LAVENHAM

The enchanting village of Lavenham retains its medieval appearance as a result of a classic boom and bust cycle.

Once a thriving hub of wealth in Britain, Lavenham’s prosperity stemmed from its flourishing cloth trade. Merchants specialising in wool and cloth amassed immense fortunes from selling ‘blew’ cloth and spent lavishly on the trappings of wealth. This led to the construction of the grand wooden-framed houses that still grace the village today. The Guildhall stands as Lavenham’s most renowned building, but the village boasts a total of 320 historic timber structures.

In the sixteenth century, this picturesque village held the esteemed position of the 14th wealthiest town in Britain, even surpassing populous cities like York and Lincoln in terms of tax revenue. However, by 1525, the bubble burst with the advent of finely spun Dutch cloth. The decline of the cloth trade, which had defined Lavenham’s identity, left its merchants unable to modernise their timber-framed buildings. Consequently, many remain standing as they were originally constructed, rather than being refronted or replaced.

Most people are drawn to this attractive Suffolk town by the profusion of half-timbered medieval cottages, beloved of calendar photographers. Lavenham has been called "the most complete medieval town in Britain", a tribute to its fine collection of medieval and Tudor architecture. Mansions of wealthy merchants mingle with simple cottages, some of which mix crooked timber beams with sprightly pink-painted infill

It benefits from the fact that the road completely by-passes it, so there is little or no through-traffic. It has thus remained small and quiet.

The Corpus Christi Guildhall in the triangular market place, was built in 1529, by the wool growers' Guild. Lavenham was famous for its' blue cloth stamped with a fleur-de-lys mark, which was introduced by the Flemish weavers, invited by Edward III to settle in England and pass on their trade secrets. The Guildhall became successively the town hall and then a gaol, although by then, it was in a poor state of repair. It is now beautifully restored.

(below) the Swan Hotel is one of the oldest timbered buildings in Lavenham, with traces of 14th. century fabrication. Originally it was just the building on the right, but relatively recently, has extended into the adjoining Elizabethan house and the former Wool Hall.

It is easy to imagine how the village centre looked when Queen Elizabeth I came here in 1578.