Lavenham, Part 3

Back with some more treats from Lavenham

Life seems to be running away with me at present with each day bringing new challenges/visits/studies/outings (including attending 4 modules of Hebrew studies this week) and I note the sign on the wine shop here - "Keep calm and drink wine" I think I prefer the initial challenge of "Keep calm and carry on"

Or a few quiet moments in a tea room

There is so much history in Lavenham and here we see the old Wool Hall on Lady Street

The Grove, the conjectured head  house of Thomas Spring, the Rich Clothier, was where a Roman bath or crypt was discovered in the garden 

We are now walking towards the Market Place where fairs and weekly markets were held here, dating as far back as 1290

The Guildhall seen here has lots of history of it's own so I will save that for another post

Grannie's Attic - an antique shop

An Estate Agents (Realtor for USA visitors)

and Little Hall is the HQ of the Suffolk Preservation Society.

Built in the 15th Century, this medieval house was originally an open hall. In the next century a new brick chimney was added and a floor inserted, thus providing a completely new first floor room.

The left hand side of the house may be 14th century, while the right side was probably added in the 16th century. In the 18th century the hall was divided into tenements, home for 6 families 

Looking down the entrance way of Little Hall

we did not have time to go around it today as it was the day our friends came up to visit

The Market Cross was bequeathed to the town by rich clothier William Jacob in  his will of 1500. The base of the cross is original though the shaft shows the date 1725

Back onto the High Street

Funny how men always stop and look at old cars

as here with this Alvis

The Cock inn

and looking behind us as we walk back up the High Street, a road that was originally a track joining the manors of Overhall and Netherhall. Roman artefacts were found as recent as 2002 during a house renovation

The Greyhound Pub lower down the street and photographed in my last post is where Lois Napoleon is alleged to have stayed on his way to Brettenham Park as a Prisoner of War.

and now continuing our walk along Prentice Street, a purely residential street

We will continue walking down this street in the next post

but now to answer a few questions posed by followers

1. The beams in old cottages are not just external but very thick and extending into the house

2. Often there is a slope to floors, it is where the house has settled. They can be levelled on top of what is already there and some people do this

However I have stayed or visited many places over the years where there is a slightly sloping floor (there was in our holiday cottage this year upstairs) and I find it a strange experience, leaning over a wash basis can feel a bit like being on a plane to me but I am sure people get used to it

Royal Visitors to this village

1275 - HM King Edward I - he was the eldest son of King Henry III

1578 - HM Queen Elizabeth I was said to have passed through 

1928 - Queen Mary visited Lavenham church

1996 - HRH The Prince of Wales visited the church

2005 - HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited The Guildhall and Little Hall

Enough for one post I think but much more to come