Wild Walls in Ipswich (1)

This is Part (1) of the ‘Wild Walls Festival‘ which was a collaboration between ‘Art Eat Events CIC‘ and The Subversiv Collective. They have been supported by the Arts Council of England, Ipswich Borough Council and Ipswich Central, also by SPILL, The Hold and University of Suffolk. Some of the images have been on display for some time but there are many new ones.

Digby by John D Edwards (1) This was part of a 2011 project entitled the Never Ending Mural, the artwork is based on drawings by young people in the county and has been curated by Ipswich Art School.  The curator John Edwards said: "I'm excited that the people of Ipswich, the council and businesses have this creativity."

Mr Edwards, an artist himself, added that 20 young people have begun painting the mural and said more are welcome.  "It's the start of a huge community arts project," he said. "It's really removing boundaries and making it possible for people to get involved with things instantly rather than just dreaming about it." 

Digby by John D Edwards (1a) Unfortunately over the years, Digby had faded a bit but now replaced with this second image!

The above four murals are: Shark, Urban Jungle, Peacock, Toucan all by Leroy Murals (Colchester-based artist Adrian Leroy) (2a, b,c, d)

The artist has a specific passion for nature, with a lot of his artwork featuring wildlife and plants. He has been painting for more than 20 years, typically using bright and cheerful colours.

The Phone Box on Stoke Bridge - Keith Hopewell (3)

The Ben Raemers tribute artwork, painted at Ipswich skate park by Jon Horner (4)

Friends of Ben Raemers, 28, who was born in Essex, but lived in Ipswich for many years, unveiled a mural in his memory and are hoping to start an open conversation about men's mental health. Ben died in May (2019) and since his death tributes have been flooding in from across the skateboarding world ahead of his funeral on Monday, June 3. Described by friends as fearless, international eyes were set on Ben from as young as 14 when he pulled of a 540-spin in front of a crowd of more than 1,000.

Lee Blackwell, from Ipswich, discovered Ben's talent with his friends Mark Munson and Carl Wilson, at a small skate park in Essex when he was just nine years old. They watched him go on to become "one of the best skateboarders in the world."

Unfortunately, this mural has also faded since then.

Woskerski – Ashton Legal

"The goal of my work is to make people smile" says Woskerski. “But also to make them stop and try to interpret the art in their own way”.  For the piece in Ipswich he draws attention to the fact that some of the ladybird’s spots are missing. Around the mural local community members add spots to the shell. “This is empowering. It also portrays the joy that people feel when doing something artistic. I hope the people of Ipswich enjoy and have fun with the mural.”  (5)

Hedgehog from Swan & Hedgehog Pub 

Music World shop painted by Catalina Carvajal  (6 & 7)

Frankie Rose - Buttermarket steps, Wild Walls and Art Eat  (8)

Frankie Rose is a mural artist and illustrator known for her vibrant and joyful work. Specializing in bright, uplifting designs, she transforms spaces with her colourful creations, bringing positivity and energy to every project.

MasVandal Stencil artist and street artist from Essex - Revolution Front doors, Wild Walls & Art Eat (9)

 

Safety - Joel Millerchip & Suffolk One Sixth Form College. Part of Wolsey 550   (10) 

To quote his site: "I’m Joel Millerchip, an artist, ADHD thinker, illustrator and tattooist-in-the-making. Born in Birmingham, blossoming in Suffolk.
My distinctive illustrative style is perfect for bold, impactful designs that work perfectly in print, on a wall, on a screen or all over your left leg.
I also run illustration workshops for all ages looking to make their creativity explode."

Chloe Chilvers - Tower Street  (11)

Chloe Marie is a 21-year-old creative portrait artist from Ipswich, Suffolk. After her studio ceiling caved in last year, she made it her mission to bring her art to the public. With growing popularity on TikTok, Chloe shares her art knowledge in fun educational art videos. Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Chloe believes our imperfections make us unique. Her art celebrates the beautiful diversity of being human and life’s unpredictable journey.

KB Design – Great Colman Street

Two street artists Kirsty and Brittany work together as KB Design. They have created an image with multiple layers and inspirations. Brought together through workshops with local young people. It shows the skyline, Digby the Octopus, the ‘I’ of Ipswich and the Suffolk flower, the Oxlip. All are visuals that represent the town. The butterfly, eyes and the hands meanwhile add a bit of humanity to the piece. Themselves all representing Ipswich’s young people.   (12)

Viking Aquatics - Lily Hammond, Wild Walls and Art Eat  (13)

Lily hand-painted a wild scene of tropical flowers and animals onto the side wall of Viking Aquatics – a bold and colourful addition to the street art trail in Central Ipswich.
“I’m most joyful when I’m painting. Murals are my favourite job by far and it was a pleasure to have complete creative freedom on this process”.

Harvest 

A rare mural in Ipswich on the former Co-Operative department store has been Grade II listed, following support from C20 Society.  The colourful mosaic tile mural was designed by Hungarian émigré artists Gyula Bajó and Endre Hevezi between 1963-64, it is one of only four such Co-op murals in the UK.   (14)

ATM - Stag Beetle at The Hold

ATM, whose work usually features wildlife, was invited to create the mural by Suffolk Archives. The subject of the mural was chosen by the results of a public online survey and the unmistakable stag beetle topped the poll.

Stag beetles are facing serious decline across Europe, but Ipswich is a stronghold for our largest and most conspicuous terrestrial beetle.

ATM painted the mural over the course of a week using brushes and acrylics rather than traditional urban spray cans. (15a)

Nathan Murdoch`s work inspired by the historical records of the Suffolk Archives.

Peterborough based artist, Nathan ‘NYCES’ Murdoch has been honing his skill with a spray can for over 25 years. His prolific portfolio of work has seen numerous pieces go viral with celebrities such as Ice T and The Prodigy publicly commenting on his work.

Having started out as a graffiti artist, Nathan has, over the years, widened his repertoire to include street art through his highly successful company Street Arts Hire. (15b)

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Sudbury - home of Thomas Gainsborough

Sudbury in Suffolk has several interesting features, but of them all, I suppose being the birthplace of the famous painter Thomas Gainsborough, must rank as its greatest.

It is a town that I used to visit on a regular basis, indeed the office of the company I worked for was in the market square. Sudbury has some beautiful walks, especially across the water meadows and along the riverfront. So many places to point my camera!

Painter Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury in 1727, and was educated at Sudbury Grammar School. His birthplace, now named Gainsborough's House (below), is a museum to his work and is open to the public. It houses many valuable pictures and some of his family possessions. A statue of Gainsborough (above) was unveiled in the town centre outside St Peter's Church on Market Hill in 1913.

The house in Gainsborough Street (naturally) where he lived.

Sudbury has some lovely old properties such as this fine block with The Chantry, a grade I listed building, 15th century, next door to the similarly aged Salter's Hall to the right.

Salters Hall was home to a private fee-paying school from the 1880s until the late 20th century. The last school to be housed in the building was the Preparatory School known as Salters Hall.

The Old Moot Hall, used as such before the later hall was built on Market Hill in the reign of Mary Tudor. There is some evidence that this building continued to be used for civic purposes in the reign of James I. His arms are painted on the chimney breast of a downstairs chamber.

A plaque affixed to the birthplace of Sir George Murray Humphry, M.D., F.R.S., surgeon, anatomist and physiologist by the Sudbury Freemen’s Trust, may be seen on the gable of Hardwicke House, Stour Street, Sudbury. It is fitting that the birthplace of so eminent a surgeon is now a doctors’ surgery.

Vanners was founded in 1740 and was originally based in London. In the late 18th century, the company moved to Suffolk. They designs, develops, and manufactures silk fabrics and products for the luxury menswear, fashion, and furnishing markets. In fact, silk woven by Vanners has been worn by the Queen at her coronation, royal brides, former US First Lady Michelle Obama, and singer Adele.

Unfortunately, markets change, and in 2019, Vanners called in administrators after losing nearly 70% of its market. This was due to the US retailer Brooks Brothers going into receivership and the closure of airport shopping centers due to the pandemic.

Built for the Sudbury Silk Weaving Company which became Vanners and Fennell in 1924. Still occupied by Vanners, housing their shop and offices. Local people have worked in the silk mills behind this Gregory Street frontage for over 100 years.

The Church of St Gregory is a Church of England parish church. First mentioned in the 10th century, most of the present building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. However, by 1860, the fabric of the building had deteriorated to such an extent that the church had to be closed. The restoration work was completed in 1862. It is now a Grade I listed building.

The church famously possesses the head of Archbishop Simon Sudbury, who was beheaded by rebels during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.

Simon was born in Sudbury in circa 1316. He had various roles during his life including, Bishop of London, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England. He had also helped to found a college in Sudbury and a lepers hospital. In the early summer of 1381 however, A group of artisans and officials from Brentwood rose up in protest against demands to pay the hated poll tax. They also had other demands such as the end of serfdom (a kind of labour where you are tied to work for a particular manor or lord).

Simon had helped to introduce this poll tax and so it was on 14 June 1481, peasants stormed into the Tower of London where Simon was and murdered him by chopping off his head. It allegedly took 8 blows of the axe to remove his head. His body was sent to Canterbury Cathedral but his head was placed on a spike on London Bridge for a while, a notorious place for traitors heads to be placed. The head however was taken by friends of Simon back to Sudbury.

The exceptionally tall and elaborate font cover, dating from the 15th century, was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as "One of the finest medieval font covers in the country".The lowest section of the 12-foot (3.7 m) tall cover was adapted in the 19th century to telescope upwards, so as to avoid having to lift the whole edifice in order to use the font - clever!

In 1999, a statue in memory of Bishop Aelfhun of Dunwich was unveiled by Terry Waite after Sudbury’s annual civic service. It is situated on the Croft, just outside the east wall of St. Gregory’s churchyard. The Bishop died in Sudbury in 798 AD, and it is thanks to him that reference was made to Sudbury in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle – so making it Suffolk’s oldest remaining recorded town.

St. Peter's Church is now known as Sudbury Arts Centre. This vast, magnificent medieval church dominates the town of Sudbury from the top of Market Hill. It is largely a fifteenth-century rebuilding of a much earlier structure. Butterfield restored the stunning Victorian interior in 1854-1858.

On this day I was trying to capture the various Armistice Day celebrations around the area and was captivated by this one. Especially as a rainbow appeared briefly in the sky behind. Magic!

Another attraction of Sudbury are the Water Meadows which are great areas in which to have a stroll, something we have done on numerous occasions.

Two images by the river looking toward the town. Taken early(ish) in the morning on a frosty day.

In the meadows, but in late December, with large areas flooded and looking toward Sudbury Mill.  A watermill was recorded here in 1086. It is likely that there were two or more mills here throughout the medieval period, at least one cereal mill and one fulling mill. The present mill retains traces of a timber-framed building but is mainly of about 1890. The waterwheel of 1889 (which still turns) was augmented by steam powered rollers in the early twentieth century. The mill was taken over by the Clover family about 1850 and they owned the mill until it closed in 1964 when it was producing animal feed rather than flour. The mill has since been developed as the Mill Hotel.

Picnic anybody?

More images of the flooded Water Meadows

The Old Bathing Place was opened on the river in 1898 and was in use until the late 1930s when it was closed after an outbreak of diphtheria in the town. There are steps for the bathers to descend into a semi-circular section for non-swimmers which divided by an iron rails from the deep water. Once they could swim they could go out further - there are also steps on the opposite bank. Local historical significance - generations of Sudburians used this bathing place.

All in all, a lovely town which I have enjoyed being in.

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Beccles - a brief visit

Beccles town is made up of small market squares and winding streets nestled by the River Waveney. It is a town that I have heard of, but never visited. The only reason for this overnight stay was to have a base for Rosey to do part of her walk challenge.

We had booked an overnight stay in the Waveney Hotel which was beautiful, not only for the hotel itself but its gorgeous position beside the River Waveney and the spectacular church opposite. We will definitely go again!

A view of the hotel from the church grounds with the river and barges behind

My view as I sat and had breakfast.

The church of St Michael the Archangel, opposite the Hotel, is a magnificent medieval building sited on a high scarp over looking the river Waveney. It has been at the centre of the life of the town since its foundation in 1369 and is still a thriving parish church.

In 1749 Edmund Nelson, who had previously been a curate at St Michael's, married Catherine Suckling, from nearby Barsham, in St Michael's. Edmund was by then Rector of a parish in Norfolk. They became the parents of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.`

The huge Beccles Bell Tower, viewed from the south porch of the church

St Michael’s goes way back to about 1350 and was built by the Abbott of Bury St Edmunds no less. Long before that, there was a Saxon church, probably on the same site, that served this thriving fishing port.

The church was built first, without a tower, but in the early 16th century, in a display of piety, power and civic pride, the great square belfry was built to the south east. Solid, faced in stone and lined in brick, it rises almost 100 ft above the street. The parapet was never built; the Reformation intervened. But why was it built here at all? 

The obvious, and usual place, at the west end of the nave, is marshy, and the ground falls away to the river. And another reason possibly is that its actual location is grander and more prominent, set on the side of the former market place. 

By the middle of the 20th Century, the parish found it difficult to afford its upkeep, and in the 1970s it was sold off to the Borough for the nominal sum of one penny.

Now, if St Michael did not have its great bell tower, it would perhaps still be famous for its south porch which dominates the whole of the south side, rising above the south aisle on two storeys. One of the biggest medieval porches in all Suffolk

The other interesting feature of the south side is rather curious. This is the small castellated porch to the chancel door. Above it, a now blocked doorway leads onto the parapet, an outdoor pulpit, apparently?

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Abbott`s Bridge in Bury Abbey Gardens

On one of my visits to the Cathedral church in BSE, I have heard brief excerpts of music from the organ, and have been much impressed by it. So, when I read that they were doing lunchtime recitals  a few times in the summer, I decided to make sure I was there to listen to one - today was that day.

While I was visiting the Abbey gardens, I also had in mind to search for the Medieval bridge that I had seen on maps - The Abbotts's Bridge. This was my first aim for the day.

The Abbott’s Bridge over the River Lark in Bury St Edmunds abbey grounds, was built around AD 1220. The land on the east side of the River Lark came to be used as the Vinefields, and on the abbey side, the monks could cross uninhibited. An iron grating being lowered, if necessary, to prevent any unwanted visitors on the river.

The Abbots Bridge gave immediate access to these vinefields by the townspeople via planks through the bridge’s open buttresses.

Two 14th century triangular ‘breakwaters’ on the bridge`s abbey side, slows the flow of the river, still very important when the river is in flood.

The Abbott’s Bridge

This time of year you just have to walk around the beautiful gardens, and these are a couple of images - avoiding gardeners and hose pipes galore!

Then lastly, an hour of magical music from the organ in this wonderful building.

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