Pictures of Sudbury

a Historic Market Town in the county of Suffolk

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About Sudbury

Sudbury is an ancient market town full of evocative memories. It was the birthplace of Gainsborough one of England's greatest painters, whose former home still stands and is open for you to look around and soak up the atmosphere of a typical Suffolk home of the period.

This lovely town developed along the banks of the River Stour, in Thomas Gainsborough's time it was a busy river port. It was also East Anglia's most famous woollen centre and weaving continues in the town to this day. Most recently, in the 20th century the silk for the wedding dress of the late, Diana, Princess of Wales was spun at a mill in Sudbury.

A walk around the town reveals many attractive medieval and Georgian properties in the streets below Market Hill. The Old Moot Hall is 15th century, it is extremely picturesque with an overhanging storey, and the nearby Salter's Hall, has fine oriel windows.

In the town you can find atmospheric inns of yester-year, nearly all of which will be serving Maldons beer. This award winning beer has been brewed in Sudbury since the year 1795. You will also find pleasant shops, galleries, book shops, and antique emporiums to look around.

A short distance out of the town standing on the peaceful banks of the Stour you can see a gently turning 16ft mill wheel at the side of Hotel Elizabeth. The wheel is powered by the water of the Stour. This is a pleasant part of the Suffolk landscape which is well worth seeing.


This part of Suffolk was beloved by Gainsborough and Constable, both painted the beautiful landscape of the Stour valley. It is an area with historic roots stretching back to Saxon times as is borne out by some of the ancient churches to be discovered in scattered towns and villages. St.Gregory's is Sudbury's own parish church, it is Perpendicular with a west tower, and in the chancel there are large windows built by Simon de Sudbury. He became Archbishop of Canterbury and was murdered in 1387. In the church visitors can see a very ornate font canopy and fine misericords, and many other historic church treasures.

Sudbury is a quintessentially English town with a fine historic legacy, it is beautiful place to wander around, and likely you might feel you have been here before. That will be because Sudbury has played a central role in some fine film and television programmes. Parts of the town featured in the programme about irascible antiques dealer, Lovejoy.

One of the best ways of exploring both the town and the Stour valley is on foot. In the countryside beyond the town you will find plenty to see, especially churches and romantic looking houses, you will also find a plentiful supply of inns and good accommodation should you choose to spend a few days in a lovely landscape beneath pink tinged Suffolk skies, where the warmth and atmosphere reflects a timeless quality long since gone.

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 Sudbury

Dedham Vale	(0.0 miles, 0.0 km)	Pictures
Gainsborough's House	(0.5 miles, 0.8 km)	Pictures
Melford Hall	(2.9 miles, 4.6 km, direction N)	Pictures
Lavenham Guildhall	(5.5 miles, 8.8 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Hedingham Castle	(6.0 miles, 9.7 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Clare Castle Country Park	(6.1 miles, 9.8 km, direction W)	Pictures
East Anglian Railway Museum	(8.2 miles, 13.3 km, direction S)	Pictures
High Woods Country Park	(12.1 miles, 19.5 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Paycocke's	(12.3 miles, 19.9 km, direction S)	Pictures
Dedham Art and Craft Centre	(12.7 miles, 20.4 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Colchester Castle	(12.8 miles, 20.6 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Colchester Zoo	(13.0 miles, 20.9 km, direction SE)	Pictures
St. Botolph's Priory	(13.3 miles, 21.3 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Flatford Mill	(13.9 miles, 22.3 km, direction SE)	Pictures
St Edmundsbury Cathedral	(14.0 miles, 22.5 km, direction N)	Pictures

All attractions in Sudbury
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Recommended towns near Sudbury

Long Melford, in the county of Suffolk (2.2 miles, 3.5 km, direction N)
The picturesque village of Long Melford lies in the heart of the beautiful valley of the Stour River.
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Lavenham, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (5.6 miles, 9.0 km, direction NE)
Wonderful clusters of fine Tudor houses, all gracious in age, offer the visitor a glimpse of just how a prosperous wool town must...
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Castle Hedingham, a Picturesque Village in the county of Essex (6.4 miles, 10.3 km, direction SW)
Set in enchanting border countryside where the fine old counties of Suffolk and Essex meet, lies the delightful village of Castle Hedingham which has pleasant buildings and an historic castle to explore.
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Halstead, in the county of Essex (7.7 miles, 12.3 km, direction SW)
This busy little town lies surrounded by delightful Essex countryside. It is perhaps best known for the beautiful old white weatherboarded three-story mill built on the banks of the River Colne in the 18th century.
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Polstead, in the county of Suffolk (7.8 miles, 12.5 km, direction E)
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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Earls Colne, in the county of Essex (8.0 miles, 12.8 km, direction S)
This attractive village spreads out from the banks of the River Colne in the beautiful Colne valley.
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Nayland, in the county of Suffolk (8.0 miles, 12.8 km, direction SE)
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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Kersey, in the county of Suffolk (8.4 miles, 13.5 km, direction E)
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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Bildeston, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (8.9 miles, 14.4 km, direction NE)
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Whepstead, in the county of Suffolk (10.5 miles, 16.9 km, direction N)
This pleasant place is found amidst the rolling countryside of Suffolk and is but a few short miles from lovely Bury St. Edmunds.
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Kedington, in the county of Suffolk (10.8 miles, 17.3 km, direction W)
The Stour Valley footpath leads into Kedington which has several eye catching focal points, including a pretty arched bridge spanning the river and a lovely 18th-century watermill.
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Marks Tey, in the county of Essex (11.7 miles, 18.8 km, direction S)
Its location is ideally suited to anyone wishing to explore fine Essex countryside, coast and the beautiful town of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town.
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Coggeshall, in the county of Essex (11.9 miles, 19.2 km, direction S)
Standing in a town full of elaborate historic properties, the simple charm of Coggeshall water mill, reflected in the waters of the Blackwell River, captivates perfectly the image of an Essex of long ago, immortalised forever in paintings by Constable and Gainsborough.
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Colchester, a Historic Market Town in the county of Essex (12.5 miles, 20.2 km, direction SE)
Interestingly, this is England's oldest-recorded town. It has stood on the banks of the River Colne amid fine Essex countryside throughout some of history's most tempestuous times.
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Dedham, in the county of Essex (12.6 miles, 20.2 km, direction SE)
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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Nearby travel help

Sudbury Station	(0.4 miles, 0.7 km)
Bures Station	(5.3 miles, 8.5 km, direction S)
M11 Junction 9	(23.2 miles, 37.4 km, direction W)
London Stansted Airport	(23.5 miles, 37.7 km, direction SW)
M11 Junction 10	(25.3 miles, 40.7 km, direction W)
Cambridge Airport	(26.1 miles, 42.0 km, direction NW)
Sudbury to London	(52.0 miles, 83.6 km, direction SW)

Hotels & Accommodation in Sudbury

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Sudbury center
Hotel Elizabeth The Mill	(0.3 miles, 0.4 km)
The Black Boy	(0.3 miles, 0.5 km)
The Olde Bull Hotel	(0.5 miles, 0.8 km)
The Boathouse Hotel ****	(0.5 miles, 0.8 km)
Tarantella Hotel & Restaurant	(0.7 miles, 1.1 km)
The Bull Hotel	(2.5 miles, 4.0 km, direction N)
The Black Lion Hotel And Restaurant	(3.1 miles, 4.9 km, direction N)
The George	(5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction NW)
Queens House Guest House	(5.3 miles, 8.6 km, direction SE)
The Swan	(5.4 miles, 8.7 km, direction NE)
All hotels in Sudbury