Focus: Harleston

Harleston is an historic Market Town located in the heart of the Waveney Valley. If you look up, you can see some strange shaped tiled roofs that have replaced the original thatch. Beneath the “modern” facades, old timber frame buildings are hidden, step inside and you can get a feel for just how old they are. We are working on a heritage trail with plaques that will provide easily accessible information telling the stories of these old buildings. The road names give clues too, Exchange Street, which leads up to the old corn Exchange (now Cornucopia), look out for the old weigh bridge, which still has its full workings inside the adjacent Coop Funeral Care building. On some of the more recent estates around town there are also references to Harleston’s past, for example Bullock Fair which used to be the cattle market. More topically, in this

Photo: Pete Mason

400 anniversary year, Pilgrims Way; Mayflower Way; Speedwell Industrial Estate and Fuller Road, reflect our links with the Mayflower. Four member of the Fuller family from Redenhall with Harleston, were amongst the 102 passengers that sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620. Harleston offers a good range of easily accessible independent shops selling a wide range of products. There is a good selection of coffee shops, pubs and restaurants, many with outdoor tables. The temporary pedestrian priority zone in the Thoroughfare, together with the attractive new trees and planters, has made a real difference to the Town. There is free parking in the Town’s two car parks. So come and wander around, do some socially distanced shopping, relax and enjoy the Town’s new “café culture”. More information about Harleston can be found on www.visitharleston.org.uk 21