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A visitors guide to the Suffolk town of Woodbridge. The River Deben
sets the mood for the wonderful country town of Woodbridge, a place
rich in historical architecture spanning many centuries and including
some fine examples of pargeting on many of its buildings. Even roads
with the name 'New' quite often date from over 450 years ago.
During the 14th century Woodbridge was a busy ship building centre with
boats being built for both Edward II (14c) and Francis Drake (16c). A
number of the older houses in Woodbridge contain parts of these old ship
beams and some cottages are said to have been built from the timbers of
ships captured during the Napoleonic war. In the early 1800s a
military garrison was stationed on Drybridge Hill during the Napoleonic
Wars.
The main shopping area of Woodbridge is pedestrianised
and benefits from an interesting range of shops, eateries and art
galleries. Market Hill has mostly 18th century shop fronts though
the buildings underneath are often a lot older. It is here that
you will find the Woodbridge Museum which has lots of historical
information about the town including some of its more colourful
residents. Including the towns greatest benefactor Thomas Seckford who
built the almshouses in Seckford Street and the Shire Hall. In the
16th century Shire Hall, on the 1st floor, is an exhibition about the
Suffolk Punch Breed of Heavy horses.
On the outskirts of the town is Buttrums Mill, the
tallest surviving mill in Suffolk with six floors. Worth a climb
to the top for the fine views. Down by the river you can enjoy sailing,
canoeing, rowing and river trips. At low tide large varieties of
wildfowl and waders feeds on the salt flats. The Tide Mill with its
white weather boarding has been completely restored and sits
elegantly on the quayside, built in the 18th century it remained in use
right up until 1957. There are fine views across to Sutton Hoo from the
river bank and it was there in 1939 that the Sutton Hoo Burial Ship was
discovered.
For Holiday Accommodation in Woodbridge Suffolk - Boating Holidays -
Self Catering - Holiday Cottages - Hotels and Bed and Breakfast check
out our Woodbrige Holiday Accommodation Pages.
There are endless walking possibilities concentrating on the history and
architecture of Woodbridge punctuated by places to stop for light
refreshment. Roof lines rise and fall with delicious disregard for
symmetry and you will find yourself journeying past many attractive
Georgian facades, stamped on the town by the officers stationed here
during the Napoleonic Wars a feast for the eyes. Half timbered
houses of ancient date with their centuries old atmosphere, high
latticed panned dormer windows, and walls sloping inwards and outwards
at all sorts of angles echoing the past. Many narrow alleyways present
unexpected vistas to the visitor with chimneys puncturing the skyline
with disorderley disregard. The painter Thomas Churchyard (born in
Melton) lived in at Marston House in Cumberland Street.
The once Ship Inn now a private residence was the first meeting place of
the Independents in 1650. Bearmans Hill was where plague victims were
buried in 1666 in all three hundred people were buried here.
Woodbridge has a railway station with services all the
way through to London, a riverside theatre and a cinema. The
National Trust Property at Sutton is close by which contains all the
details of the discovery and interesting information about the Anglo
Saxon Kings. Sutton Hoo is a group of grassy burial mounds on a
heath where a Saxon king's treasure was excavated in 1939. It is
believe to be the richest treasure ever to have been found in Britain.
It is believed that the remains were of Raedwald who died in about 625.
He was buried in a huge, 90 ft long wooden ship with a magnificent
ceremonial helmet and lots of other goods. No human remains were
found, though it is believed that Sutton Hoo was the royal burial ground
for the powerful dynasty of East Anglian Kings. During the Second
World War the Sutton Hoo treasure was hidden in the London Underground. |
