Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Visiting Lavenham and Long Melford

I went as a passenger recently on another of Woods Coaches day trips, this time into the beautiful county of Suffolk.

Woods are the Leicester company from whom I hire coaches for my own excursions, so I know they are a good company with good coaches and good drivers.

I never tire of visiting the lovely areas of England, Scotland and Wales, even when it is with another organiser. I don't have to worry then about any potential problems!

On this occasion, having left St. Margarets Bus Station, we made our way past Kettering and Huntingdon to Cambridge Services, where we had our coffee stop.

We then entered Suffolk, going through Newmarket and Clare, before arriving at the exquisite little town of Lavenham.

Lavenham is one of the showplace towns of England, in the lovely region where Essex and Suffolk meet, and which is truly the Old England that you knew must exist somewhere, but weren't sure where. Here it is.

I strolled happily around the town, bought a cake from the bakers in the Market Place, visited the Guildhall, and had a coffee and teacake at one of my favourite tea shops anywhere, the quaint Tickle Manor, which has recently changed its name to Tickled Pink. And of course I visited St. Peter and St. Paul Church.

Then it was on to Long Melford, a short journey as the two are not far apart.

I walked up the long High Street to the wonderful Village Green, one of the finest in England, and visited the excellent Holy Trinity Church, with its famous Lady Chapel.

Then on the way back to Leicester, we stopped at Cambridge Services again.

If you have never been to Lavenham and the surrounding area, you are missing out on a treat.