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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Colchester - A walk around some landmarks

Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain Although it was burned in 60ce during the rising of the British queen Boudicca, Colchester soon became one of the chief towns in Roman Britain, and surviving relics of that period include walls and gateways.

A wander around some of these parts today, allowed me to get a few images which I have included here. Although I have been to Colchester many times over the years, for some reason I have taken very few images - today I will start to redress that.

The Balkern gateway

In the Roman period the wall had six gates located at regular intervals. Of these only two survive above ground today: Balkerne Gate and Duncan’s Gate. The Balkerne Gate was the original main entrance to Colchester. It was upgraded to a Triumphal Arch celebrating the conquest of Britannia by the Roman Emperor Claudius. The remains of a Roman Guardroom can be found next to the Balkerne Gate. Originally, it would have been the gate for the main road leading towards London. There were two large archways for wheeled vehicles and two smaller ones for pedestrians. Today, only the southern pedestrian archway and guardroom survive, representing less than a quarter of the original gateway.

Colchester has the earliest, best preserved and one of the longest Roman city walls in Britain. Its construction began in the period AD 65 to 80 following the destruction of the then-town during the revolt by Queen Boudica against Roman rule. The entire wall circuit is 2,800 metres, or 1¾ miles, in length and it once stood nearly 6 metres high. The Roman Wall can be walked around today and is best seen in Castle Park and at the top of Balkerne Hill near the Hole in the Wall public house.

Jumbo Water Tower is a water tower at the Balkerne Gate. Construction took around 20 months and was completed in 1883.The tower is 40.1m tall overall and contains 1.2 million red bricks. The tower was nicknamed ’Jumbo’ after the London Zoo elephant as a term of derision in 1882 by Reverend John Irvine who was annoyed that the tower dwarfed his nearby rectory at St. Mary-at-the-Walls! After a century of service the water tower became superfluous to the water supply system and was sold off by Anglian Water in 1987. In 2008 a local charity, the Balkerne Tower Trust, was formed with the aim of restoring the Grade II* listed tower and making it a heritage attraction with guided public access.

Colchester Castle is a Norman castle dating from the second half of the eleventh century. The keep of the castle is mostly intact and is the largest example of its kind anywhere in Europe, due to its being built on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius. The castle endured a three-month siege in 1216, but had fallen into disrepair by the seventeenth century when the curtain walls and some of the keep's upper parts were demolished; its original height is debated. The remaining structure was used as a prison and was partially restored as a large garden pavilion, but was purchased by Colchester Borough Council in 1922. The castle has since 1860 housed Colchester Museum, which has an important collection of Roman exhibits. It is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building.

The 'old stone doorway' built by Charles Gray in the Castle Park. Charles Gray FRS was born in the late 17C, a lawyer, antiquary and Tory Member of Parliament for Colchester. Locally, Gray is now most remembered for being given Colchester Castle as part of his marriage settlement, and subsequently making a number of efforts to preserve it for future generations. Likewise, he also purchased a great part of the surrounding land, which was, a hundred and fifty years later, given to the town to become Castle Park.

Who hasn`t heard `Twinkle Twinkle little star`? Very few I would think. While wandering the High Street, I came across this statue of Jane and Ann Taylor who lived in Colcheser, and it was the poet Jane (on the left) who wrote this well known verse in 1806.

The clock tower on the Town Hall

The war memorial in front of the Castle gate

Colchester's oldest standing building, it is the only surviving Saxon building which has an arrowhead (triangle arches) doorway in the tower and features re-used Roman bricks.

According to a local news item recently: `An Essex church which is around 1,000 years old - and the oldest standing building in one city - is set to undergo a "remarkable" transformation after a grant was secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The grant of £147,000 has been secured for the Holy Trinity Church in Colchester, a rare Grade I listed building which dates back to the 11th century.

Colchester Council has said the "significant works" will pave the way for the restoration and adaptation of the church and its tower, which will be refurbished to inject new life into the space. Holy Trinity Church on Trinity Street in the centre of Colchester is believed to be the city's oldest standing building.`

The ruins of St Botolph`s Priory

Founded between 1093 and 1100, the priory of St Julian and St Botolph was one of the first religious houses in England to adopt Augustinian rule. This initially gave it authority over other houses of that order in the country to correct abuses, inflict punishments and prescribe regulations.

Despite these privileges, St Botolph’s remained a small foundation and fund-raising must have been hampered by the existence of the more powerful St John’s Abbey a few hundred yards to the south. Its relative poverty means construction would have been a slow process, and the details of the west front indicate a completion date of around 1150.

When St Botolph’s was dissolved in 1536 its possessions were granted to Sir Thomas Audley, the Lord Chancellor.

Part of the church remained in use as a parish church until the seige of Colchester in 1648, when the Royalist town was attacked by General Fairfax. During the seige the church was largely destroyed by cannon fire and has never been repaired.

The nave was used for burials during the 18th and 19th centuries and south of the church the cloister was at one stage laid out as a garden.

All in all, a great day around Colchester. There are many other things to see in the town, including the beautiful Castle Gardens.

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Ipswich Town FC reach the Premiership

Ipswich Town having been promoted to the Premier League for the first time twenty-two years, have signs around town proclaiming their success. Here are a couple of the obvious signs -  first the rubbish bins - I guess we don`t want visitors being too free with their rubbish!

Although rather a good idea I thought.

Then the mural on the wall of building in town proclaiming loud and clear, and not forgetting the statues outside portman Road.

Sir Alf Ramsey

Sir Alf Ramsey -

When Ramsey originally retired from playing aged 35, he became the manager of Ipswich Town, then in the third tier of English football. Ipswich rose through the divisions over the next six years, winning the Third Division South in 1956–57 and the Second Division in 1960–61. In the 1961–62 season, Ipswich's first-ever campaign in the top division, Ramsey's team defied expectations to become champions of England. Ramsey took charge of the England team a year later. It is for this reason his statue now stands in front of Portman Road Stadium - home of Ipswich Town FC

As a player, he represented the England national team and captained the side. However, he is best known for his time as England manager from 1963 to 1974, which included guiding them to victory in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Knighted in 1967 in recognition of the World Cup win, Ramsey also managed his country to third place in the 1968 European Championship and the quarter-finals of the 1970 World Cup and the 1972 European Championship. As a player, Ramsey was a defender and a member of England's 1950 World Cup squad.

Kevin Beattie

Thomas Kevin Beattie -

Born into poverty, he played at both professional and international levels, mostly as a centre-half. He spent the majority of his playing career at Ipswich Town, the club with which he won both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup.

Beattie's playing career took him from rags to rices, but according to The Daily Telegraph he was "cursed by being both injury and accident prone". His playing career included some controversy, notably when he went missing after being selected for England's under-23 team. After retiring from playing he descended into unemployment and alcohol abuse, and contemplated suicide, before finding purpose once more and a new career in later life, as a football commentator on television and radio. Beattie has been called Ipswich Town's best ever player by many pundits and polls. Ipswich (and later England) manager Bobby Robson called him the best England player he had seen.

Bobby Robson

Bobby Robson -

He made 20 appearances playing for the England national team, making his debut in a November 1957 victory against France, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory. Although he made a successful debut, he was dropped for England's next match, against Scotland, in favour of Bobby Charlton. However, Robson was selected for the 1958 FIFA World Cup squad,

Following the World Cup, Robson became an established member of the England squad, enjoying considerable success in a period between October 1960 and March 1961 when he played in six England victories, including scoring a goal in the record 9–3 defeat of Scotland at Wembley Stadium.

Robson moved to Ipswich Town as Manager in 1969 and it was there that he established his reputation as a successful manager.

After four mediocre seasons, Robson led Ipswich to fourth place in the First Division and success in the Texaco Cup in the 1972–73 season. In the following nine seasons, Ipswich finished lower than sixth place in the First Division only once, in the 1977–78 season. However, that season was a success with a 1–0 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

His reign at Ipswich lasted 13 years, during which time the club twice finished as League runners-up, and made regular appearances in European competitions, winning the UEFA Cup in 1981 with a 5–4 aggregate victory over the Dutch side.

So, there we have it. Ipswich Town FC has had some great managers and players and has honoured some of them with statues as shown. Now, in 2024/5 season what can they do again?

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Lowestoft - The Walking Men

As part of Rosey`s Suffolk Coastal Walk, we stayed overnight in Lowestoft. We had stayed here for a night back in 2009 when we were visiting a local nature Reserve, so a couple of these images are from that visit as well. The idea of this trip, this time, was to cover the Lowestoft to Kessingland section of the trail and to see the Walking Men statues.

This is a view that greeted us along the beach with our hotel just above the furthest coloured beach hut. The first time we stayed here was at the house where Benjamin Britton grew up, but this time we stayed at the Hotel Victoria - not too far away from there but facing the sea.

Our first stay was here at the house of the famous composer.

The Hotel Victoria, our stay for this visit.

As we had come for the walk down to Kessingland, we did that as soon as we parked the car and took a few photos of the beach and made a note of where the Walking Men were. They were one of the things we definately wanted to see, as they are being removed at the end of the month. The walk itself went well and after catching a bus back to our start we visited the Walking Men

So, for the famous statues. Five 8ft (2.4m) statues were installed on the beach ahead of a free festival taking place in the town. The Walking Men sculpture by Laurence Edwards has travelled throughout the UK and was previously put on display in Australia.

The statues were placed on South Beach as part of the First Light Festival and they will remain there until the end of August.

Mr Edwards, who also made the Yoxman sculpture, said it was a "gift" to have his work placed on the beach. "I love the idea of these moving people, moving through the landscape to try and work out where their place is - it's a lovely theme," he explained.

"This is such a gift to get a spot on a beach with all this hardcore gear to manoeuvre and place them. It's almost unheard of so I'm thrilled to have this location and this incredible town at my fingertips."

Two more views of he WALKING MEN

Another view of he manicuerd beach!

East Point Pavilion

RNLI Lifeboat at South Pier

Ness Point, also known as Lowestoft Ness, is the most easterly point in England, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. It's located at 52°29′N 1°46′E. Ness Point is the first place in the UK to see the sunrise.

Opposite Ness Point is an artistic structure which has unfortunately been vandalised but I liked the face painted on it, possible at a later date.

Two giant artificial 'birds nests' have been built to help home vulnerable seabirds in what is believed to be a world's first. The 26-feet tall metal structures have been built one kilometre off South Beach in Lowestoft.

Pakenham church which we passed as we walked.

Copied from Suffolk Coastal Escapes:

"The foundations of the first Christian church in Pakefield likely predated Roman occupation.

The church we can see now dates back to the 12th century.Most of the medieval splendor of Pakefield Church succumbed to Cromwell’s actions. The 10th-century Domesday Book mentioned a pair of semi-detached churches.

Built c1000, on the boundary of two manors. The Lords of the two manors, Pakefield Pyes and Rothenhale, both wished to build a church with the west end of the building over the sarsen stone. (a large ancient Sarcsn Stone remains under the church.) In doing so the congregation, when facing the Christian altar, had their backs to the ancient stone which was formerly used as an altar in heathen worship. An agreement between the local Lords was reached to set a dividing wall between the two churches over the sarsen stone.

The original porches of both churches remain today. The north side of today’s church is what was St. Margaret’s. Beyond the central arches lies All Saints church, marked by its 15th-century south porch. This peculiar arrangement reflects the unique history of Pakefield’s dual churches.

Both churches were extended and remained independent through the centuries. In 1411 Robert Graunt became the first rector to oversee both churches. Graunt made efforts to join the churches by opening up arches in the adjoining wall. However, it was not until 1748 that common sense prevailed. The two churches were legally and permanently joined to become the Parish Church of All Saints and Saint Margaret.

In 1930 major restoration of the medieval splendour of the church began. But just two years after completion, on the night of 21st April 1941, two incendiary bombs were dropped on the thatched roof with disastrous results. Fortunately, the walls remained fairly sound and intact, and the tower was not damaged, but the roof and most of the furnishings were either destroyed or rendered unusable, The church remained in this condition until the war was over.

Pakefield Church, however, became England’s first post-war rebuilt church, rededicated in 1950. The re-dedication was performed by the Bishop of Norwich on Sunday 29th January 1950."

Finally we made it just past Kessingland and called it a day, for today, catching a bus back to our starting point. A lovely walk and an enjoyable day.

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