Hylton Cottage, Suffolk
A Brief Introduction to Lavenham Village
The cover image is the author’s own, and is of The Guildhall in Lavenham.
Hylton Cottage is located in the heart of Lavenham in Suffolk. One of the best preserved medieval towns in the country, Lavenham is a veritable time capsule. Quaint streets are lined with timber-framed houses, many decorated in pretty pastel plaster; some small, some grand, all sloping unevenly this way or that as if inebriated by the passage of time. Hylton Cottage is no exception, with its exposed oak beams and Tudor character.
The history of the village, and why its medieval and Tudor architecture is so perfectly preserved, is an interesting one. During the Middle Ages, Lavenham was one of the most prosperous towns in the country. It paid more taxes than both York or Lincoln. So great was the affluence of its citizens that on a visit to the town, Henry VII fined some of the locals for their ostentatious display of wealth.
During my visit, as I strolled around the now sleepy village, a friendly local, passing the time of day in the market square, recounted the village’s sorry decline. He told me how the town was made wealthy on account of its wool trade. Then, in the sixteenth century, Dutch immigrants began to manufacture cheaper cloth in the nearby Essex town of Colchester. Lavenham’s fate was sealed; it vibrant trade in wool declined rapidly; fortunes were decimated.
This sudden change meant that, subsequently, the townsfolk of Lavenham did not have the funds to continually upgrade their houses in accordance with the latest architectural fashions. Perfectly symmetrical, double-fronted, Georgian brick houses were an impossible dream. And so, thankfully for us, Lavenham’s medieval vibe prevailed.
Today, the village has come full circle, but for very different reasons. It is no longer the wool trade which brings wealth into the town but the tourist trade. Film-makers also regualrly use its medieval quirkiness as a backdrop for their creative endeavours. For example, Lavenham was used to film scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, providing inspiration for the fictitious Godric’s Hollow.
Lavenham is now renowned as being one of the best-preserved medieval villages in the country, full of architectural gems, including; an impressive wool church (built in the 1520s) with the tallest church tower in England and some fine internal, carved oak parclose (like a screen); a stunning Guildhall, which dominates the market place, and the rich terracotta-coloured Little Hall, a fine example of a medieval wool merchant’s house.
Historic Properties Nearby
Suffolk is one of my favourite counties for exploring Tudor history. My travel itinerary, A Four-Day Tour of Tudor Suffolk details the many Tudor places to visit and promises an action-packed itinerary for a four-day stay in the area.
Visitor Information
For more details on the accommodation, check out Hylton Cottage’s website.
Contact Details: email hyltoncottage@gmail.com or call +44 (0) 769692559.
Address: 63 High Street, Lavenham, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9PY.
