Places to Visit and Things to See

We are fortunate in having not just one but two stately homes to entertain our visitors:

Kentwell, a romantic, moated Tudor mansion in a tranquil parkland setting. There are beautiful gardens, and historic farm buildings complete with rare breeds of animals. An open-air theatre is the setting for plays and concerts during July and August (pre booking is essential).

Every year there are Re-Creations of everyday life in Tudor times, when Kentwell is inhabited by up to 250 men, women and children who live, act and dress as authentically as possible. The gentry, musicians, farm workers, pages, dairymaids, and cooks are all there, together with trades people such as spinners, blacksmiths, bakers and potters.

Melford Hall, the home of the Hyde Parker family, belongs to the National Trust . (Brief information is available from the NT web site.) Melford Hall Park also forms the setting for the Long Melford Country Fair in June, and for the "Big Night Out" on the first Friday in November.  

Long Melford is in the heart of the valley of the Stour river. The scenery is something special, and two hundred years ago John Constable thought so too, using scenes from the river in many of his famous paintings.

The countryside is dotted with ancient villages, never more than a few miles apart, but they hide in the hollows, and from a distance you may not see more than a church tower.

The villages themselves often centre on a village green, with colour-washed buildings around it and the odd sprinkling of thatch. The traditional colour for house walls in Suffolk is pink, and nowadays it is at least as common as ever it was in history. It is, so to speak, the smile on the face of a friendly place, and in Suffolk you find it everywhere.

Other Places of interest:

Historic Lavenham, one of England's finest medieval towns - its buildings were constructed between 1400 and 1500. Beautiful buildings are in abundance such as The Swan Inn which was created from three houses during the 17th Century. The original houses, however, date from the 15th Century. In 1830 this inn had stabling for fifty horses.

Lavenham Priory which dates from the 13th Century was originally owned by the Benedictine monks, hence the name, but later became a wealthy Elizabethan merchants house.It is now a private house offering bed and breakfast in historic surroundings.

Another wonderful building is the Guildhall of Corpus Christi. This amazing Tudor building, situated in the Market Square, was built around 1530. It is now managed by the National Trust and is open to the public. There were originally three guilds founded in Lavenham to regulate the wool trade and the carved rampant lions on the doorpost is the emblem of the Guild.

A lovely trip by car is to Hadleigh, itself another fine historic town with many interesting buildings. The journey takes you through the scenic villages of Brent Eleigh, Monks Eleigh and (via the B1115) Chelsworth.

Cavendish which invites you to linger and enjoy the view of the village green with its twice-restored, much-photographed, almshouses and church. Relax in the peaceful surroundings of Embleton House where clean, recently appointed rooms and local food cooked to perfection all combine to make your stay in Cavendish a memorable one. With an imposing church at its centre, nearby Hartest, again with its village green, evokes a bygone age. Giffords Hall Vineyard just outside Hartest on one of the highest points in Suffolk, produces its own wines and liqueurs and is equally well-known for its exhibition sweet peas, roses, wild flowers and rare breed animals. Clare is a market town with many timbered and pargetted facades; the parish church built in 1450 reflects the prosperity of this important wool-town. From Nethergate Brewery you may purchase distinctive local beers and specially selected, international wines