We started the tour – led by the witty and knowledgeable Mike Garland – outside St Stephen’s, one of 12 medieval churches in the town centre. We are told this area has been lived and worked in since at least 850, possibly earlier, making Ipswich one of the four oldest, continuously occupied towns in England, alongside Southampton, London, and York.
Colchester can thank Boudica’s levelling of their town for their omission on this prestigious list, despite their best promotional efforts, because it hasn’t been continuously inhabited.
Apparently the Saxons wouldn’t have lived in the exposed Roman ruins of Colchester, post-Boudica rampage. Who would’ve known they were so fussy? Mike signposted us to a Saxon poem called ‘The Ruins’ to add further weight to his argument. The poem is actually written about Bath, but it neatly represents the Saxon view, that living in another culture's ruins would be disgraceful, and unappealing. Sorry (not sorry) Colchester. Better get the Tippex out.
Moving onto the Ancient House
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings in Ipswich, we were met with a challenge from Mike. Would Thomas Wolsey would have seen Ancient House? What do you think? Without giving too much away, the answer led us into a fascinating discussion about architecture, haphazard restoration, and how some questions have more than one answer. Such was the magnetism of this conversation, that we attracted passers-by into the debate, who passionately shared their own understanding of the building's history.
A significant portion of our time at Ancient House was spent occupied by our well-informed guide debunking several myths about its history, including the ever persistent legend that King Charles II hid on-site during his flight from England.
Never one to state an opinion without backing it up with an impressive amount of evidence from a variety of reputable sources, Mike’s whistle stop tour of this legend was an impressive feat. He even explained how this story – first posited by a Cambridge Professor – came to be so prevalent. To find out more, you'll have to go on one of his tours. But the summary is simple, it can be traced back to the local pub. Why is that not surprising?
Pub culture
In a place like Ipswich, where pub culture has always been part of the fabric of the town, we inevitably ended up discussing the hotly debated topic of the ‘oldest pub in Ipswich’. Much like the oldest town debate, it all hinges on the ‘continuous use’ factor, with The Spread Eagle being the sole contender.
If other pubs are older, and its still a big ‘if’, none of the other pubs in town have retained their public house status for the duration. Many others having being converted into residential use in their lifetimes, even if temporarily.
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
No tour of Ipswich would be complete without tales of Ipswich's greatest son, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, so it was appropriate that our last stop of the day was at his statue on St Nicholas Street.
After dealing with what we don’t know about his life—where exactly he was born in Ipswich or where exactly he is buried—Mike moved on to what we do. The inscription at the base summarises Wolsey’s approach to education, saying that he "believed that pleasure should mingle with study so that the child may think learning an amusement." A laudable ethos that seems so far ahead of its time.
Another modern idea that Wolsey championed was fair representation in legal matters, making it possible for the poor to go to court for free. An idea that didn’t endear him to the rich folks of the town.
Finishing up
The whole tour was magnificent, combining historical facts and expertly debunked fables.
In only a short time, we learnt so much. From methods of historical timber construction to the importance of clay to Ipswich and the significant archaeological discovery of the ‘Ipswich Man’ – the remains of a North African man dating back to the 1200s found in Greyfriars.
Even if you know Ipswich well, attending one of these tours will arm you with new information and facts to entertain friends and maybe even charm your pub quiz team into first place.
For more information, visit https://ipswichtourguides.onesuffolk.net/about-us/
