Included Excursion
West Stow Hall
Our visit today is West Stow Hall where we enjoy a fascinating guided tour with refreshments. This picturesque house is said to have been built by Sir John Croftes, Master of the Horse to Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor. Originally, the house was surrounded by a moat until it was filled in in 1840. Take the time to marvel at the Hall’s dignified architecture, with its decorative brick gatehouse, and explore the six acres of gardens, woods and paddocks here.
In the afternoon, we return to our hotel to relax or explore Bury St. Edmunds at our leisure.
Included Excursion
Constable Country: Flatford, Dedham & East Bergholt
We take a Blue Badge guided tour of Constable Country, travelling first to the picturesque Stour Valley and Dedham Vale, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty made famous by the paintings of John Constable. We stop first in the picturesque hamlet of Flatford where we admire some of the key views and locations which inspired many of Constable’s iconic paintings, including Flatford Mill and Willy Lott’s House, immortalised in The Haywain.
After our walk, we rejoin the coach and travel to the idyllic village of Dedham, where Constable went to school. Set on the River Stour with scenic water meadows, the village is the epitome of rural England with an attractive main street lined with Georgian-fronted houses, old inns and a large arts and crafts centre. Finally, we visit East Bergholt, located on the north bank of the River Stour, where Constable was born in 1776.
Included Excursion
Lavenham, Lavenham Guildhall & Melford Hall
Picturesque Lavenham is a remarkably well-preserved Tudor village which was one of the richest towns in England during the 15th century, thanks to the woollen-cloth industry. Here, we enjoy a guided walking tour learning more about the village’s fascinating history. We also visit Lavenham Guildhall, a fine timber-framed building that is a potent reminder of Lavenham’s former prosperity. During our introductory talk, we discover the stories of the people who have used the Guildhall through its almost 500 years at the heart of the community.
In the afternoon, we make our way to Melford Hall for a guided tour. During its history, this red-brick Tudor mansion with picturesque turrets has played host to Queen Elizabeth I, seen Civil War unrest and survived a disastrous fire in 1942. Home to the Hyde Parker family for more than two centuries, it remains their beloved family home to this day and contains fine collections of art, porcelain and furniture.