|
Bury St Edmunds
Historic Bury St Edmunds in the heart of
Suffolk has been a centre for worship and pilgrimage since the death
of Edmund, King of the East Angles in 869. The ruins of the great
ABBEY and ST EDMUNDSBURY CATHEDRAL in the charming riverside gardens
near Angel Hill are a continuing reminder of the towns
dramatic past. With delightful shopping centre the town even
has the smallest pub in Britain as well as two excellent
auctioneers.
 |
FRAMLINGHAM CASTLE near Woodbridge, was
substantially rebuilt in about 1190 and still has a continuous
curtain wall linking 13 massive towers. The castle has an exciting
history - it was besieged by King John a year after Magna Carta in
1216 and over the years has been used as a school, a Tudor poorhouse
and even as a resting place for victims of the plague in 1665/66.
ORFORD CASTLE near ALDEBURGH still has it's 12th Century stone keep
built by Henry II to assert his authority over the region. ALDEBURGH
on the Suffolk Heritage Coast is a delight. |
The unspoilt sea front
has changed little since Victorian times. Fishermen still land on
the shingle beach to sell their catch. Nearby is SNAPE MALTINGS
which hosts musical events throughout the year.
The area also has many historic houses. ICWORTH HOUSE, PARK AND
GARDENS near Bury St Edmunds was built in 1795 by the eccentric Earl
of Bristol to house his magnificent collections. This extraordinary
oval house still contains fine paintings and furniture and is set in
over 1800 acres of beautiful parkland.
| KENTWELL HALL, Heritage Building of the year in
2001and situated at Long Melford is well worth a visit. This moated
Tudor mansion is particularly well known for it's recreations of
Tudor life. MELFORD HALL,one of East Anglia's most celebrated
Elizabethan house is located close by. |
 |
Nearby LAVENHAM GUILDHALL, an
early 16th Century timber framed building dominates the centre of
historic Lavenham often described as England's best preserved
Medieval town and once an important centre for the wool trade. CLARE
is a traditional village with numerous cour washed timber framed
buildings together with the remains of a Norman castle and
13TH Century CLARE PRIORY.
Cambridge and beyond
CAMBRIDGE with it's world
famous University is not only a centre of academic activity
but is also a fascinating city to visit. There are numerous museums
and galleries including the FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM [one of Britain's
earliest public picture galleries] and KETTLES YARD [with it's
display of modern art] together with some spectacular College
buildings including KINGS COLLEGE CHAPEL. There are 31 colleges in
total of which Peterhouse, the oldest, was founded in 1284. An
excellent shopping centre Cambridge is particularly noted for its
book shops but if life becomes too hectic we can recommend taking a
punt on the River Cam.
 |
Close to Cambridge is
ANGLESEY ABBEY and GARDENS situated in 98 acres of landscape garden
and aboretum. The mansion dating from the 16th Century contains a
unique collection of items including excellent examples of
furniture, paintings silver and tapestries. It also houses one of
the National Trusts largest collections of Clocks. |
A short distance from
Cambridge is Ely with it's magnificent cathedral. Officially
founded in 673 the City was the former home of Oliver
Cromwell which is open to the public. It was also the centre
of the resistance to the Norman invasion in 1066 by Hereward the Wake. Further afield is
NORWICH in the County of Norfolk which has both a Norman
CATHEDRAL and CASTLE and was once the 2nd most prosperous place in
Britain. Norfolk has many fine houses open to the public including
BLICKLING HALL [near an excellent auctioneer] and FELBRIGG
HALL both in the north of the County.
Antique and
Collectables
The region has a number of excellent
auctioneers including Bonham's who hold regular antique and
fine art auctions at the Athenaeum close to the Cathedral in Bury St
Edmunds and more general sales in Ipswich. Some auctioneers also
hold specialist sales concentrating on a particular area eg books or
paintings.
Long Melford, near Bury St Edmunds, has been described as the
"Antiques Capital of Suffolk" with a high street
full of antique shops and dealers. It is also home to a regular
antique fair. Woodbridge, the home of the Antique Collectors Club,
also has a number of quality antique shops as well as an good
auction house. Other villages also have highly recommended antique
outlets and Snape also has an antiques centre.
The region also has a number of antique fairs including a regular
fair at the Rowley Mile Racecourse at Newmarket and at Langley Park
in Norfolk.
To make a
Reservation Click Here
Back to our Constable Tour
|
