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Lavenham

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County - Suffolk | Map
Tel code: 01787 | code search
Postcode: CO10 | code search
Population: 2000
Lavenham Jobs
Rather interesting Lavenham facts
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Lavenham History

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Folk Customs:
Jankyn Smith's Endowment
John Sayers Dole

Latest reviews

Great House Hotel
"This is an email we sent today 19/09/13 to the restaurant and the restaurant asked we send it to you so we have. To: The Great House Subject: Lunch today ..." More

Angel Hotel
"Good Points: It looked on the surface to be a pleasant airy room. Bad Points: On closer inspection I found the room to be a bit in need of attention. The ..." More

Greyhound
"Hello Family Weeks, we all enjoyed the 3 days in Lavenham an the beer in the Greyhounds pub. Best regards from Austria Your Family of Mitterweidung

Date visited: 31.08. bis 02.09.2007 ..." More

Lavenham Reviews (3)

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Latest reviews | Events in Lavenham | 10 Places to Stay

Visitors to Lavenham will find it easy to travel back to medieval times in their imaginations. The ancient village has been preserved in building after building in this most lovely of Suffolk spots, where timber-framed construction is the norm. If the imagination needs a little more help, they can stay in places like the 14th century Swan Inn, all beams and cosy fires, or Lavenham Priory, built by the Benedictines a century earlier, with its oak floors and courtyard herb garden. The village halted in its architectural evolution because the wealth which allowed it to bloom in medieval times disappeared with the rapid decline of the cloth trade, so what was there was little “improved” of added to in later years. In 1912 Henry Taylor, with the help of patron Princess Louise, managed to prevent the export of the Wool Hall to America, setting the future mark for conservation of historic buildings in Lavenham and elsewhere in the country. In 1965, when the ancient Swan Inn was extended, techniques from the reign of the first Elizabeth were used to incorporate beams hewn in the time of the second. In 1967 the Post Office supported the cause by removing its telephone wires and posts. This then is a town determined to retain its unique character, much to the pleasure of the tourists on whom its economy now relies. Sadly Puritan iconoclast William Dowsing did not rally to the preservation cause, smashing all the stained glass in St Peter and St Paul’s church. This monumental building with its tower rising 141 feet above the ground was built by old money and new – The Earl of Oxford John de Vere cooperated on the work with Lavenham wool and cloth merchants, most notably Thomas Spring. Spring’s coat of arms features more than thirty times in the interior, and a rather convoluted pun recalls de Vere – there are boars used frequently in the memorials, verres being Latin for boar. The medieval mirth merchants didn’t leave it there: look out for the droll carvings on the misericords, particularly the one of a pig being squeezed by a man, possibly another de Vere allusion. The National Trust looks after The Guildhall of Corpus Christi in the Market Place, and this is a good place to learn about the village buildings, but the pubs and shops too are just as likely to repay architectural interest. There are too many timber framed and jettied buildings to list, but not to be missed are those which stand out for their deviation from the perpendicular or horizontal, making the architecture seem organic: The Crooked House in the High Street is the most obvious example

Attraction

Lavenham Guildhall
Little Hall

Church

St Peter and St Paul

Cottage

Mews Cottage

Doctor

Goodliffe & Partners

Farmers Market

Lavenham Farmers' Market

Pub and Bar

Angel Hotel
Cock Inn
Greyhound

Restaurant

Great House Hotel
Restaurant at The Swan Hotel

Shops

Halfords

Places to Stay near Lavenham

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Great House Hotel (0.06 miles)

Great House Hotel
Situated in the heart of historic village of Lavenham, is one of Britain’s finest restaurants with rooms with 2 AA rosettes, deep in the atmospheric Suffolk countryside. The contemporary chic whilst retaining the warmth and ... More | visit website
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Angel Hotel (0.06 miles)

Angel Hotel

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The Angel at Lavenham is a Tudor inn set in the market place at the centre of one of England's finest medieval villages.
Between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, the inn with ... More

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Swan Hotel (The) (0.07 miles)

Swan Hotel (The)
Few hotels can boast the historic significance and splendour of The Swan. Once key to the famed Lavenham Wool trade, its timeless tranquility brings peace and comfort to those seeking a haven from the pressures ... More | visit website
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Twenty Seven (0.15 miles)

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27 Church Street is a 16th Century Grade II listed detached house a few minutes' walk from the village centre. It has a landscaped private rear garden which guests are ... More

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The Black Lion Hotel & Restaurant (3.53 miles)

The Black Lion Hotel & Restaurant

A glance at our comments book will soon reassure you that you have arrived in a small haven. As far away from the ‘corporate’ style of hotel as possible but still having all the ... More | visit website

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Bull Hotel (3.82 miles)

Bull Hotel

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The Bull is situated on Long Melford's High Street, near the Village Green. The fine timbered house has a history dating back over 500 years and has been an Inn since ... More

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Crown Hotel (3.89 miles)

Crown Hotel

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The Crown Hotel is a family run historic inn which was originally built in 1610 and retains many interesting features.Situated in the very centre of Long Melford’s famous high street, ... More

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George & Dragon (4.03 miles)

George & Dragon
A warm welcome awaits at The George & Dragon. We are situated in the picturesque, quintessentially English town of Long Melford in Suffolk and provide real ales, good home cooked food and live entertainment. Our ... More | visit website
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The Red House (4.97 miles)

The Red House
The Red House is situated in the small village of Stanningfield, famed for its historic links to the gunpowder plot conspirators. Now a some what quieter place to stay, its location is ideally placed to ... More | visit website
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The Bay Horse (5.38 miles)

The Bay Horse
At the edge of the market town of Sudbury, this traditional family-run local pub offers en suite accommodation, a friendly atmosphere, free Wi-Fi and free parking. The Bay Horse is within walking distance ... More | visit website

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We give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain. - Sir Tom Stoppard
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Tolpuddle Martyrs Sentenced - 1834, Argentine Forces land on South Georgia - 1982
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