Framlingham is a quintessential old market town guarded by an ancient castle. Appealing streets fan out from the market square, each stuffed with old buildings, intriguing alleyways nooks and crannies. 

A venerable church completes the picture of this very attractive place. Here the past is clearly visible with architectural designs from different periods including Tudor, Stuart, Regency and Victorian. 
The first castle, was believed to have been made of wood, but the present castle that you see today dates from around the 12th century. It saw warlike activity only once and this was during the reign of King John in 1216. From the outside the castle appears to be almost perfectly intact with curtain walls and thirteen towers but inside much has unfortunately been lost over the years.

However, it is still a fascinating place to look around and it is easy to become enveloped in the atmosphere of the place when strolling on the battlements. The castle is now managed by English Heritage and Suffolk Wildlife Trust have a Nature Reserve near to the Castle. Tudor Mary came to Framlingham Castle after the death of her brother King Edward VI. She spent the summer inside its walls waiting to hear whether she or lady Jane Grey had been declared queen. Thousands of her supporters camped outside the castle ready to declare her Queen of England. 

The oldest building other than the church and castle is no 8 in Church Street, which has timbers dating from about 1475. The town is called 'Fram' by the locals instead of by its full name. Framingham in Massachusetts takes its name from the place.  

This market town retains much of its old-world charm and atmosphere there are a number of inns, quaint shops and other facilities to be found.

Even the residential parts of the town are pretty as a picture with pale washed houses of all shapes, sizes and age. 

Framlingham is the home of one of the oldest bowls clubs in the country with records dating back to 1553.

Infirmary Lane accessed from Fore Street is so called as it used to be where the isolation building was located for those in the town with infectious diseases were housed.

The church clock was given to the town in 1872 by Sir Henry Thompson who was surgeon to Queen Victoria. It was in memory of his father who had been a tallow-chandler in the town.

Look at the Victorian pillar boxes in Double Street and also College road. Double Street was originally called bow street and used to be the main shopping street.

The Howards made Framlingham the centre of their vast estate. Inside the church there are many fine tombs, including the tomb of the 3rd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard the Kings treasurer. 

The duck pond near to the castle is known as the Ducking Pond. During the 17th century a large number of witch trials took place in Framlingham and it was in this pond that the witches were ducked.