334 The Testimony, August 2005 SCENES The River Orwell PICTURES: DERRICK BANYARD

Ipswich is the county town of ; it lies about seventy miles northeast of London and twelve miles from the coast. The town occupies land rising to the north and east from the area adjacent to the , which becomes the Orwell at Ipswich, connecting it with the North Sea at (Britain’s premier container port) and . A plentiful supply of fresh water from springs on the hillsides was an attractive feature for settlers. A prosperous community in 1066 when William the Norman won the Battle of Hastings, Ipswich then suffered damage and decline, but recovered to flourish again, receiving a charter from King John in May 1200. The prosperous merchants built houses (some still surviving) conveniently close to the as yet timber-supported quays. The town’s markets were busy, and for several centuries houses and shops multiplied within the earthen ramparts that were erected in 1203. There were markets for cattle and local produce—apples, fish, cheese, butter and poultry—besides the handmade products of the town’s potteries, known as ‘Ipswich Ware’, which was supplied throughout and exported to then distant places like Yorkshire and Kent. Set in a corn-growing region, Ipswich was engaged in milling. Later, an Ipswich engineering firm manufactured milling machinery for use nationwide. Barley was brought to Ipswich, and the exceptionally pure water from the ‘Holy Wells’ was sent down river to Harwich for the making of beer, an activity which in 1746 moved to Ipswich. The present population of about 120,000 reminds us that it was to a city of this size, Nineveh, that the prophet Jonah was sent by God to warn of impending danger (Jon. 4:11). In this series of ”Ipswich Scenes” we hope to draw some lessons from scenes in and around this ancient town.—Derrick Banyard