Essential Hotels > England > Suffolk > Lavenham

Lavenham is a beautiful village set in the Suffolk countryside and is known for its array of lovely medieval and Tudor buildings. Most notable among these are its wealth of half-timbered structures which prove an attraction for visitors the world over looking for a dose of quintessential English charm. One of Suffolk’s most visited villages, Lavenham has managed to maintain and preserve its distinctly traditional look, what with its antique market place, its walled garden and its excess of listed buildings (more than 300 in fact).

Despite its historic nature and its overwhelming draws, Lavenham still has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, although during the tourist seasons this swells as people come in search of picture-perfect sights and a desire to build long-lasting memories. The nearest major town to Lavenham is Sudbury which lies approximately eight miles away in a south-westerly direction, while the equally striking Bury St Edmunds is a short distance to the north and Ipswich is found in to the south-east.

In medieval times Lavenham was among England’s 20 wealthiest settlements, giving insight into its continued guise and impressive heritage. During the 15th and 16th centuries the village benefited from wool trade prosperity, particularly in the blue broadcloth sector, however this was fairly short lived because Dutch settlers in nearby Colchester also produced cloth which was more fashionable than that made to the north. Significantly, those residing in Lavenham under Henry VIII resisted Chancellor Wolsey’s Amicable Grant which was, in effect, a war tax for the battle against France; an uprising ensued that threatened to spread to the surrounding area, however it was soon suppressed. Also of note, it was in Lavenham that poet Jane Taylor penned the famous nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Two of the most recognisable and indeed famous buildings in the village are the Corpus Christi Guildhall and the Church of St Peter and St Paul. The former of these was built in 1529 and also exhibits the half-timbered look for which the village is famous while the latter dates to the 15th century and is particularly large given the small size of Lavenham, standing tall as it does as a sign of the settlement’s former wealth. Other places to visit while in this part of East Anglia include the Crooked House Gallery, the Angel Gallery and the Tapestry Gallery. In all, it is no wonder this has been called ‘the most complete medieval town in Britain’.