Suffolk Threads - The Story of the Suffolk Wool Towns

A small cluster of towns and villages in the heart of Suffolk known as the Suffolk Wool Towns rapidly became the jewel in the crown for Mediaeval England's booming textile trade, their heady success and global fame encouraging delegations of Flemish weavers to flock to villages such as Cavendish, Clare, Long Melford and Lavenham where the visitors shared their expertise with their Suffolk neighbours.

Perhaps even more significantly though, it also led to the creation of a distinctly lavish local architecture that endures today with Lavenham, still home to a multitude of exquisite listed buildings, proudly bearing the lofty mantle of ‘England's Best Preserved Mediaeval Village'.

To celebrate the unique history of the Suffolk Wool Towns, the Heritage Lottery funded project Suffolk Threads weaves together a rich tapestry of events that tell the fascinating story of this pivotal moment in English history. These include Guided Walks in Lavenham savouring the beautiful architecture and historic sites that attract thousands of visitors each year; a number of Heritage Open Days hosted by The National Trust at the Guildhall of Corpus Christi that include live demonstrations of traditional spinning and weaving techniques by the Lavenham Guild of Spinners & Weavers; and also, the opportunity to explore the online and printed Heritage Trail, which signposts visitors to all the key places in the Suffolk Wool Towns. Enjoy.