Minstrel’s Gallery. architectural grounds to be about a Melford Hall is a large red brick century earlier, and possibly the porch. Long Melford 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 William Cordell, 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. Beatrix Potter 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 National Trust. 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. Kentwell Hall, one of England’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, Edmund Blunden who died were local wealthy wool 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 Suffolk-Essex 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 Bury St Edmunds By train: Long Melford is 3 miles from and 16 miles north west of Colchester. 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 Thurlow HA Great Glemsford Wratting VERHILL Walking in t Cavendish y Kedington Wr Long atting Melford Long Melford Great HAVERHILL Clare Thurlow Great Bumpstea Steeple Foxearth Sturme Stoke by Clare Sturmer SUDBURY To Hadleigh r & Ipswich d Ke To 101 dingto Bury St Edmunds Steeple Great Bumpstead Cornard To Braintree Bulmer n Raydon Polstead To Braintre To Ipswich To Halstead Stoke by Clar Tw instead Stoke-by-Nayland Leavenheath Higham Clar e Lamarsh Stratford East e Nayland Bergholt Bures St Mary Cattawade e All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council. Licence LA100023395 Flatford Boxted Dedham Langham MANNINGTREE Cavendish Wormingford Glemsford Crown copyright. Great Horkesley To Colchester To Colchester Leaflet produced April 2020 and funded by: Foxeart To Bulmer Boxted Halstead To Discover Long Melford, a historic ‘Wool Town’ h 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 Y rmingfor s Leavenheat A107 d 1 Naylan h Horkesle & Ipswic To Hadleigh Great d To h Colcheste y Stoke-by-Nayland r Po Boxted lstea Langha d To Colchester Stratfor m Higham St Mary d 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.