Minstrel’s Gallery. architectural grounds to be about a is a large red brick century earlier, and possibly the porch. Highlights Elizabethan house, built around a The original tower of the church was quadrangle and ornamented with destroyed by lightning around 1710. A Long Melford’s Riot Act was read to assembled mitre-topped turrets. It was mostly Georgian brick and plaster replacement 1 Historical Buildings villagers in 1885. was built around 1772, however this Long Melford is home to many historic At the southern end of Hall Street, look Melford Hall was considered rather unappealing. buildings with interesting architecture. out for a Victorian post box set into The present tower, which is 118 feet The grand red brick building in front of the wall of The Old Cottage, and old tall and dates from 1903, was therefore the church is Holy Trinity Hospital, built pub emblems above shop doorways. built around this older tower as part of in 1558 by Sir , Lord of At Chapel Green there is another old a commemoration to Queen Victoria’s the Manor of Melford. On the green maltings building, and the area further Diamond Jubilee. in front of the old hospital you can along the green (in front of the houses see the stump of the old 13th century on Roman Way) has been excavated as Melford Country Park & village market cross where a market part of the Roman road that originally constructed in the 16th Century, and 4 The Long Melford Walk was held from 1235. Further south, on ran through the village. sold to the Hyde Parker family in Melford Country Park is an 8 hectare the green opposite Melford Hall there is Further south is The Maltings (now 1786, who still own the hall to this Local Nature Reserve, made up of residential flats), built 1878 and owned Village Sign located on the day. was a cousin of the grassland, deciduous woodland and by the brewer Trumans. The brewing green near the Bull Hotel family and a frequent visitor to the Hall flooded former gravel workings. The industry played a vital role in Long from the 1890s onwards. The house is River Stour forms the western boundary Melford during the Victorian era. The now managed by the . of the park, and there is a beautiful old Railway Station, open between Both houses are open for visitors and walk through the woodland, lakes, 1865 and 1967 on the Stour Valley line events at various times throughout the grassland and along the river. There is between Sudbury and Cambridge, is year. a car park, toilets and plenty of picnic now a house. tables and benches for visitors. Holy Trinity Church Melford Walk is a 2 km stretch an unusual red brick building. This is a The Two Manors 3 This impressive church stands on along the former railway line on the water conduit, built in the 16th century 2 of Melford a hill at the north end of Long Melford. eastern boundary of Long Melford. It to supply spring water to Melford Hall. , one of ’s finest There has been a church on this site forms an area of over 4 hectares and Moving down Hall Street, The Mill B&B Tudor houses, was built between 1520 for at least 1,000 years, although passes under old bridges, through was formerly the home of WW1 poet and 1550 by the Clopton family who the church was almost entirely re- wooded valleys and on top of raised and author, who died were local wealthy merchants. built in the 15th century at a time of embankments with views of the village. in 1974. Next are the Bull Hotel (built The house stands at the end of a ¾ growing prosperity among the local 1450) and Brook House (built 1495) that mile long driveway flanked by ancient cloth merchants. The main body of the was once an inn. lime trees and has 30 acres of gardens church was completed in 1484, with Cocoa-nut House is a remnant of the and grounds. A classic example of the Lady Chapel being completed in coconut matting industry in Long an Elizabethan e-Plan manor house, 1496. The only parts of the structure Melford during the 19th Century. with the most extensive moat in the dating from before this time are the The Crown pub, built 1610 as a county. The house still retains its five bays of arcading at the west end coaching inn, was where the notorious grandeur including a Great Hall with a of the nave, which are considered on Long Melford Country Park

The Stour Valley

Picturesque villages, rolling farmland, rivers, meadows, ancient woodlands and a wide variety of local wildlife combine to create what many describe as the traditional English lowland landscape on the - border. The charm Walking in of the villages, fascinating local attractions and beauty of the surrounding countryside mean there’s no shortage of places to go and things to see. Long Melford Visiting Long Melford & the Stour Valley

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map No. 196 By bus: buses operate regularly (Sudbury, Hadleigh and the Dedham Vale). between Long Melford and Sudbury. For timetables, visit: By car: Long Melford is bypassed by the www.traveline.info A134, 12 miles south of By train: Long Melford is 3 miles from and 16 miles north west of . The Sudbury Train Station. For timetables, A134 is easily accessible from the A14, A12 visit www.nationalrail.co.uk or and A604. call: 03457 484950 For more information about the history There is parking available at Long Melford of Long Melford, visit the Heritage Centre Country Park and the Long Melford Heritage situated at the rear of the Village Memorial Centre (the starting points for the walking Hall in Chemists Lane. The centre is open routes), and next to The Old School from April until November on Saturdays Community Centre (CO10 9DX). Donation and Sundays 10am to 4pm, and Wednesdays boxes are present at all car parks. 2pm to 4pm. Admission is free.

Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project Email: [email protected] Tel: 01394 445225 Web: www.dedhamvalestourvalley.org

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Local circular walks – free AONB leaflets To Newmarket Stour Valley Project Area Local cycle routes – Stour Valley Path free AONB leaflets To Bury St Edmunds Country Parks and Picnic sites Public canoe launching locations. Great Bradley Craft must have an appropriate licence www.riverstourtrust.org To Bury St Edmunds Boxted Crown copyright. All rights reserved. © Suffolk County Council. Licence LA100023395 2020 To Great Bradle Great Newmarke t Thurlow HA Great Wratting Walking in VERHILL Cavendish y Kedington Wr Long atting Melford Long Melford Great HAVERHILL Clare Thurlow Great Bumpstea Steeple

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All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council. Licence LA100023395 County Council. Suffolk All rights reserved. Boxted Dedham

Langham MANNINGTREE Cavendish Wormingford Glemsford Crown copyright. Crown Great Horkesley To Colchester To Colchester Leaflet produced April 2020 and funded by: Foxeart h To Bulmer Boxted Halstead To Discover Long Melford, a historic ‘Wool Town’ Bury St Edmunds in the heart of the picturesque Stour Valley, Tw Melfor Long instea

Lamars that boasts an array of interesting features d d Content research and production supported by Councillor John Nunn and Councillor Lisa Tipper.h Printed on Recycled, FSC, and footpaths to explore. SUDBUR Walking routes courtesy of David & Sheila Williams. Cornard Great ECF, Carbon Balanced Paper Wo Bure s Y rmingfor d Leavenheat

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1 Naylan h Horkesle & Ipswic h To Hadleigh Great d To Colcheste y Stoke-by-Nayland r Po Boxted lstea Langha d To Colchester Stratfor d m Higham St Mary Raydon Dedham Bergholt Flatfor East To d Ipswic h MANNINGTRE Cattawade E Walking in Long Melford Walk 1 2 - The Southern Loop Melford Hall & Grounds

Walk 2 Cross over the bridge opposite the - The Melford Heritage Centre and take the footpath Manors & Church forking to the right and walk up a sunken lane. There is a good view 1 - 4 Location of Highlights (see overleaf) of Melford Hall on your right. Walk 3 straight ahead at the intersection Boundary of National Trust land of paths, where there is a great view 2 Map based on Ordnance Survey of Holy Trinity church and the Alms Copyright mapping. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Houses on your right. At the next Crown Copyright. Suffolk County intersection of paths, follow the Council Licence No. 100023395 2020 footpath on the right across the field, following line of telegraph poles. At the edge of field turn left up to the

Start Countryside road. Cross over the road in front of Westgate House. Head right and 1 Code take the marked footpath on your left, down the side of Westgate The area has a network of footpaths House. Follow path as signposted. and bridleways. We have marked 4 suggested routes on this map and have a few simple suggestions to help you enjoy the area safely and assist our work to care for it.

Please follow the Countryside Code: www.gov.uk/government/ publications/the-countryside-code

Plan ahead and follow any signs. • Leave things as you find them. Holy Triniity Church • Take your litter home. • Always clean up after your dog. On reaching a paddock, head right Start • Some livestock in fields so towards Holy Trinity church through please keep dogs under close 4 control. a steel gate and walk across the paddock. Go through the next steel gate. To your right, you can go and visit Holy Trinity Church. Then continue down the marked footpath opposite the church driveway, accessed through a wooden gate. Head down The Southern Loop continued... WALK towards a steel gate approximately 30 The Southern (waymarked unrestricted byway). 1 Loop Cross over the old railway bridge (this Kentwell Hall was one of the two bridges you walked This circular walk will lead you past a half miles, following the footpath under when on the old railway track). old Maltings buildings, along disused signs. You will go under two railway Go straight ahead between houses railway lines, down Long Melford’s bridges. At the end of the railway and down onto Bull Lane. Turn left. eclectic main street and through the walk you will reach a disused tarmac Just before the Bull Hotel there is a beautiful country park. Keep an eye road, turn right and go around a public toilet on your left, next to the out for the remnants of the town’s 6-bar metal gate. Walk up the tarmac Parish Council office. Pass along to the Victorian industry. road. At the end of the road, head right of the Bull Hotel with care. Turn right up a concrete path. On reaching left in front of the hotel onto Hall Street. Carry on down Long Melford’s Walking Distance: 4.9miles/7.9km The Long Melford walk Time: 2 hours (not including stops) main road – Hall Street. Once past the George & Dragon pub use the traffic Start/ Finish: Long Melford Country island opposite Long Melford library Park, Road, CO10 9HH to cross the road. Continue down the Free Parking at Country Park. street that becomes Little St Mary’s. Public toilets and café. Carry on walking and you will soon Terrain: Footpaths, tracks and reach the point of retracing your steps village roads. Route can be muddy a hard standing, go straight ahead back to the Country Park. yards on right. Walk across a paddock and follow a slight right onto an old to the far-right corner and go through in places. Dog friendly walk. car track between the fields. There woodland to another steel gate. Turn is a good view of Holy Trinity church WALK right keeping the fence and church From Melford Country Park, exit car The on your right and the Old Maltings on your right. Cross over a stile to the park in corner at pedestrian gate 2 Melford bottom of Kentwell Hall drive. The Hall signposted “Welcome to the Valley is at the end of the drive to your left if Trail”. Cross over an iron bridge, Manors you wish to visit. Turn right down the turn right following the footpath sign drive to the main gates. At the gates crossing old railway bridge. Follow the & Church head right along pavement with Lodge Follow this route to explore the Cottage on your right. At end of the picture postcard village of Long stone wall turn right and walk across Melford, taking in views of historic the green in front of the Holy Trinity The Bull Hotel Manor Houses and Churches. church. (Public toilets available Easter straight ahead. Follow the track to November). Cross over the green round to the right and continue left Walking Distance: 1.8miles/2.9km to Church Walk. Turn right if you wish keeping hedgerow on your right for Time: 1 hour (not including stops) to visit Holy Trinity Church. Turn left. Long Melford Country Park approximately 10 metres. Look for a Start/Finish: Long Melford Heritage Walk past the Black Lion Hotel and right turn through the hedge. cross the road. Continue walking down track around to the right up to main Centre, at Long Melford Village Cross over a foot bridge and follow passing Melford Hall on your left, the road (Station Road). Turn left. At Memorial Hall,CO10 9JQ the footpath crossing the field. Cross Old Village School on your right and Cameron Close, cross the road to join Terrain: Footpaths, tracks and over another foot bridge through the crossing over the bridge. Opposite the the old railway footpath signposted hedgerow into next field and follow village roads. One stile. Route can Bull Hotel turn right alongside Brook “Welcome to The Melford Walk”. path across field to hedge end. Walk be muddy in places. House and make your way back to the Walk straight ahead along the disused on right side of hedge. After about Dog friendly walk. start point. railway line for approximately one and 50 metres head right across the field