Ipswich, gateway to Sutton Hoo

Ipswich is the county town of Suffolk, in the east of England, and competes with a handful of other places for the title of England's oldest continuously inhabited town: as early as the 7th century, when it was called Gipeswic, it was an Anglo-Saxon trading port on the estuary of the River Orwell, in contact with merchants from the Continent. It has about 140,000 inhabitants and a centre with decorated medieval houses, ancient churches, an elegant marina and one of the most interesting art museums in the region, with paintings by John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough, the two great painters born in Suffolk. Cardinal Wolsey, Henry VIII's all-powerful minister, was also born here. Ipswich is the ideal base for visiting Sutton Hoo, England's most famous Anglo-Saxon treasure, and the landscapes of "Constable Country".

Trains from London Liverpool Street take just over an hour.

One of England's oldest towns

Archaeologists have found at Ipswich traces of a trading settlement already developed by the early 7th century, with houses, potters' workshops and quays: the pottery made here, called Ipswich ware, was the first wheel-thrown pottery made in England after the end of the Roman period and has been found all over East Anglia. The port was linked to the kings of East Anglia, the same kings buried with their treasures at Sutton Hoo. In the Middle Ages Ipswich prospered on the wool and cloth trade, and in 1200 King John granted it a charter.

Around 1473 Thomas Wolsey was born in Ipswich, the son of a butcher, who became a cardinal, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor, the most powerful man in England after the king. He wanted to found a great college in his home town, but after his fall from grace the project was abandoned: all that remains is a brick gateway, Wolsey's Gate. See also our page on Thomas Wolsey.

What to see in Ipswich

Christchurch Mansion

In the large Christchurch Park, a short walk from the centre, stands Christchurch Mansion, a Tudor house built in 1548 on the site of an Augustinian priory. Its rooms, furnished in styles from the 16th to the 19th century, house one of the most important collections of paintings by John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough outside London, with Suffolk landscapes, portraits and views of the estuary. Entry is free. The park, with ponds, ancient trees and lawns, is the town's favourite.

The Ancient House and the medieval centre

In the heart of the town, the Ancient House, also called Sparrowe's House, is a 15th-century merchant's house famous for its façade decorated with pargeting, the ornamental plasterwork typical of East Anglia, depicting the four continents then known, with figures, animals and coats of arms. Around it are medieval streets, the Buttermarket, the Cornhill, the main square with the Victorian town hall, and a dozen medieval churches, many now used for concerts and exhibitions.

The Waterfront

The Waterfront, the old 19th-century port built around the great Wet Dock of 1842, at the time the largest harbour basin in England, has been turned into an elegant district with a marina full of sailing boats, restaurants, cafés, modern apartments and the campus of the University of Suffolk. You can stroll along the quays among restored old warehouses and historic boats, and in summer boat trips sail along the Orwell estuary.

The Willis Building and the Meeting House

Ipswich also has a masterpiece of modern architecture: the Willis Building, an office block with walls of dark curving glass designed by Norman Foster and completed in 1975, with a swimming pool and a roof garden, listed Grade I, the youngest building to receive this status at the time of listing. Nearby, the Unitarian Meeting House of 1700 is one of the finest nonconformist chapels in England, with a carved pulpit, a wooden gallery and an interior almost unchanged for more than three centuries.

Sport

Ipswich Town, the town's football club, has had two legendary managers: Alf Ramsey, who led it to the English league title in 1962, just after promotion from the second tier, and then guided England to victory in the 1966 World Cup; and Bobby Robson, who won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 before becoming England manager. Both have statues outside the Portman Road ground.

A day in Ipswich

A possible itinerary: start at Christchurch Mansion and its park, then walk down to the centre to see the Ancient House, the Cornhill and the medieval churches. After lunch head to the Waterfront for a stroll among the boats and a coffee on the quays. The afternoon is perfect for a trip to Sutton Hoo or along the estuary. In the evening dine at the marina or see a show at the New Wolsey Theatre.

Around Ipswich

• Sutton Hoo, about twenty minutes away near Woodbridge: here in 1939 the burial of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king, probably Rædwald, was discovered, laid in a ship twenty-seven metres long with a treasure of weapons, gold jewellery and a famous helmet. The originals are in the British Museum in London, but the National Trust site has a visitor centre, replicas of the finds and a viewing tower over the burial mounds. See also the British Museum.
• Flatford Mill and Dedham Vale, "Constable Country", with the mills and landscapes Constable painted, including the scene of his famous The Hay Wain.
• Woodbridge, a small town on the River Deben with a working tide mill.
• Felixstowe, the UK's largest container port, with a Victorian seafront and beaches.
• Aldeburgh, on the coast, the town of the composer Benjamin Britten; see our page on Aldeburgh.
• Lavenham, one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England, with crooked and colourful timber-framed houses.

Living in Ipswich

Ipswich has an economy based on insurance and finance, services, logistics linked to the nearby port of Felixstowe and telecommunications research, thanks to the large Adastral Park research centre. Homes cost less than in the rest of the south-east, London is within reach by train and the Suffolk coast is close. Like many provincial towns, its centre has suffered from the retail crisis and some districts have low incomes.

Getting there and getting around

• By train: from London Liverpool Street just over an hour; direct services to Norwich, Cambridge, Colchester, Peterborough and Felixstowe.
• By air: Stansted Airport is about an hour and a quarter by car; the small Norwich Airport is just over an hour away.
• In town: the centre and the Waterfront are walkable; for Sutton Hoo and the coast a car is handy, but there are also local buses and trains.

For travel around the rest of the country see trains and transport, and for other cities British cities.

Tips for your visit

• How long: one day for the town; another for Sutton Hoo, Constable Country and the coast.
• When to go: May to September, when the Waterfront is lively and the Suffolk countryside is at its best.
• A tip: to understand Sutton Hoo, visit the site first and then, in London, the British Museum gallery where the helmet and treasure are displayed.

Ipswich on the map

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