
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For much of its length the River Stour forms the county boundary
between Suffolk and Essex, and here lies some of the county's most attractive
and peaceful countryside. The beauty is largely unspoilt and those travelling
through the area will come upon a succession of picturesque, ancient wool towns
and villages, historic churches, stately homes and nature reserves. There is the
wonderful preserved medieval town of Lavenham,
the atmospheric old wool town of Long Melford and, of course, East Bergholt. This was the
birthplace, in 1776, of John Constable, and two of his
most famous subjects - Flatford Mill and Willy
Lot's Cottage - can still be seen today looking much
as they would have done in the great artist's day.
Much of inland Suffolk remains rich farmland, with ancient towns and villages
along with some of the finest windmills and
watermills in the country. While Suffolk has few equals
in terms of picturesque countryside and settlements,
it is also very much a maritime county, with more than 50 miles of coastline. The whole stretch is
a
conservation area, with miles of waymarked walks and cycle trails and an abundance of bird
and wildlife. This coast has also been a constant
source of inspiration for distinguished writers, artists
and musicians. Between the major port of Ipswich
in the south and the fishing port of Lowestoft in
the north are some charming and popular seaside resorts, such as Southwold and Aldeburgh,
which have tried their hardest to escape any brash commercialism and retain the charming and
genteel atmosphere of a bygone age.
Bury St Edmunds
This glorious Suffolk town takes its name from St Edmund, who
was born in Nuremberg in AD 841 and came here as a young man
to become the last king of East Anglia and the patron saint of
England before St George. A staunch Christian, he was tortured
and killed by the Danes in AD 870 and, after he was canonised in AD
910, his remains were moved to the abbey at Beodricsworth (later
St Edmundsbury) where his shrine became incorporated into
the Norman Abbey Church. The town grew up around the Abbey
and soon became an important place of pilgrimage.
The Abbey was dismantled after the Dissolution but
the imposing remains can be seen in the colourful
Abbey Gardens. Originally the Church of St
James, St Edmundsbury Cathedral was accorded cathedral status in
1914 and the 15th century building has been added to over the years.
Work recently finished on a Millennium project to crown the Cathedral
with a 140ft Gothic-style lantern tower. Also in the complex is
St Mary's Church, whose detached tower stands just as it did when erected
in the 12th century. The Abbey Visitor Centre, situated in
Samson's Tower, has displays concerning the abbey's history.
Along with its fine ecclesiastical buildings, there are many
other places of interest in Bury, including
museums, galleries and the Theatre Royal. Built in 1819 by
William Wilkins, who was responsible for the National Gallery, and
recently magnificently restored, it is still very much a working theatre;
it once staged the premiere of Charley's
Aunt. To the southwest, near Horringer, stands
the extraordinary Ickworth House. Built in 1795 by the eccentric
4th Earl of Bristol, the massive structure comprises a
central rotunda and curved corridors; it was designed to house his
various collections that include paintings by Titian, Gainsborough, Hogarth
and Reynolds and a magnificent collection of Georgian silver.
The house is surrounded by an Italian garden and a park landscaped
by Capability Brown.
To the northwest of Bury is Hengrave
Hall, a rambling Tudor mansion that was built
between 1525 and 1538 by Sir Thomas Kytson, a wool merchant.
Later owners of the house were the Gage family,
one member of which imported various kinds of plum
tree from France. Most of the bundles arrived labelled
but
one had lost its name tag and, when it produced its first crop of
luscious green fruit it became known as the green Gage and the name has
stuck to this day.
Around Bury St Edmunds
Ixworth
6 miles NE of Bury St Edmunds on the A143
This is superb walking country and Knettishall Heath Country
Park, close to the border village of Barningham, is the official
starting point of the Peddars Way National Trail. Nearby is the pretty village
of Walsham-le-Willow with its weatherboarded and
timber-framed cottages and its ancient parish church.
Woolpit
7½ miles E of Bury St Edmunds off the A14
Famous for its bricks, the majority of the old buildings here are
faced with `Woolpit Whites', the yellowish-white brick that
looked very much like more expensive stone. Some of the brick was
used in the building of the senate wing of the Capitol in Washington DC.
Red bricks were also produced and the village's
Bygones Museum includes a brick-making display.
To the southeast is the group of villages collectively known as
the Bradfields - St George, St Clare and Combust - that lie in
a particularly delightful part of the countryside. Here, too,
are Bradfield Woods, which have been
managed by coppicing for hundreds of years.
Lavenham
10½ miles SE of Bury St Edmunds
on the A1141
Lavenham is the most complete of all the original medieval
wool towns. The medieval street pattern still exists, along with the
market place and cross, and the finest of its many listed buildings is
the superb 16th century timbered Guildhall which was originally
the meeting place of the Guild of Corpus Christi, an organisation
that regulated the production of wool.
Originally a 13th century home for Benedictine monks,
The Priory is now a beautiful half-timbered house dating from around
1600 and, in the original hall, is an important collection of
paintings and stained glass whilst the extensive grounds include a
kitchen garden, herb garden and a pond.
John Constable went to school in Lavenham and one of
his school friends was Jane Taylor, who wrote the words to
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
Sudbury
The largest of the wool towns and once a busy port on the
River Stour. Along with its three medieval churches, Sudbury is famous
as being the birthplace, in 1727, of the painter Thomas
Gainsborough; Gainsborough's House has more of the artist's work on display
than any other gallery.
Northwest of Sudbury lies the
attractive village of Cavendish where, housed in a 16th
century rectory, the Sue Ryder Foundation
Museum was opened by the Queen in 1979.
Further upriver lies the medieval wool town of
Clare, `a little town with a lot of history' that is renowned for
its Ancient House, a timber-framed building dating from 1473
noted for its remarkable pargeting. Another place of
historical significance is Nethergate
House, once the workplace of dyers, weaver and spinners.
Clare Castle Country Park contains the
remains of the castle and moat and has a visitors' centre in the goods
shed of a disused railway line.
Around Sudbury
Long Melford
2 miles N of Sudbury off the A134
The heart of this atmospheric old wool town is its long and, in
places, fairly broad main street filled with antique shops, bookshops and
art galleries. Some of the town's houses are washed in the
characteristic Suffolk pink that was originally created by mixing ox blood or
sloe juice into the plaster. At the northern end of the street lies a
14-acre green and also Holy Trinity Church, an exuberant
manifestation of the prosperity of the town in ages past. To the east of the
town lies 16th century Melford Hall, whose attractions include
the panelled banqueting hall where Elizabeth I was entertained and
a Beatrix Potter room where some of her watercolours and first
editions
of her books are on display. She was a frequent visitor to the
house as her cousins, the Hyde Parkers, were the then owners.
Further north is Kentwell Hall, a beautiful moated Tudor mansion.
Haverhill
15 miles W of Sudbury on the A1307
Although fire destroyed much of the town in 1665,
Anne of Cleves House, (where the fourth wife
of Henry VIII spent the remainder of her days), escaped and has
been restored. To the northeast lies
Kedington, home to the `Cathedral of West Suffolk', the Church of
St Peter and St Paul.
Newmarket
The historic centre of British horse racing, Newmarket is home
to some 60 training establishments, 50 stud farms, the world
famous thoroughbred sales and two racecourses. The majority of
the population is involved in racing in one way or another and, among
the racing art and artefact shops and galleries, there are the saddlers
- one even has a preserved horse on display - Robert the Devil,
the runner-up in the 1880 Derby.
As far back as medieval times, this area was popular with
riders, and in 1605 James I paused here on a journey north to enjoy a spot
of hare coursing and so taken was he with the town, that he moved
the royal court here. The tradition continued with Charles I but it
was Charles II who really established the royal sport here when he
initiated
the Town Plate, a race that he won twice as a rider and that, in
a modified form, still exists today. The National Horseracing
Museum chronicles the history of the sport from its royal beginnings through
to the top trainers and jockeys of today. Close by is Palace
House, which contains the remains of Charles II's palace, while in the
same street is Nell Gwynn's House that some say was connected to
the palace by an underground tunnel. Other places in the town
associated with horses are Tattersalls,
where the leading thoroughbred sales take place between April and
December; the British Racing School; and the National
Stud that has, at one time, been home to three Derby
winners - Blakeney, Mill Reef and Grundy.
To the southeast of Newmarket is the pretty village of
Dalham, where the vast majority of the buildings are still thatched.
The village is also the home of Dalham Hall which was built in the
early 18th century on the orders of the Bishop of Ely. The home of
the Duke of Wellington for several years it was, much later, bought by
Cecil Rhodes who, unfortunately, died before taking up residence.
The ancient village of Exning, to the northwest of Newmarket,
has been the home of Roman, Iceni, Saxon and Norman settlers.
Struck by the plague during the Iceni occupation, its market was moved
to the next village and thus the town of Newmarket acquired its name.
Around Newmarket
Mildenhall
9 miles NE of Newmarket on the A11
For an insight into the town's heritage, the excellent
Mildenhall and District Museum contains a wealth of local history
exhibits, including the artefacts from the nearby RAF and USAAF base
and the story of the Mildenhall Treasure, a cache of 4th
century Roman silverware found by a ploughman in 1946 and now in
the British Museum. This parish is the largest in Suffolk and it is
fitting that it also boasts a magnificent parish church, dedicated to St
Mary, which dominates the heart of the town.
In the village of Barton Mills, Sir Alexander Fleming had
a country house and perhaps worked on the discovery of penicillin in
his garden shed.
West Stow
9 miles NE of Newmarket off the A1101
In 1849, a Saxon cemetery was discovered here and
further excavations have revealed traces of a Roman settlement and the
Saxon layout of this village. Several buildings have been
constructed using 5th century tools and methods and this fascinating
village is now part of the West Stow Country
Park.
Ipswich
A Roman port and the largest in Anglo Saxon Britain,
Ipswich prospered on the exportation of wool, textiles and
agricultural
products. Of the great Victorian buildings here the most
memorable are Old Custom House, the Town Hall and the
splendid Tolly Cobbold Brewery, rebuilt at
the end of the 19th century. Christchurch
Mansion survives from an older age, a
beautiful Tudor home in glorious parkland, with a major collection of
works by, most notably, Constable and Gainsborough.
The town's Museum displays a wealth of exhibits
from natural history through to a reconstructed Roman villa,
while the Ipswich Transport Museum concerns itself with vehicles
both mechanical and self-propelled.
The town's most famous son is undoubtedly Thomas Wolsey,
who was born here in 1475 and who went on to become
Lord Chancellor under Henry VIII.
On the outskirts of the town lies Orwell Country
Park, an area of wood, heath and reed beds by the Orwell estuary. The Ipswich
& Gipping Valley Local Nature Reserves Management
Project comprises ten nature reserves stretching up from Ipswich
to Stowmarket.
Around Ipswich
Helmingham
8 miles N of Ipswich on the B1077
This village is home to Helmingham Hall, a
moated Tudor house, and there's another moated hall in the nearby village
of Otley, the home of Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the
New World, discovered Cape Cod and
founded the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia.
Woodbridge
7 miles NE of Ipswich on the A12
A market town for over 1,000 years, Woodbridge stands at
the head of the Deben estuary and is a place of considerable
charm, character and history. Shipbuilding flourished here and it was in
a Woodbridge ship that Sir Francis Drake sailed in the 16th century.
The town's splendid Shire Hall now houses the
Suffolk Horse Museum which is devoted to
the Suffolk Punch breed of heavy working horse - the oldest
such breed in the world. Other buildings of note are the town's
two marvellous mills, both still in working order -
Tide Mill dates from the late 18th century and
uses the power of the sea to turn its wheels and
Buttrum's Mill, named after the last miller, is a tower
mill standing just west of the town centre.
On the opposite bank of the River Deben, lies
Sutton Hoo, a group of a dozen grassy
barrows that hit the headlines in 1939 when excavations unearthed the
outline of an 80 feet long Saxon ship filled with a great hoard of treasure. It
is believed that the ship was the burial place of Raedwald, a King of
East Anglia who died in about AD625. This is one of the most
important archaeological sites in the country, and the National Trust
provides impressive facilities for visitors.
Orford
16½ miles NE of Ipswich on the B1084
Although the keep is all that remains of Henry
II's Castle, it remains an impressive sight and
the climb up the spiral staircase provides some splendid views.
The Castle and the grand 14th century St Bartholomew's Church are
a reminder that Orford was once an important town and a thriving
port until the steadily growing shingle bank of Orford Ness gradually
cut it off from the sea.
Though the sea has gone the river remains and, in the
summer, the quayside is alive with yachts and pleasure craft. Across the other
side of the river lies Orford Ness, the largest vegetated shingle spit
in England and home to a variety of rare flora and fauna as well as
a lighthouse. Now owned by the National Trust, the Ness can
be reached by ferry, and there are also boat trips to the RSPB reserve
of Havergate Island, the haunt of avocet and tern.
Felixstowe
10 miles SE of Ipswich on the A14
In the early 19th century Colonel Tomline of Orwell Park created
a port here to rival Harwich and went on to develop Felixstowe as
a resort. By the time of his death in 1887, most of his dreams
had been realised, but he did not live to see the completion of the
Pier. Along with all the other usual attractions for holidaymakers,
there is also the Felixstowe Water Clock, a curious piece that
is assembled from industrial bits and
pieces.
The original fishing hamlet from which the Victorian town
was developed is now called Felixstowe Ferry - a cluster of holiday
homes, fishing sheds and a Martello Tower. The southernmost tip of
this peninsula is Landguard Point where a nature reserve
supports rare plants and migrating birds. Close by is Landguard Fort,
which was built in 1718 to protect Harwich Harbour, and is
now home to the Felixstowe Museum with its displays of local
history, model aircraft and model paddle steamers.
East Bergholt
9 miles SW of Ipswich on the B1070
It was in this picturesque village that John Constable was born
and, although his actual house is no longer standing, the site is
marked by a plaque. Close by is Moss Cottage, which he once used as
his studio, and the parish Church of St
Mary, which contains memorials to Constable, his family and
his friends.
A leafy lane leads south from the village to the River Stour
and two of Constable's favourite subjects, Flatford
Mill and Willy Lot's Cottage. At nearby
Flatford, Bridge Cottage houses a Constable display.
The villages of Capel St Mary, Brantham and Stratford St Mary
all have links with Constable, and it was in Stratford that
Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, saw his first otter.
Nayland
14 miles SW of Ipswich on the B1087
A charming village found on a particularly beautiful stretch of
the River Stour, Nayland has two fine 15th century buildings -
Alston Court and the Guildhall - whilst its original 15th century wooden
Abels Bridge was replaced a century later by a humped-back bridge
that allowed barges to pass underneath.
Hadleigh
8½ miles W of Ipswich on the B1070
This once prosperous wool town has a harmonious variety
of architectural styles - from timber-framed buildings to
elegant Regency and Victorian houses - but the gem here is the 15th
century Guildhall with its two overhanging storeys. There are two good
walks from Hadleigh: over the medieval Toppesfield
Bridge and along the River Brett; and along the
disused railway track between the town and Raydon to the south. To
the northwest is the photogenic postcard village of
Kersey, whose main street has a Water
Splash; this and the 700-year-old Bell Inn have featured in many films.
Stowmarket
11 miles NW of Ipswich on the A14
In the heart of Suffolk, Stowmarket enjoyed a period of rapid
growth when the River Gipping was still navigable to Ipswich, and
again when the railway arrived. Much of the town's history is brought to
life at the Museum of East Anglian Life which is found surrounded
by
meadowland on the old Abbot's Hall estate, where the aisled
barn dates from the 13th century. At Stonham Barns, to the east
of Stowmarket, are the Redwings Horse Rescue
Centre, with grazing for over 30 rescued
horses, ponies and donkeys, and the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.
Aldeburgh
24 miles NE of Ipswich on the A1094
This is yet another town that had flourishing fishing and
shipbuilding industries - Drake's Greyhound
and Pelican were built at Slaughden, which was long ago taken by the sea.
This village was also the birthplace, in 1754, of the poet George
Crabbe, who created the character Peter Grimes, a solitary fisherman,
who later became the subject of an opera by another Aldeburgh
resident, Benjamin Britten. It was Britten who, in 1948, started
the Aldeburgh Festival, a world-renowned arts festival based
mainly at The Maltings at nearby
Snape. One of the town's major benefactors was Newson Garrett,
a wealthy businessman who was the town's first mayor. As well
as developing the Maltings, he produced a remarkable
daughter, Elizabeth, who was the first woman doctor in England (she qualified
in Paris) and the first woman mayor (of Aldeburgh in 1908). The
most interesting of Aldeburgh's older buildings is the
Moot Hall, a 16th century timber-framed hall
which has a little museum of the town's history.
Benjamin Britten's grave, along
with those of his friend Peter Pears and Imogen Holst, is in
the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul, and in the church itself is
a wonderful stained glass window by John Piper depicting three
Britten oratorios. The latest tribute to Britten is a huge metal clam
shell designed by Maggie Hambling. It stands on the beach
between Aldeburgh and the unique holiday village of
Thorpeness. Further up the coast is the Sizewell
nuclear power station, while inland the busy
town of Leiston is home to the fascinating
Long Shop Museum, once the works of the
renowned Garrett engineering works. Back along the coast is what remains
of the one-time capital of East Anglia,
Dunwich, which over the centuries was claimed by the sea.
Dunwich Heath is one of Suffolk's most important conservation areas,
while nearby Minsmere, best reached through the village of Westleton,
is a marvellous RSPB sanctuary.
Lowestoft
The most easterly town in Britain, Lowestoft's heyday as a
major fishing port came during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
and, although the industry has declined since World War I, it remains
a fishing port, and is also a popular holiday resort. Its main
attractions are its lovely golden sands, safe swimming and two piers - one
of these, Claremont Pier, built in 1902, was a landing place
for daytrippers arriving on the famous Belle steamers.
The history of the town and its links with the sea are detailed
in the Lowestoft and East Suffolk Maritime
Museum and, nearby, the Royal Naval Patrol
Museum remembers the minesweeping service.
Just north of the town is the largest theme park in East
Anglia, Pleasurewood Hills. A little further afield lies
Somerleyton Hall, one of the country's grandest and most
distinctive stately homes, built in the Italian
style by Samuel Morton Peto. Along with magnificent
wood carvings and notable paintings, the grounds include a
renowned yew-hedge maze created in 1846, a little miniature railway and,
still part of the estate, Fritton Lake Countryworld. Close by
is Herringfleet Windmill, a beautiful black-tarred smock
mill which is the last survivor of the Broadland wind pumps whose
job it was to assist in draining the marshes. A little way south
of Lowestoft, at Carlton Colville, is the
East Anglia Transport Museum where visitors can
enjoy rides on buses, trams and trolleybuses. Further south
again is the small resort of Kessingland, the home of
the Suffolk Wildlife Park, which includes a re-creation of
the Plains of Africa.
Around Lowestoft
Southwold
10 miles S of Lowestoft on the A1095
The most interesting building at this civilised seaside resort
is Buckenham House which, despite its classic Georgian
exterior, actually dates from the mid 16th century and was built for a
wealthy Tudor merchant. Many features from that age survive, including
the brickwork and heavy timbered ceilings.
The town's maritime heritage is recorded in the
Museum, which is housed in a Dutch-style
cottage, and in the Sailors Reading Room.
On the other side of the River Blyth is
Walberswick which was also once a flourishing fishing port.
Today, it is best known for its bird sanctuary,
Walberswick and Westleton Heaths. Inland lies
one of the wonders of Suffolk, the Church of the Holy
Trinity at Blythburgh that rises from
the reed beds and is visible for miles around. Dubbed the `Cathedral
of the Marshes', its grandeur reflects the days when Blythburgh was
a prosperous port until the river silted up.
Halesworth
14 miles SW of Lowestoft on the A144
An ancient market town, Halesworth reached its peak as
a trading place when the River Blyth was made navigable as far as
here in 1756. Along with some fine architecture the chief
attraction here is the Halesworth and District
Museum, housed in the town's station buildings.
Framlingham
25 miles SW of Lowestoft on the B1119
This old market town is dominated by the
Castle that was built by Roger Bigod, 2nd Earl of
Norfolk, in the 12th century. It remained the home of the Earls and Dukes
of Norfolk for generations before they moved to Arundel in 1635. Still
in remarkably good condition, nine of the castle's 13 towers are
accessible and, on one side, the view is of a noted bird sanctuary. In
the splendid Church of St Michael is the beautifully adorned tomb
of Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son
of Henry VIII.
On the village green at Saxtead Green is a
particularly attractive white 18th century Post
Mill which dates back to 1796 and is, arguably, the best example
of such a mill in the world.
Beccles
8 miles W of Lowestoft on the A145
Situated at the southernmost point of the Broads, Beccles is
an ancient town that was once a major supplier of herring to
St Edmundsbury Abbey. One of the few buildings to survive the
fires that ravaged the town in the 16th and 17th centuries is Roos Hall,
a gabled Dutch-style building dating from 1583. Another
Dutch-style building houses the Beccles and District Museum, while the
town's printing industry is remembered at its own Printing Museum at
the Newgate works of printer William Clowes.
Bungay
13½ miles W of Lowestoft on the A144
An ancient town on the River Waveney, Bungay is best known
for its Castle, which was built by Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of
Norfolk, as a rival to Henry II's castle at Orford. It was another
Bigod, Roger, who came to Bungay in 1294 and built the round tower
and mighty outer walls that still stand today. At
Flixton is the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation
Museum which stands on the site of the USAAF Liberator base of
World War II.
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