Lavenham, Suffolk: A Pretty Medieval Time Capsule
Lavenham has more than 300 listed medieval buildings, which makes it a pretty quaint village that is almost suspended in time. Read here for why you really should visit Lavenham!
There is nothing as wonderful as a pretty English village, and Lavenham in Suffolk has all the things needed to quality it as that!
Lavenham is a truly lovely old historic village, and it is actually a bit of a toss-up as to which one is the prettiest in my mind – since I discovered the little village of Kersey in Suffolk !
Lavenham is a village in Suffolk in England that is said to be the best preserved medieval village in England. It was once an extremely prosperous village at the heart of the wool and cloth trade in medieval England.
Lavenham is full of timber framed buildings that date from the 1300s, and it has more than 300 listed buildings. One of those listed buildings is actually the village phone box!
One of the best things about walking around Lavenham is that you can truly imagine what this village was like in medieval times. It is incredibly well preserved, a real time capsule.
If you love little boutique shops, coffee and tea shops, cafes, and gift shops you will love strolling around the streets of Lavenham.
Where is Lavenham?
Lavenham is situated in Suffolk, England. It lies nestled between Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds. It is the part of England known as East Anglia, on the east coast of England.
Why is Lavenham so Well-Preserved?
The reason that Lavenham is so well preserved and suspended in time today is actually a sad story – one of neglect and poverty. After the wool and cloth trade ended, Lavenham fell into complete neglect. Had it been a prosperous village still the old houses would have been hazed to the ground and replaced with newer buildings. But because of the poverty this was not done. Which is so incredibly fortunate for us today – we get to see those old medieval buildings as they actually were for many centuries.
What is Lavenham Famous For?
Lavenham in medieval times was at the heart of the East Anglian wool trade. A particular shade of blue cloth, known as Lavenham Blue Broadcloth, was how Lavenham made its wealth, and why Lavenham became one of the most prosperous places in England.
Lavenham was considered the 14th most important town in Tudor England, when East Anglia was prosperous and bolstered by the cloth and wool trade.
Nowadays Lavenham is probably more famous (not just for being such a pretty village) for it’s Harry Potter house – which is actually De Vere House on Water Street that was featured as Harry Potter’s birthplace, Godric’s Hollow, in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie.
There have been many different TV shows filmed around Lavenham, including Lovejoy, Witchfinder General, Time Team, The Strays, Playing Away, and Tony Robinson’s History of Britain to name just a few.
What to See in Lavenham, Suffolk
Harry Potter House. The ‘Harry Potter house’ in Lavenham is actually De Vere House on Water Street. It featured in the Harry Potter movies as Godric’s Hollow, which was Harry Potter’s birthplace in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Little Hall. Little Hall sits next to the Guildhall in the market square. It is now a museum that is run by the Suffolk Buildings Preservation Trust, and is entirely run by volunteers.
It was first built in the 1300s as a clothier’s house. It was then enlarged and improved in the 1500s. When Lavenham was no longer a prosperous village and many of the villagers left, it was turned into a row of cottages.
In the 1920s the Gayer Anderson twins, who were somewhat friendly with the Bloomsbury set, set about converting the hall back to its former glory, and the hall now is what was restored, including being filled with the treasures that the Gayer-Andersons collected from all around the world.
I cannot recommend enough the guided tour that is available of Little Hall. During the tour you hear all the history of the building, as well as the history of Lavenham. It is extremely interesting and you will absolutely love the building itself.
The Swan. The Swan is a hotel and restaurant located in the heart of Lavenham. The Swan dates back to the 15th century and is beautiful inside with oak beamed rooms, large fireplaces, and many cozy nooks. The outside is a beautiful black and white timbered medieval building. The swan has a restaurant and a brasserie, as well as a bar.
Walks around Lavenham
There are many walks around Lavenham, including the Railway Walk, which takes you along a disused railway track, and also the Woodland Walk, that takes you into a re-wilding project that was started by the village.
However the best walk around Lavenham is probably just to walk round this little village itself, and take in the history and imagine yourself in a different time!
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