Heritage and History: An Ipswich Tour from the Museum to the Waterfront
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Enjoy sights and scenes from England’s oldest county town on a walking tour around Ipswich.
Starting in front of the Ipswich Museum, you’ll wind your way through the old town, taking in its ancient buildings and medieval churches. From there, you’ll wander through the picturesque 70-acre Christchurch Park where I’ll show you Wilderness Pond and the historical Christchurch Mansion. I’ll share some of the Tudor-style building’s 500-year history, including how it’s home to a much-loved mammoth nicknamed ‘Wool I Am’.
On your way to Ipswich’s Waterfront, I’ll tell you a few antics involving empowered women who made a difference in Ipswich’s history, including prominent suffragette, Constance Andrews, and the town’s first female mayor, Mary Whitmore. You’ll hear about the town’s University of Suffolk, the contemporary artists that have performed there, and the films that have used it as a set. Along the way, I’ll fill you in on the celebrated Ipswich Town Football Club and share some of my own personal memories and anecdotes about the town, like taking my mum to a Rod Stewart concert!
On this tour, you’ll learn about the fascinating people with links to the town, including:
- Novelist Charles Dickens who wrote the famous ‘Pickwick Papers’ here
- Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, almoner to King Henry VIII
- Margaret Catchpole, a servant girl who was jailed, given two death sentences and sent to Australia where she inspired a couple of books, films, and even an opera
- 20th-century cartoonist, Carl Giles, who lived in the town
- The late Queen Elizabeth II who opened the significant maritime building, Old Customs House
While away an hour or so discovering Ipswich’s hidden lanes, or stop to relax in the cafes I mention along the route. Whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor, join me in celebrating the secrets and magic of Ipswich while you learn about the town’s culture, history, and heritage.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Nicki Bannerman
Nicki Bannerman is a London and Suffolk based radio broadcaster, host presenter, producer and podcast content creator, passionate about emotive human interest, lifestyle and empowering stories. As a copywriter, marketing consultant and broadcast journalist Nicki has also written regularly for magazines and newspapers, ghost-written multiple biographies and organised high profile events for music, film, tech and publishing companies including immersive theatre and working with Olympian athletes.
She is a host presenter of a wellbeing and lifestyle show on GenXRadio Suffolk and previous newsreader and reporter on community radio, has been a regular guest on BBC Suffolk and BBC Essex. Previously a producer/presenter on London's Radio Gorgeous with only female voices and has produced for the media and broadcasting industry including commissioned projects for Audible/ Amazon, and the BBC in London producing and host presenting podcasts to help women in broadcast. Her interviews have covered red carpet and back stage events and lifting men and women's voices for the Radio Academy including interviewing music stars and celebrities and broadcasters.
Nicki founded her own podcast 'The Influential Women Podcast' and hosts on all podcasting platforms including Apple, Google, Spotify and Alexa launched at WOWFest on International Womens Day in 2017. This podcast helps others with adversity by hearing the stories of inspiring and influential broadcasters, celebrities, authors and community representatives about their lives, influences, mantras and adversity they have overcome which may just help others in their day or their lives. Her proudest interviews include Ruby Wax and Frank Bruno on mental health, Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs and Nicholas Parsons and Vernon Kay on their work amongst many others.
Nicki takes commissions for podcasts, voice-overs and digital social marketing, content creation, scripts and copywriting projects. www.nickibannermanradio.co.uk and has voiced in Norway and for London hotels for Voicemap and multiple tours.
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 17
Giles Circus (Giles Statue)
This statue celebrates Britain’s greatest 20th century newspaper cartoonist, Carl Giles. Rejected from war service for being blind and deaf he started working in animation as a war correspondent cartoonist.
The statue looks up t... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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Ipswich Museum
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Christchurch Park
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Christchurch Mansion
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Ipswich County Library
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Ipswich St Lawrence Church
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Ancient House
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Ipswich Town Hall
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Cardinal Wolsey Statue
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Ipswich Waterfront
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Old custom house
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationHigh St, Ipswich IP1 3QH, UK
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Total distance3km
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Distance back to start location1km
Directions to Starting Point
Start: Ipswich Museum, High St, Ipswich IP1 3QH
There is street parking and a public car park nearby.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
There are plenty of places to stop along the way including pubs and taverns, independent and high street shops
restaurant and cafes, shops and the park surrounding for a picnic or ice cream if the kiosk is open near the beginning of the tour.
Best time of day
During daytime hours will offer you the shopping experience, the 5 bells peel on a Wednesday at 12.30 from the magnificent church and the park is open longer in summertime until early evening.
Precautions
There are plenty of food and hot refreshments along the route so just bring a camera for those special shots, perhaps a bottle of water and possibly sunblock or an umbrella with our unpredictable weather. You may fancy a picnic rug if you want to enjoy the park at the beginning of the tour although park benches are dotted about.
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