Heritage and History: An Ipswich Tour from the Museum to the Waterfront

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.