Time Woven in

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of town or city life, the beautiful villages around Sudbury, Suffolk, which built their success on the wool trade, offer a tranquil life that’s quintessentially English.

Location focus boydens.co.uk

In medieval times, the fortunes of a handful of Suffolk towns and villages were changed forever by the wool trade.

Sudbury and surrounding villages such as Lavenham and Long Melford became known as the ‘Wool Towns’, renowned for producing cloth destined for Europe and Russia, where it was coveted.

Fine timber-framed houses were built, magnificent churches rose from the ground and families became wealthy as a result of industrial success.

Today, these villages are regarded as some of the prettiest England has to offer, their stunning, historic properties in idyllic settings – but close to modern day amenities and infrastructure –entice those looking for a way of life that has disappeared from many urban landscapes.

Lavenham

Regarded by many as Britain’s best preserved medieval village, Lavenham exudes charm at every turn.

Located approximately seven miles from Sudbury town centre, to the north east, Lavenham is thought to have been among the 14th wealthiest settlements in England during Tudor times, thanks to its prowess as one of Suffolk’s most important ‘Wool Towns’.

Granted its market charter in 1257, the village exported its famous blue broadcloth as far afield as Russia.

Today, Lavenham – with a population barely over 1,700 – is a thriving village with a strong community spirit that has retained its historic glory.

It boasts some 320 listed timber-framed buildings, many of which are protected by English Heritage. There’s the magnificent Grade I listed Church of St Peter and St Paul, regarded as one of the finest examples of Late Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England, along with the splendid Guidhall of Corpus Christi, housing a fascinating social history and National Trust Tea Room.

Fine art galleries and antique shops intertwine with traditional butchers, bakers, grocers and independently owned businesses selling clothes, gifts and designer homewares. There are myriad places to relax and refuel, with cafes, tea rooms, pubs and restaurants providing plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets.

If you can drag yourself away from the village centre, easily accessible countryside footpaths and circular walks beckon.

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Long Melford

Located slightly closer to Sudbury, directly north, is Long Melford, colloquially and historically also referred to as Melford.

With a population of around 4,000, the village also owes its rich legacy to the burgeoning wool trade of the medieval period, seen today in many of the timber-framed buildings that still exit today.

Its claims to fame include being used as a setting for the popular TV series, Lovejoy, which made the most of the many antique shops and art galleries lining the main street through this elongated village (hence the name).

Long Melford also boasts the longest parish church in

Suffolk – Holy Trinity, which dates back to the 15th century and is nearly 250ft in length.

For those who love the great outdoors, there’s plenty to explore – Melford Country Park, offering eight hectares of grassland, woodland and lakes, and Melford Walk, a 2km stroll that takes in wonderful views.

Acton

Head two miles east of Long Melford and you will arrive in the village of Acton, which has a population of around 1,800 people and includes the hamlets of Cuckoo Tye and Newman’s Green.

Despite its small stature, the village boasts a thriving community spirit with a number of local clubs and a wildlife reserve for nature lovers.

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Great Cornard & Little Cornard

Located to the south-east of Sudbury, just over one mile away, is the large village of Great Cornard, with a population of just under 9,000.

The village has sporting prowess, as home to a non-league football club, as well as hockey and rugby union teams for Sudbury along with a motorcycle club track.

On the outskirts is the stunning Cornard Country Park, a nature reserve boasting beautiful wildflower meadows and woodland.

Next to its larger sibling is Little Cornard with some 140 dwellings housing a population of less than 300 residents.

Getting around

The villages are all a stone’s throw away from the historic market town of Sudbury.

Set on the River Stour, Sudbury – which has a population of over 13,000 – is famous for being the birthplace of one of the most important British artists of the 18th century, Thomas Gainsborough.

Just over 60 miles from London and 20 miles from Ipswich, by road, Sudbury is the gateway to Suffolk from the south, with easy access to the M11, A14, A12 and Stansted Airport.

Just over 60 miles from London, 20 miles from Ipswich, and with its own train station on the Gainsborough branch line, you can even visit car free. Sudbury is easily accessible by road, rail – or even river!

By rail, from London, Ipswich or Colchester, you can take the train to Marks Tey and change for the branch line to Sudbury, which traverses the picturesque Stour Valley landscape.

Bus services run regularly to and from nearby historic towns and villages, including the other ‘Wool Towns’: Lavenham, Hadleigh, Clare and Long Melford. Services also run from Bury St. Edmunds, Colchester and Ipswich. boydens.co.uk

Sudbury is also accessible by bike on National Cycle Network Route 13, which joins with the beautiful and traffic-free Valley Trail connecting Sudbury to Long Melford.

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