Summary
On a bend in the River Orwell, Ipswich is among the oldest towns in the United Kingdom.
There existed a settlement here during Roman times; however, the foundations of the contemporary town stem from the Anglo-Saxon period.
Located just ten miles from Ipswich, Sutton Hoo is the site where an affluent Saxon ship burial was unearthed during the 1930s.
In Medieval times, Ipswich served as a Kontor, a foreign trading hub for the Hanseatic League. Subsequently, in the 17th century, the town became a departure point for emigrants to the colonies in New England.
The docks of Ipswich have undergone significant regeneration over the past 20 years, allowing visitors to observe yachts and dine al fresco during the summer months.
Christchurch Mansion is an elegant Tudor house and museum situated in Ipswich’s primary park, while the remarkable Willis Building represents one of Norman Foster’s initial projects.
Let us examine the top attractions in Ipswich:
1. Christchurch Park
The splendid Christchurch Park, opened in 1895, encompasses 70 acres of landscaped lawns and features two arboretums adorned with exotic trees.
This park was once the site of the Priory of the Holy Trinity until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII, followed by the establishment of the Tudor Christchurch Mansion in the 16th century.
Observant visitors may notice the modest lion’s head fountain, marking the last remnant of the priory. It is also believed that the ponds were excavated to supply fish for the monks.
The Upper and Lower Arboretums stand as highlights of Ipswich’s horticulture, with paths meandering past herbaceous borders, flowerbeds, a bandstand, and a croquet lawn.
Each July, Christchurch Park hosts Ipswich Music Day, the largest complimentary one-day music festival in the UK, while various events take place in conjunction with the Ipswich Carnival in April.
2. Christchurch Mansion
The affluent London merchant Edmund Withypoll dismantled the Priory of the Holy Trinity and constructed this magnificent residence in the late 1540s.
Grade I-listed, Christchurch Mansion is a stunning testament to heritage, featuring an authentic Tudor kitchen, a Georgian saloon, and an impressive collection of fine and decorative art, including toys and games from the Victorian era.
Visitors should allocate ample time to admire Lady Drury’s Cabinet, a series of painted wooden panels from the early 17th century, which were previously part of a bedroom closet at Hawstead House near Bury St Edmunds.
The mansion also displays exquisite pottery and glass, alongside paintings by notable artists Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable.
Notably, the kitchen is remarkable for its expansive fireplace framed by a Tudor arch.
3. Ipswich Museum
Housed in a brick building on High Street, built in 1881, Ipswich Museum showcases the heritage and natural history of Ipswich and Suffolk.
The gallery dedicated to the town’s origins displays Anglo-Saxon weapons, jewelry, and burial artifacts, along with replicas of the renowned discoveries at Sutton Hoo (Anglo-Saxon) and Mildenhall (Roman). Additionally, similar to many Victorian-era English museums, Ipswich Museum possesses a substantial zoological collection presented in elegant glass cabinets.
A mounted giraffe stands beside a historic diorama of African fauna, and visitors can see an Indian rhinoceros and the first gorillas ever seen in the UK.
The Suffolk Geology Gallery features fossils that span 70 million years, including the teeth of a megalodon, a giant Eocene shark, and remnants of other marine life discovered in Suffolk’s red crag deposits.
4. Ipswich Waterfront
This bend in the River Orwell has been a trade location since at least the 700s.
The expansive wet dock, which opened in 1842, was the largest enclosed dock in the country at that time.
Shortly thereafter, the prominent Old Custom House on Common Quay was established, and this Grade II-listed structure currently houses a conference center on its ground floor.
Since the late 1990s, the quaysides of the waterfront, which had previously experienced decline, have been revitalized.
Former warehouses have been transformed into restaurants and stylish residences, while sleek new apartment complexes have emerged on previously unused land.
The 250-berth Ipswich Haven Marina, opened in 2000, has introduced a continental ambiance to the waterfront.
5. The Ancient House
Located at Buttermarket, the Ancient House is an elegant merchant’s residence dating back to the 14th century.
The facade was enhanced with wood carvings and pargeting (ornamental plasterwork) in the 1660s, displaying the coat of arms granted to Ipswich by Charles II. This is flanked by four bay windows, each adorned with a figure representing the four known continents of the world in the 17th century: Africa, America, Asia, and Australia/Oceania, which was still uncharted by Europeans at that time.
The Ipswich Borough Council owns the house, having undertaken comprehensive restoration in the 1980s; it currently houses a branch of the homeware brand, Lakeland.
6. Holywells Park
Another beautiful expanse of greenery, Holywells Park spans 28 hectares of lawns, woodland, and ponds, located near Ipswich Dock.
This area has historically been clear and was owned by the Bishops of Norwich during Medieval times.
Excavations within Holywells Park have revealed tools from the Stone Age, Bronze Age axes, and Roman coins.
The park features an attractive Victorian stable block and conservatory available for events, as well as a visitor center and café that remain open year-round.
Children will surely enjoy the galleon-themed playground, inspired by the *Discovery*, a British East India Company vessel that reached Virginia in 1607, establishing Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.
7. Willis Building
This remarkable piece of 20th-century architecture is found on Friars Street, where visitors can admire one of the first buildings conceptualized by renowned architect Norman Foster.
This dark glass structure adapts to the irregular Medieval street layout and achieved Grade I listed status within 16 years of its completion.
Commissioned by what is now known as Willis Towers Watson, the Willis Building was finalized in 1975 and represents an early example of environmentally conscious design, featuring an insulating grass roof.
Interestingly, despite the building’s design intent to evolve with time, its listed status prohibits any updates.
8. St Mary le Tower
The civic church of Ipswich, located on Tower Street, gained prominence during the reign of the Anglo-Saxon monarch Edward the Confessor in the 11th century.
It was in the churchyard that Ipswich’s town charter was established under King John in 1200. The current structure, nearly entirely dating from the mid-19th century, is the fourth to have stood on this site.
Visitors should enter to view the pulpit, carved in 1700, while the organ has been modified from an instrument installed by the master organ-maker Renatus Harris during the 17th century.
Additionally, the church hosts two annual programs of lunchtime classical concerts, occurring from May to October and also leading up to Christmas.
9. New Wolsey Theatre
Established in 1979, the respected New Wolsey Theatre operates as a producing house and accommodates an audience of 400. After its reopening in 2001, this venue operates on a non-profit basis and has garnered substantial acclaim for attracting diverse audiences due to the scope of its productions while promoting talent from ethnic minorities.
Each June, the theatre hosts the Pulse Festival featuring contemporary performances from both emerging and established artists and companies.
Additionally, during the same month, visitors can participate in singing, drumming, and jazz ensemble workshops as part of the Ipswich Jazz Festival.
10. Ipswich Transport Museum
This warehouse, formerly a trolleybus depot situated in the southeast of the town, houses over 100 vehicles belonging to local transport operators such as the Eastern Counties Omnibus and Ipswich Corporation Transport.
It is a veritable treasure trove of transportation history, featuring a vast range from wheelchairs and prams to bicycles, fire engines, mobile cranes, charming vintage buses, trolleybuses, and trams.
Noteworthy exhibits include Bedford, AEC, and Bristol buses from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, along with the Ipswich Corporation Trolleybus, dating back to 1933. These key exhibits are complemented by vintage signs, posters, timetables, and models.
The museum is open on Sundays from April to November and on weekday afternoons during school holidays.
11. Regent Theatre
Seating up to 1,551 guests, the Regent Theatre is the largest performing arts venue in East Anglia.
This spacious venue was established in 1929 as a “cine-variety-hall,” screening films and hosting revue performances.
Music aficionados may find it exciting to know that the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, the Walker Brothers, Elvis Costello, and Siouxsie and the Banshees all performed here during its heyday as a concert hall in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
The Regent Theatre was rescued by Ipswich Borough Council in the early 1990s and presents diverse programming, featuring renowned comedians, touring musicals, classic pop musicians, and classical concerts presented by orchestras like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
12. Boat Trips
On sunny days, visitors may spend a pleasurable and enlightening hour or two cruising along the River Orwell from Ipswich’s waterfront.
The Orwell Lady departs from Orwell Quay between Easter and October, featuring a bar that serves snacks and soft drinks.
This hour-long cruise covers four miles towards the Freston Folly, a tower constructed in the 17th century, before returning to the quay.
During the voyage, passengers may pass beneath the Orwell Bridge where they might glimpse peregrine falcons and have a fair chance of spotting seals.
Extended cruises are also offered, including a 3.5-hour round trip to the port of Harwich, the launch point of the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower in the early 17th century.
13. Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich is home to the only professional football club in Suffolk, currently competing in the Championship, the second tier of English football.
Portman Road has served as the ground for Ipswich Town since 1884, hosting matches approximately every ten days from August to May.
Visiting supporters can often obtain tickets at the ticket office on match days, as Ipswich games rarely sell out.
Due to Ipswich’s rural surroundings, the club has affectionately earned the nickname the Tractor Boys.
The club’s most successful era was under the management of Bobby Robson in the early 1980s, culminating in the UEFA Cup triumph of 1981 and nearing victory in the old English First Division during the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. Ipswich Town’s main rival is Norwich City, and the two teams compete in the fiercely contested East Anglian Derby when in the same league.
Despite its quaint moniker, the Old Farm Derby possesses a rivalry nearly 120 years in the making.
14. The Giles Statue
Situated at Giles Circus, at the intersection of Buttermarket and Queen Street, this whimsical monument honors one of Ipswich’s most beloved 20th-century residents.
The esteemed newspaper cartoonist Carl Giles operated from an office in Clydesdale House, and a bronze statue of one of his most well-known characters, “Grandma,” gazes up from the street toward his former window.
“Grandma” served as the matriarch of a family portrayed in Giles’ cartoons for more than five decades, and rests upon a marble plinth, accompanied by circular seating beneath a line of young plane trees.
15. Sutton Hoo
A ten-mile journey east leads to Sutton Hoo, the location of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating to the 500s and 600s.
In 1939, one of these sites yielded England’s most significant Anglo-Saxon discovery, consisting of a ship burial that contained silver from Byzantium, gold and gem-encrusted dress fittings, a sword, a shield, and, most notably, a helmet featuring a face mask.
This helmet is now displayed at the British Museum, whereas the National Trust site allows visitors to explore the rolling landscape of mounds and learn more at the visitor center.
The exhibition presents the contents of mound 17, including a bone comb, weapons, and artifacts from a gold harness.
Insights about the excavation process undertaken in the 1930s and details concerning Anglo-Saxon burial rites are also provided, and children can partake in activities like writing runes and dressing as Anglo-Saxons.
