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in the county of Suffolk

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About Ipswich

This is a town that can trace its history back to the Stone-Age, it has been a successive settlement throughout the ages and has been populated by settlers from the Iron-Age, Roman period and by Anglo-Saxons.

Its Royal Charter was granted by King John in the year 1200, and the town is proud of its long maritime traditions covering centuries of trading, particularly in Suffolk cloth which was despatched to all parts of Europe from its port on the estuary of the River Orwell.

Ipswich is fortunate in its rich collection of historic buildings, one of the most important is the ancient house in the Butter Market - a 15th-century building extravagantly decorated with ornate plasterwork and a centrepiece formed by the coat of arms of King Charles II.

Christchurch Mansion is an amazing red brick Tudor country house built on the site of where an Augustinian priory once stood. This was disbanded during the reign of Henry VIII and was later purchased by the Withypoll family who built the house we see today. Later, during the 18th-century the house became the property of a London merchant of Huguenot descent. At this time the house was added to, features of the extension included a state bedroom with ornate plasterwork. In 1892 Felix Cobold bought the property and gave it to Ipswich to be opened as a museum. Today visitors can see rich and varied collections including paintings by noted Suffolk artists Constable, Gainsborough and Munnings. Also on show is an excellent collection of fine furniture, porcelain made locally in Lowestoft from 1757 - 1799, and Tudor and Stuart portraits of early Suffolk aristocracy.

The town is famous as the birthplace of Cardinal Wolsey who is thought to have been born in Silent Street in around 1475. In 1528 he founded a college here, but this was abandoned when he fell from grace. All that is preserved of the college buildings is the red brick gateway in College Street.

At the heart of Ipswich is Christchurch Park, this green and pleasant place has been open to generations of towns folk and visitors since the 18th-century. It now provides a delightful venue for open air concerts and fairs, it also has a beautiful arboreta, a bird garden and children's play area. St. Margaret's Church lies to the edge of the park bordering Sloane Street and Bolton Lane, this shows parts of its 13th-century origins and restoration work from the 17th-century. With its ancient windows and many historic treasures this is a church well worth seeing.

Today, with smart shopping centres, excellent leisure and entertainment facilities, Ipswich has become a centre for business and commerce offering all that is best for modern day living while destroying nothing of its strong links with the past. It therefore makes an excellent place in which to tarry and enjoy all this fine town has to offer or an ideal centre for exploring the rivers Orwell, Deben and Stour.

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Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Ipswich

Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich	(0.8 miles, 1.2 km)	Pictures
Jimmy's Farm	(2.8 miles, 4.5 km, direction S)	Pictures
Sutton Hoo	(8.1 miles, 13.0 km, direction E)	Pictures
Helmingham Hall Gardens	(8.4 miles, 13.5 km, direction N)	Pictures
Bridge Cottage	(8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Flatford Mill	(8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Dedham Art and Craft Centre	(9.3 miles, 15.0 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Manning's Amusement Park, Felixstowe	(10.7 miles, 17.1 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Landguard Fort, Felixstowe	(10.9 miles, 17.5 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Easton Farm Park Country Park	(11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Bawdsey Manor	(11.6 miles, 18.7 km, direction E)	Pictures
Beth Chatto Gardens	(14.3 miles, 23.0 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Framlingham Castle	(14.6 miles, 23.4 km, direction NE)	Pictures
High Woods Country Park	(14.7 miles, 23.6 km, direction SW)	Pictures
The Naze Tower	(14.7 miles, 23.6 km, direction SE)	Pictures

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Recommended towns near Ipswich

Woodbridge, in the county of Suffolk (7.5 miles, 12.0 km, direction NE)
Many of the houses that surround the old Market square round which this Port has grown are exceedingly attractive and of major historical interest.
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East Bergholt, in the county of Suffolk (7.9 miles, 12.7 km, direction SW)
This enchanting village gained lasting fame as Constable's birth place. It also has a very unusual medieval bell cage.
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Mistley, in the county of Essex (8.3 miles, 13.4 km, direction S)
Mistley lies on the south bank of the River Stour not far from Manningtree, to which it is joined via a tree-lined walk along the river which is oddly called The Walls.
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Manningtree, a Historic Market Town in the county of Essex (8.6 miles, 13.8 km, direction SW)
The town shows fine examples of weavers cottages and walks through the town reveal fine Georgian facades behind which are Tudor and Elizabethan houses.
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Sutton, in the county of Suffolk (9.0 miles, 14.5 km, direction E)
Sutton is an old village overlooking the waters of the River Debden as it makes its way towards the sea.
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Flatford, in the county of Suffolk (9.1 miles, 14.6 km, direction SW)
On arrival in Flatford there is little to prepare you for its overwhelming beauty, but you should not be surprised, for this after all is Constable Country, an area made famous by the great landscape painter and which features in so many of his pictures.
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Dedham, in the county of Essex (9.5 miles, 15.3 km, direction SW)
There are two things that immediately strike you about this enchanting village, the first is the opulence of the beautiful 15th-century church, and the second is the fascinating view of the River Stour, which, like the church, has featured in Constable paintings.
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Harwich, in the county of Essex (9.6 miles, 15.5 km, direction SE)
The great seafarers of centuries have left the shores of England, these include Raleigh, Drake, Frobisher and Admiral Lord Nelson, all of whom brought glory for England.
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Kersey, in the county of Suffolk (9.7 miles, 15.6 km, direction W)
Quintessentially English village of a style for which Suffolk is renowned. Winding streets full of exquisite properties, some dating back to Tudor times.
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Dovercourt, in the county of Essex (9.9 miles, 16.0 km, direction SE)
These days Dovercourt is part of Harwich, it operates as a coastal resort town with a pleasant sandy beach backed by a sea wall. The beach has been awarded the E.U. Blue Flag indicating its cleanliness and safety for families with children.
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Bildeston, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (11.0 miles, 17.7 km, direction W)
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Polstead, in the county of Suffolk (11.1 miles, 17.8 km, direction W)
This delightful village has all the charm of a picture postcard. Almost overlooking the main village street and the village pond is the beautiful church dedicated to St. Mary which has the only medieval stone spire in Suffolk.
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Wickham Market, a Historic Market Town in the county of Suffolk (11.3 miles, 18.1 km, direction NE)
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Nayland, in the county of Suffolk (13.1 miles, 21.1 km, direction SW)
The heady beauty of Suffolk has been the inspiration of artist's for centuries and the village of Nayland, in the hear of Constable country is no exception.
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Greenstead, in the county of Essex (15.0 miles, 24.1 km, direction SW)
Greenstead Church is said to be the oldest wooden building in the world. Well worth a visit..
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Nearby travel help

Ipswich Station	(0.6 miles, 0.9 km)
Derby Road Station	(1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction E)
London Stansted Airport	(40.6 miles, 65.3 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 9	(41.2 miles, 66.3 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 8	(42.5 miles, 68.4 km, direction W)
Cambridge Airport	(42.8 miles, 68.8 km, direction W)
Ipswich to London	(66.6 miles, 107.1 km, direction SW)

Hotels & Accommodation in Ipswich

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Ipswich center
Novotel Ipswich Centre	(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)
Golden Lion Hotel	(0.2 miles, 0.3 km)
The Carlton Hotel	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
Salthouse Harbour Hotel	(0.5 miles, 0.8 km)
Swallow Belstead Brook Hotel	(1.8 miles, 2.9 km, direction SW)
Holiday Inn Ipswich Orwell	(3.3 miles, 5.3 km, direction SE)
Hotel Elizabeth Copdock	(3.5 miles, 5.6 km, direction SW)
Best Western Claydon Country House Hotel	(3.8 miles, 6.1 km, direction NW)
Hintlesham Hall Hotel	(4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction W)
The Bull Hotel & Restaurant	(7.5 miles, 12.1 km, direction NE)
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