Sudbury, Suffolk Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located in the county of Suffolk, and around 20 miles west of Ipswich, is the town of Sudbury (not to be confused with Sudbury in northwest London).

Geographically, Sudbury lies adjacent to the River Stour on the border between Suffolk and Essex, determined predominantly by the Stour itself. The first recorded reference to the town dates back to circa 799 AD, with an account of Ælfhun, Bishop of Dunwich, dying here. It was recorded as Suðberie, meaning 'southern stronghold', with the 'sud' prefix presumably used to distinguish it from Bury St Edmunds to the north.

Sudbury's market predates the Norman invasion, having been established circa 1009 AD. During the medieval era, it had a thriving textile industry. This was aided by the immigration of Flemish weavers to the town during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century.

At the heart of the town is the former Church of St Peter. This was built in stages during the 14th and 15th centuries with some 19th century restoration. In 1972 the church was made redundant and later converted to an arts centre. It is Grade I listed.

In 1727 Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury. At the age of 13, he was sent to London to study art. He became a painter of both portraits and landscapes. In 1759 he moved to Bath, where he received various commissions from the high society therein. In 1769 he became one of the founding members of the Royal Academy. The most notable commission of his career was arguably King George III, whom he painted in 1780. Today Gainsborough is commemorated in his place of birth by both a statue (seen at the start of the walk), and a museum, namely Gainsborough's House on Gainsborough Street!

In 1849 the railway arrived in Sudbury courtesy of the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway. Initially it was the northern terminus of a branch line from Marks Tey on the Great Eastern Main Line. The line was extended to Cambridge by 1865, however the Beeching Report of the 1960s proposed the removal of the entire line from Marks Tey to Cambridge. Sudbury was spared closure, although it became once again the northern terminus of the branch line connecting to Marks Tey, which today is known as, you guessed it... the Gainsborough Line.

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Filmed: 2nd August 2023

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/KsaLeCvfLVfjLBds7

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Market Hill
1:55 Gainsborough Street
4:34 Stour Street
7:03 Mill Hill
7:16 Cross Street
11:08 Ballingdon Bridge / River Stour
12:18 Cross Street
12:49 Church Street
15:40 Friars Street
20:38 Market Hill
22:04 King Street
23:46 Old Market Place
24:31 East Street
25:54 North Street