Brief Encounter

Long Melford village

It was not even an overview, more a fly by!

Our driver Barrie, was determined to demonstrate that Long Melford lived up to its name. It qualifies as the second longest village in England, and at a mere 2.9 miles, eclipsed by our more local Brinkworth, Wiltshire at 3.9 miles.

We were driven  from one end of the street, the location of our 2 planned visits, and progressed to the other at a steady pace, returning immediately in time for our tours of Kentwell Hall and later, the village church. Two building in particular made their presence felt, not in a bad way but owing to their startingly alien appearance, both proud examples of their period.  They marked the historical extremes of the village, from the Tudor timber framed public house to the extensive and handsome Victorian brewery.

It seemed that 400 years embracing every possible style of vernacular architecture between them was represented but without much evidence of the extremes of decoration usually exhibited by their city counterparts, possibly owing to the lack of stone in the area.   Instead there was a wonderful sense of harmonious calm achieved by the use of dominant local building material, brick.

This was made from different clay deposits producing a variety of muted tones which appeared on the occasional small house but gave even the formal public buildings a retiring but  dignified understated presence

Most of the dwellings and shops were coated in lime render in gentle hues;.

I failed to spot any strident modern colours, their exteriors relieved only by appropriately sized windows, an architectural demonstration of evolving types and styles.

The 20th  and 21st centuries appeared to have lost the battle to elbow themselves in to the serried ranks of earlier times but a few representatives were glimpsed in the outer edge beyond the brewery.

Long Melford, having evolved through the centuries of prosperity and depression is the perfect example of the successful integration of disparate styles melded into a most delightful whole.

Long Melford church, thought to be one of the most magnificent parish churches, is one of the great Suffolk wool churches and stands on a hill near Kentwell Hall