Lavenham
Lavenham is one of the best preserved medieval villages in the UK boasting some 320 listed timber framed buildings, many of them protected by English Heritage. This is a unique village created some 750 years ago by Henry III when he granted Lavenham market status, which began the most prosperous period in the village's history. Lavenham had a thriving market prior to the Charter being granted - records show that in 1202 the Abbott of Bury St Edmunds complained it was overshadowing his market – but the Charter market a turning point in Lavenham's fortunes. Traders flocked to the village to take advantage of its thriving wool trade, and by 1524 Lavenham was ranked the 14th richest town in the country thanks to the famous Lavenham Blues cloth.
It’s not clear why Lavenham became the epicentre for the wool trade but it might have been down to the fact that proportionately fewer people in Suffolk were bound to a local lord (41% of Suffolk people were freemen compared to just 9% in neighbouring Essex) which enabled them to be entrepreneurial. However we do know that the riches of Lavenham’s residents then have left a unique legacy in the shape of the stunning timber-framed houses that they built to show off their wealth. Also landmark buildings such as the Guildhall in the centre of Lavenham (Lavenham Guildhall) and the opulent St Peter and St Paul Church (below), and
Lavenham Priory were built during this boom.
One other legacy of the wool trade might also be unique craft shops such as Elizabeth Gash Knitwear which specialises in hand made knitted clothes. As you stroll around Lavenham you'll see several of these fascinating shops and boutiques which have been lost from most High Streets.
The boom in Lavenham didn’t last as Flemish weavers settled in Essex and began to compete with indigenous weavers. Also in the 16C Henry V111 imposed heavy taxes wherever he could to finance wars against France, so the money was quickly drained from the village. As a result nobody could afford to rebuild these houses so they were left intact and where one family had previously shared a house, 3 or 4 families moved in to split the bills.
The village revived in the early 19C when the railway (since defunct alas) breathed new life into the area, and opened it up for trading in coconut matting and horse hair manufacturing.
Consequently although Lavenham is the leading Medieval village in the UK,it also offers some other types of architecture too, making this small Village even more appealing -
Today Lavenham is still a thriving village with a strong community spirit. It has a hub of art galleries, some fantastic restaurants and hotels, plenty of cafes and pubs for pit stops, and lots of interesting buildings to visit, including
The Swan at Lavenham, which dates back to the 15th Century when it played a key role in Lavenham's wool trade. Today it is a quintessential English country hotel and restaurant, proud of its achievement of an AA four star 81% rating and two AA Rosettes. In addition, The Swan boasts a wonderful collection of memorabilia, including a wall signed by British and American airmen stationed at Lavenham Airfield during World War I - the image below is a display of some of the signatures of soldiers in the War who were based nearby.
Also Lavenham holds a Farmers Market monthly -
Lavenham Farmers’ Market enjoyed a series of sunny Saturday mornings over the summer months when local producers were given the opportunity to sell their goods from Lavenham Market Place, recalling how in days gone by, traders would have peddled their wares from this very same ancient Market Town.
(above The Great House Lavenham, offering 5 star accommodation and 2 AA Rosettes for its award winning French cuisine)
Lavenham Farmers’ Market has been independently certified to the standards set by the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA), and is held on the fourth Saturday of every month from 0900 hrs to 1300 hrs
Lavenham is well worth a visit at any time of the year.
Lavenham Hotels
Eating out in Lavenham
For things to do in the area around Lavenham see
Long Melford
Melford Hall
Bury St Edmunds
For more information on Lavenham see the Village's own website
Lavenham Village Website
It’s not clear why Lavenham became the epicentre for the wool trade but it might have been down to the fact that proportionately fewer people in Suffolk were bound to a local lord (41% of Suffolk people were freemen compared to just 9% in neighbouring Essex) which enabled them to be entrepreneurial. However we do know that the riches of Lavenham’s residents then have left a unique legacy in the shape of the stunning timber-framed houses that they built to show off their wealth. Also landmark buildings such as the Guildhall in the centre of Lavenham (Lavenham Guildhall) and the opulent St Peter and St Paul Church (below), and
Lavenham Priory were built during this boom.
One other legacy of the wool trade might also be unique craft shops such as Elizabeth Gash Knitwear which specialises in hand made knitted clothes. As you stroll around Lavenham you'll see several of these fascinating shops and boutiques which have been lost from most High Streets.
The boom in Lavenham didn’t last as Flemish weavers settled in Essex and began to compete with indigenous weavers. Also in the 16C Henry V111 imposed heavy taxes wherever he could to finance wars against France, so the money was quickly drained from the village. As a result nobody could afford to rebuild these houses so they were left intact and where one family had previously shared a house, 3 or 4 families moved in to split the bills.
The village revived in the early 19C when the railway (since defunct alas) breathed new life into the area, and opened it up for trading in coconut matting and horse hair manufacturing.
Consequently although Lavenham is the leading Medieval village in the UK,it also offers some other types of architecture too, making this small Village even more appealing -
Today Lavenham is still a thriving village with a strong community spirit. It has a hub of art galleries, some fantastic restaurants and hotels, plenty of cafes and pubs for pit stops, and lots of interesting buildings to visit, including
The Swan at Lavenham, which dates back to the 15th Century when it played a key role in Lavenham's wool trade. Today it is a quintessential English country hotel and restaurant, proud of its achievement of an AA four star 81% rating and two AA Rosettes. In addition, The Swan boasts a wonderful collection of memorabilia, including a wall signed by British and American airmen stationed at Lavenham Airfield during World War I - the image below is a display of some of the signatures of soldiers in the War who were based nearby.
Also Lavenham holds a Farmers Market monthly -
Lavenham Farmers’ Market enjoyed a series of sunny Saturday mornings over the summer months when local producers were given the opportunity to sell their goods from Lavenham Market Place, recalling how in days gone by, traders would have peddled their wares from this very same ancient Market Town.
(above The Great House Lavenham, offering 5 star accommodation and 2 AA Rosettes for its award winning French cuisine)
Lavenham Farmers’ Market has been independently certified to the standards set by the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA), and is held on the fourth Saturday of every month from 0900 hrs to 1300 hrs
Lavenham is well worth a visit at any time of the year.
Lavenham Hotels
Eating out in Lavenham
For things to do in the area around Lavenham see
Long Melford
Melford Hall
Bury St Edmunds
For more information on Lavenham see the Village's own website
Lavenham Village Website
