Lavenham -original home of denim blue!

Most of us were still recovering from our lovely, hot, busy morning at Sutton Hoo when we were dropped off in Lavenham. We had to walk up a hill to the market square where l was thrilled to see the Corpus Christi Guildhall, white with silver grey timbers. We assembled in the meeting hall/parlour and our excellent NT guide gave us a brief history of the uses of this buildings from 1530. Originally a place where the services of chantry priest were  offered to those who had contributed to the building fund, it also functioned as a social centre. In 1547 the Guildhall became the property of the parish.

Lavenham became very wealthy through the manufacture and export of denim coloured woollen flannel cloth, hence the large number of medieval houses in the town. Lavenham declined when local competiton thrived due to new technologies introduced by European immigrants. So, no money to re fashion meant the buildings were just repurposed .The museum housed in the Guildhall showed us the hall being used as a prison, a warehouse, a poorhouse, a private dwelling and as a feeding centre during World War11. Thank goodness the NT

The Guildhall

was offered the hall in 1946. Many other houses in the town were restored, not demolished. Several people took much needed refreshments in the cafe. Most of us didn't climb the other hill in the town to see its wool church as it was too hot. However some of us did succumb to Retail Therapy at a shop selling lovely clothes. Barrie picked us up at the cross roads and got us back in time to allow us to start packing before our much needed meal

The Swan, here there is a pilots' bar, where American service men stationed in the area during WW2, signed their names and left their messages

The wall of Little Hall, Lavenham