Lavenham

Lavenham, in the south-west corner of Suffolk.

Understand
St Peter & St Paul Church

One of the finest examples of a medieval wool town. Most of the houses were built between 1450 and 1500 and are in a remarkable state of preservation. Walking through Lavenham is like walking through a movie set - the half-timbered houses and pastel coloured cottages lean against one another in street after street. Several of the buildings, including the Guildhall, are open to the public and contain displays of life in a mediaeval English wool town. Lavenham was the 14th wealthiest town in England in 1524, with 33 cloth making businesses and was richer than Lincoln and York, when the church was being rebuilt (1486-1515) and the Guildhall of Corpus Christi completed(1529). Lavenham's position as a manufacturing town of national importance is hard to imagine when you see the quiet, rural charm of the village today.

Get in

By car

From London, follow M11 exit 8 A120 to Braintree, A131 to Halstead and Sudbury, then B1115 to Lavenham. From North, Take A134 from Bury St Edmunds then A1141 to Lavenham.

By train

The town no longer has a railway station (the station being closed for passengers in 1961). The nearest train station is

  • 🌍 Sudbury Train Station, Station Rd, Sudbury, CO10 6SU (7 miles S of Lavenham). At the end of a branch line (marketed as the Gainsborough Line) from the main Norwich to London Liverpool St line at Marks Tey. The journey between Sudbury and Marks Tey takes 20 minutes, with stops at Bures station, and Chappel & Wakes Colne station. Station managed by and services operated by Greater Anglia. (updated Jun 2017)

By bus

Chambers Buses 753 run hourly from Colchester train station or Bury St Edmunds Bus Station - Mondays to Saturdays.

By bicycle

The town in on National Cycle Route 13 (London to Fakenham) running through Bury St Edmunds to the N (where it connects to National Cycle Route 51 and to Colchester to the S where it connects with National Cycle Route 1.

Get around

The town is small enough to see on foot.

See
Lavenham High Street
Historic houses on Water Street

Most of the village can be seen in a 10-15 minute walk, but visiting the Guild Hall needs longer.

Do
  • 🌍 Guided Tour of Lavenham, Tourist Information Centre, Lady St, Lavenham CO10 9RA (Book in advance through Tourist Information Centre), ☎ +44 1787 248207, e-mail: . Weekends Easter-end Oct or by arrangement. (updated Jun 2017)

Buy
  • 🌍 Co-op (Convenience Store), 80a High St, Lavenham, CO10 9PT, ☎ +44 1787 247242. Daily 07:00-22:00. (updated Jun 2017)

Eat
Greyhound Inn

Drink
  • 🌍 The Angel (Pub, Restaurant & Hotel), Market Place, Lavenham, CO10 9QZ, ☎ +44 1787 247388, e-mail: . Bar: M-Sa 08:00-23:00, Su 10:00-23:00; Food: M-Sa 08:00-10:00 & 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-22:00, Su 08:00-10:00 & 12:00-18:00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 🌍 No 10 (Wine Bar, Restaurant & Accommodation), 10 Lady St, Lavenham, CO10 9RA, ☎ +44 1787 249438, e-mail: . Bar: M-Th 11:00-23:00, F 11:00-00:00, Sa 12:00-00:00, Su 12:00-23:00; Restaurant M-Sa: 12:00-14:30 &18:00-21:00, Su 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-21:00. (updated Jun 2017)
  • 🌍 The Cock Horse Inn (Pub & Restaurant), 37 Church St, Lavenham, CO10 9SA, ☎ +44 1787 827330. Pub: M-Th 11:00-23:00, F-Sa 11:00-00:00, Su 11:00-19:30; Food: M-Th 12:00-15:00 & 18:00 - 21:00, F-Sa 12:00-21:00, Su 12:00-16:00. (updated Jun 2017)

Sleep

The centre of the town has several high end self-catering houses for rental, normally for several day or longer stays.

Connect
  • 🌍 Mobile Post Office Service, Lavenham Village Hall, Church St, Lavenham, CO10 9QT. M 14:00-16:00. Tu 12:00-16:00. W-F 14:00-16:00. (updated Jun 2017)

Go next

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gollark: You could probably meddle with the actual `print`/`write` code. It's in the BIOS.
gollark: Or it could print the outputted sounds to the console. But I don't know what use people would get from that.
gollark: People would likely wait until it became free.
gollark: I feel like that wouldn't really work.
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