This post features: Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Ipswich, Clare, East Bergholt, Lavenham, Boxford, Kersey, Bury St Edmund’s, Lowestoft, Stowmarket’s museum of East Anglian Life and Hadleigh
Felixstowe
That’s a novelty: train cancelled as a result of freight congestionCommuters between Ipswich and Felixstowe are spoiled…A novel feature of the Class 153: the windows let in rainHamilton Road is now a “shared” area – quite a neat idea…Sunset over FelixstoweOn closer inspection…
Woodbridge
The intriguing exterior of St John’s Church, WoodbridgeThe gaudy interior of St John’s Church, WoodbridgeThe more traditional St Mary’s Church6 Snipe – see what a holiday to Guyana with birdwatchers does for you…
Ipswich
There’s a friendly rivalry between Colchester and Ipswich that I wasn’t aware of. Colchester claims to be the oldest town in England (77ad) while Ipswich claims to be the oldest English town in the country (c450ad). It’s a subtle distinction but a relevant one in that, when the Romans invaded, the country was known as Britannia and the people were mostly Britons. The name England comes from the Angles who settled here from the 5th century onwards – although the country wasn’t known as England until the 10th century…
Churches:
St Mary le Tower, Ipswich. The present church dates from the 1850’s but there’s a record of a church on this site in the Domesday Book St Margaret’s Church has records dating back to 1307 but the oldest parts of the church date back to the late 13th centuryThe former St Mary at the Quay was built, or rebuilt, between 1450 and 1550. It became the River Church in 2021St Peter’s by the Waterfront probably occupies the site of the earliest Ipswich church building. It is likely that it was built of wood. In 1130 the Augustinian Priory of St Peter and St Paul occupied a six-acre site north and east of the church, where the secular canons worshipped in the chancel and parishioners were welcomed to the nave. In 1297 Edward I brought his youngest daughter Margaret here to get married The church was restored in 2008.The church of St Lawrence has a more enclosed site than any other Ipswich church. Back in 2009 the bells of St Lawrence were returned to their tower for the first time in a quarter of a century. The bells rang out over the rooftops of Ipswich, and there were emotional scenes because these five bells, all cast in the 1440s, are the oldest circle of five bells in the whole world.
Old Ipswich:
Christchurch Mansion is built on the site of the Augustinian Priory of the Holy Trinity, founded in the 12th century, which was suppressed by King Henry VIII. It is believed to have been built by Edmund Withypoll in 1548, after the death of his father Paul Withypoll, who had bought the priory after its dissolution. A property syndicate bought the site in 1894 and sold some of the land for development. Felix Cobbold, a member of the syndicate, presented Christchurch Mansion to the town as a gift and the Ipswich Corporation purchased the remainder of the park.The Tooley’s and Smart’s alms houses were founded in 1550 by Henry Tooley and rebuilt in 1846Formerly the Pack Horse Inn, this 16th century building is now an estate agent’s officeCurson Lodge, on the corner of St Nicolas’ Street and Silent Street. It is a 15th century, timber-framed former inn. Restoration was completed in 2007. Next door is 3-9 Silent Street, a 16th century building.The Ancient House, which stands on the corner of Butter Market dates from the 15th (some say the 14th) century, when it was owned by the knight, Sir Richard of Martlesham.In the 16th century the house was owned by a string of local merchants, including George Copping, a draper and fishmonger, who acquired the property in 1567. It was Copping who commissioned the panelling of the ground floor room at the front of the house. He also built the ‘long gallery’. The Sparrowe (spellings vary) family became the owners of the house in 1603 – and for the next 300 years – and they added the elaborate pargeting to the front and side of the house between 1660 and 1670. One legend tells of King Charles II hiding from his enemies in the Attic Room after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. In the late 1970s, the Ancient House was in an extremely poor state of repair and close to collapse. We owe the survival of the Ancient House pargeting and carved oak beams and posts to the fact that the house was in the possession of one family for such a long period and that Ipswich Borough Council purchased it and conducted an extensive renovationThis 16th century building on St Stephen’s Lane became, at some point, the Sun Inn – it is now Wildgoose Fine FoodsThe former Croydon & Sons jeweller and watch maker building in Tavern Street dates from 1865Oak House in Northgate Street – first recorded in 1689 as the Royal Oak Inn
Street Scenes:
The Willis Towers Watson building opened in 1975 and was designed by the Norman Foster Partnership In 1991 the Willis Building was Listed Grade I becoming the youngest building to be given this status in the country.Founded in 1868, the Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society had by the 1880s built a large central premises on Carr Street/Cox Lane in the main retail area of the town. From 1908 it created a department store that was further developed during the 1920s and 1930s to the 1950s/60s in a number of different architectural styles with corresponding decoration, motifs and lettering. At the ground floor there are later shopfronts along the whole range while to the rear there is a striking mosaic mural, 1963-4, by the Hungarian artists Gyula Bajois and Endre Hevezi marking the 1960s expansion of the store. It is one of only four surviving large-scale English Co-op murals from the 1950s and 1960s.Lloyd’s Avenue Arch and the adjoining bank were built in the 1890s for Cobbold & Co bank, which later became part of Lloyd’s BankBuilding of the Town Hall & Corn Exchange began in 1866 and opened in 1868. On the front there are three heads representing King Richard I, Cardinal Wolsey and King John. These characters were incorporated into the decoration because it was King Richard who first promised the town its first charter but died before it could be granted, and it was King John who finally granted it to the town. And Cardinal Wolsey was one of the most famous people to have been born in Ipswich. The old post office opened in 1881 and was fully restored between 2020-22The excellent Arcade Tavern is set in a former Georgian townhouseEating street food – albeit posh street food – at the Arcade Tavern in Ipswich. Drinking Running With Sceptres (brewed by Lost and Grounded, Bristol) at what must be the best pub in Ipswich… Christmas lights in IpswichLanguishing in Division One, will the 2022/23 season see Ipswich promoted back to the Championship from which they were relegated at the end of the 2018/19 season? The Tractor Boys gained promotion to the Championship for the 2023/24 season and then promotion back to the Premier League for the 2024/25 season…
Harbourside:
Regeneration of the harbourside in Ipswich began in 2007 but stalled following the financial crash of 2008. An example of this is the building known locally as the “wine rack” and which was abandoned as an empty shell. The optimism for the development – a hub for high-end retail units and elite property speculation – did not matched the trajectory of the town, with its depressed local economy and poor connectivity between waterfront and town centre. There has been development since and the “wine rack” completed but there is still scope for further investment…
The Old Customs House was built in 1845 at the time of the port’s development and expansion. Covering an area of 33 acres (13.5ha), it was the 4th largest port in the country after London, Liverpool and Hull. See: https://ipswichmaritimetrust.org.uk/Isaac Lord purchased the Isaacs on the Quay buildings around 1900 and they continued to be used for trading coal and corn until the 1980s. John Cobbold, known locally due to the Tolly Cobbold brewery, also once lived here. Isaacs on the Quay is set in a collection of Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings – including medieval and Tudor – some of the oldest sections were constructed between 1430 and 1550. See: https://isaaclord.org/I stayed at the Salthouse Harbour Hotel and was given room 508 on the 5th floor. The room had a balcony with lovely views over the harbourThe view from room 508
An Ignominious End:
Between 1978 and 1990, Tolly Cobbold was owned by 3 different companies: Ellerman Lines, Barclay brothers and Brent Walker. In 1990 there was a management buyout and brewing returned to Ipswich. Then, in 2002 Tolly Cobbold was bought by Ridley’s of Hartford End, Chelmsford and the Cliff Brewery in Ipswich closed ending 256 years of brewing at that site. The name Tolly Cobbold comes from the merger of two family brewers – the Tollemaches and the Cobbolds in 1957 (or 1958 according to some sources). I cannot understand why Ridley’s bought Tolly Cobbold when their Hartford End brewery was in dire need of investment. The takeover only brought 6 additional pubs – all outside Ridley’s heartland. Ridley’s themselves sold out to Greene King in 2005 and the Hartford End brewery was closed. Nicholas Ridley established the Bishop Nick brewery in Braintree in 2011 and brew very nice beers – http://www.bishopnick.comThe original Cliff Quay Brewery was built in 1746 when Thomas Cobbold moved his operations to Ipswich from Harwich. The current brewery building was designed by William Bradford and was built in 1896 and has stood empty since 2002. In February 2020, a large fire affected the upper floors of the brewery building. It is thought that the fire was started deliberately. It is now, unsurprisingly, in a dreadful state.
Clare
Looking down over Clare, a pretty old wool town, from the remains of the 11th century castleNot much of the castle remainsNot much remains of the old railway station, either…The church of St Peter and St PaulThe church of St Peter and St PaulThe church of St Peter and St PaulThe church of St Peter and St PaulThe Cock Inn features Nethergate Ales – the brewery started off in Clare in 1986 but is now located in nearby Long Melford…The Globe – a few doors down from the Cock Inn – sells Bishop Nick beers, scion of the Ridley family, brewed in Braintree…Bishop Nick – born out of the ashes of Ridley’s – www.bishopnick.comDating from 1473, the Ancient House is now a museum – note the pargettingThis pink house also has fine pargettingNethergate HousePargetting (or pargeting) is still practised – www.pargettingcompany.comClareClareClare
East Bergholt
The Red Lion, East Bergholt, dates from 1780 and is being extensively renovated and restored – there’s a nice message board on the fence updating the village on progress and lots of comments from villagers – nice bit of community relationsConstable’s studioSt Mary’s Church, East BergholtSt Mary’s is a mish-mash of styles – it probably dates from around 1350 with lots of subsequent additions as a result of wealthy families leaving bequests – no tower was ever built and there is a popular story as to why that is but not one that can be substantiated… St Mary’s, East BergholtSt Mary’s, East BergholtFlatford Mill is a short walk from East BergholtYou walk down to the mill through delightful meadowsFlatford MillWilly Lott’s CottageThe tranquil River StourThe River Stour
Lavenham
LavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamThe Guildhall The Guildhall LavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamLavenhamThe church of St Peter and St Paul, LavenhamThe church of St Peter and St Paul – a lovely row of aromatic lime trees – in Slavic mythology the belief is held that the Linden (Lime) tree is sacred and in many Eastern European countries it is regarded as holy – while in Celtic and Germanic tradition the Lime is associated with fairness and justice…The church of St Peter and St Paul, Lavenham
Boxford
St Mary’s Church, Boxford
Kersey
St Mary’s Church, KerseySt Mary’s Church, KerseyThe Bell Inn, Kersey, dates from around 1380..KerseyKerseyKerseyA tributary of the River Brett runs through Kersey – the ford is referred to as “the splash” Kersey
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsSt Mary’s – not far from the Cathedral – is lovely insideSt Mary’s – not far from the Cathedral – is lovely insideSt Mary’s – not far from the Cathedral – is lovely insideWhat the 20th century tried to spoil, the 21st century is making amends for and Bury St Edmunds is a nice place to wander around…Bury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsBury St EdmundsThe Greene King breweryThe Greene King brewery
Lowestoft
Ness Point, Lowestoft is the easternmost tip of the UKKishinev is an alternative name for Chisinau and goes some way to explaining why it’s pronounced “kishin-ow”…The Naval War Memorial
Museum of East Anglian Life
The Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket is a curious place. It’s an attempt at a Skansen-style museum that aims to recreate East Anglian rural life from years gone by. It covers 75 acres (30ha) but there’s not an awful lot to see and they don’t seem to want you to go there, anyway, as signage is poor and entering the postcode into your sat-nav takes you to a housing estate.. But there are some interesting exhibits and I’m sure it’ll get better with time. And more effort. For anyone who does fancy going, head for the Asda, which is in Wilks Way, Stowmarket…An old water mill and cottage, neither of which was open at the time of my visitThere are several old steam enginesA female Suffolk PunchThe male Suffolk Punch. There are pens for sheep, turkeys and peacocks with the aim, presumably, of creating a rare breeds farm…
Hadleigh
Hadleigh is designated a “gem town”
St Mary’s church’s earliest parts date from medieval times. It has a late 13th-century or early 14th-century tower and late 14th-century aisles. The church was almost wholly reworked in the 15th century, when the arcades were rebuilt, and the clerestory, south porch and northeast vestry added. At this time also the whole building, except for the tower, was re-fenestrated. In the 19th century and early 20th century the church was extensively restored. The early 14th century broach spire, 21.6metres (71ft) rising from the stone tower to a total height of 41metres (135ft), is probably the earliest surviving spire in Suffolk. The spire has a clock with a bell on its eastern face. The bell was cast in 1280 and is believed to be Suffolk’s oldest inscribed bell. In the 16th century, Hadleigh was a center for radical Protestantism and in 1833 the Hadleigh Conference gave birth to the Oxford MovementThe Deanery Tower dates from 1495 and was intended to be the entrance to a large house for William Pykenham rector of Hadleigh 1469-1497 and archdeacon of Suffolk 1471-1497. The house was never completed and a medieval timber-framed open hall house functioned as a parsonage until the present deanery house (1830) was built by Hugh Rose, rector 1830-1833. Unusually, for a church website, St Mary’s is extremely good and interesting:https://stmaryshadleigh.co.uk/index.phpHadleigh Town Hall and Guildhall dates from around 1438. The buildings were seized by Henry VIII during the dissolution and sold back to the town in 1573. See: https://www.hadleightownhall.co.uk/Hadleigh Town Hall – this extension was added in the 1850sThe Corn Exchange was built 1813 and restored in 1895. It is now used as a business centre46-48 High Street62-66 High StreetSun Court
