Sudbury: How industry shaped our town

Join our expert Blue Badge Guide, Claire Partner, as we weave our way around Sudbury's historic streets that are steeped in our industrial heritage.

Architectural clues and monuments from these various trades stand proudly throughout the town; from characterful Weavers’ Cottages, to mighty Silk Mills, Sudbury’s three magnificent medieval churches and splendid timber framed buildings, the architectural legacy of the wealth of Sudbury’s wool and cloth trades over the centuries. Sudbury also has a rich brick-making heritage (and active industry), as well as agriculture and a trading centre that is still alive and well in our 1000 year old market.

As we celebrate 175 years of the railway coming to Sudbury (The Gainsborough Line) will also be exploing how the routes (roads, river, rail) in and out of Sudbury over the centuries that have enabled our industries, culture and communities to stay connected and thrive. From the Bronze, Iron Age and Saxon fortifications that laid the foundations for Sudbury's current street pattern, the roads taken in and out by merchants trading at our 1000 year old market, to the new possibilities of The Stour Navigation Act in the early 1700s for trade, to the coming of the railway to Sudbury in the mid-1800s opening new possibilities for not only trade but for leisure and the handsome Victorian architecture that came with this new growth.

Timings & Tours

Saturday 20 September:

12:30

Location & directions

Heritage Open Days pop-up gazebo (by Gainsborough Statue), Market Hill, Town Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2EA

Directions:

Please meet us for your tour at our dedicated Heritage Open Days pop-up gazebo by The Thomas Gainsborough Statue on Market Hill.

Contact on day:

Rachel Price

Telephone number:

+441787372331

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking preferred

Booking conditions:

Please pre-book your tickets via the tours booking link at: sudbury-tc.gov.uk/hods

Booking contact name:

Rachel Price

Booking telephone number:

+441787372331

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking website:

https://sudbury-tc.gov.uk/hods

Booking opens:

18 Aug 2025 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

20 Sep 2025 01:00 AM

Accessibility details

This is an outdoor walking tour taking place in the historic town centre of Sudbury. Some of the streets are narrow and uneven but the tour is step free and accessible for those using wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Additional information

This is an outdoor guided tour so please wear appropriate footwear and come prepared for all weathers. There is ample parking as well as a train station and bus service. For parking, take a look at our guide: sudbury-tc.gov.uk/parking and visiting information at: sudbury-tc.gov.uk/explore

Max no of people per tour:

25

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

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