Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England , Wales and Northern Ireland . The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland , similarly chartered communities were known as royal burghs , although the status is no longer granted.
110-581: Ipswich ( / ˈ ɪ p s w ɪ tʃ / ) is a port town and borough in Suffolk , England. It is the county town , and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds , and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia , after Peterborough and Norwich . It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of London and in 2011 had a population of 144,957. The Ipswich built-up area
220-576: A blue glass cup with a trailed decoration, similar to the recent find from the Prittlewell tomb in Essex. There were two gilt-bronze discs with animal interlace ornament , a bronze brooch, a silver buckle, and a gold-coated stud from a buckle. Four objects had a special kinship with the Mound 1 finds: the tip of a sword blade showed elaborate pattern welding; silver-gilt drinking horn-mounts (struck from
330-546: A gallows once stood on Mound 5, in a prominent position near to a significant river-crossing point, and that the graves contained the bodies of criminals, possibly executed from the 8th and 9th centuries onwards. In 2000, a Suffolk County Council team excavated the site intended for the National Trust 's new visitor centre , north of Tranmer House , at a point where the ridge of the Deben valley veers westwards to form
440-633: A municipal airport to the south-east of the town, which was opened in 1929 by the Ipswich Corporation . The airport was controversially closed in 1996. The site was redeveloped for housing as the Ravenswood estate. Ipswich has experienced a building boom in the early part of the 21st century. Construction has mainly concentrated around the former industrial dock which is now known as the Ipswich Waterfront . Regeneration to
550-405: A promontory . When the topsoil was removed, early Anglo-Saxon burials were discovered in one corner, with some possessing high-status objects. The area had first attracted attention with the discovery of part of a 6th-century bronze vessel, of eastern Mediterranean origin, that had probably formed part of a furnished burial. The outer surface of the so-called "Bromeswell bucket" was decorated with
660-464: A Syrian- or Nubian -style frieze , depicting naked warriors in combat with leaping lions, and had an inscription in Greek that translated as "Use this in good health, Master Count, for many happy years." In an area near to a former rose garden, a group of moderate-sized burial mounds was identified. They had long since been levelled, but their position was shown by circular ditches that each enclosed
770-486: A cathedral, so the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is based at Bury St Edmunds , the former county town of West Suffolk . Ipswich is the largest town in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds , and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia , after Peterborough and Norwich . It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of London and in 2011 had a population of 144,957. The Ipswich built-up area
880-493: A centre may have existed at Rendlesham, Melton , Bromeswell or at Sutton Hoo. It has been suggested that the burial mounds used by wealthier families were later appropriated as sites for early churches. In such cases, the mounds would have been destroyed before the churches were constructed. The Sutton Hoo grave field contained about twenty barrows ; it was reserved for people who were buried individually with objects that indicated that they had exceptional wealth or prestige. It
990-614: A condition of planning permission. The town has three museums: Ipswich Museum , the Ipswich Transport Museum and Christchurch Mansion. The New Wolsey Theatre is a 400-seat theatre situated on Civic Drive. Although the Wolsey Theatre was built in 1979, The New Wolsey Company took on the management and running of the Wolsey Theatre in 2000, opening its first production in February 2001. DanceEast, which has
1100-545: A continuum from pre-Christian royal accumulation of precious objects from diverse cultural sources, through to the art of gospel books, shrines and liturgical or dynastic objects. On the head's left side was placed a "crested" and masked helmet wrapped in cloths. With its panels of tinned bronze and assembled mounts, the decoration is directly comparable to that found on helmets from the Vendel and Valsgärde burial sites in eastern Sweden. The Sutton Hoo helmet differs from
1210-442: A cup, and an ivory box. Mound 7 also contained gaming-pieces, as well as an iron-bound bucket, a sword-belt fitting and a drinking vessel, together with the remains of horse, cattle, red deer , sheep, and pig that had been burnt with the deceased on a pyre . Mound 6 contained cremated animals, gaming-pieces, a sword-belt fitting, and a comb. The Mound 18 grave was very damaged, but of similar kind. Two cremations were found during
SECTION 10
#17327811354321320-561: A developing and varied programme of events from visual arts, performing arts, literature, film and music, notably a free music day in Christchurch Park . The Ultrazang monthly live music night began in 2009. The Ipswich Jazz Festival is a jazz music and arts festival started in 2015 in partnership with the Ipswich Arts Festival and mixes established jazz talent, rising stars and regional players. Ipswich had
1430-413: A dress-fastener, and the hinges of a casket, all made of silver, and also a fragment of embroidered cloth. This important grave, damaged by looters, was probably the source of the many iron ship- rivets found at Sutton Hoo in 1860. In 1938, when the mound was excavated, iron rivets were found, which enabled the Mound 2 grave to be interpreted as a small boat. Carver's re-investigation revealed that there
1540-418: A former airfield), Rose Hill , Rushmere , Springvale , St Margarets , Stoke , Warren Heath , Westbourne , Whitehouse and Whitton . To the east of the town is Trinity Park near Bucklesham the home of the annual Suffolk Show , a typical county show . The 'Trinity' is the name given to the three animals native to the county of Suffolk, namely Red Poll cattle, the powerful Suffolk Punch horse and
1650-476: A fragment from a burial at Caenby , Lincolnshire, until the 2009 discovery of the Staffordshire hoard , which contained many. The helmet rusted in the grave and was shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments when the chamber roof collapsed. These fragments were catalogued and organised so they could be reassembled. To the head's right was placed inverted a nested set of ten silver bowls, probably made in
1760-660: A hill "shaped like a heel spur". Hoo was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hoi / Hou . Sutton Hoo lies along a bank of the tidal estuary of the River Deben . On the opposite bank the harbour town of Woodbridge stands 7 miles (11 km) from the North Sea and below the lowest convenient fording place. It formed a path of entry into East Anglia during the Sub Roman Britain period that followed
1870-401: A long removable chained pin. The surfaces display panels of interlocking stepped garnets and chequer millefiori insets, surrounded by interlaced ornament of Germanic Style II ribbon animals. The half-round clasp ends contain garnet-work of interlocking wild boars with filigree surrounds. On the underside of the mounts are lugs for attachment to a stiff leather cuirass . The function of
1980-524: A merchant house which features tudor pargeting and the Ipswich window . The former East Suffolk County Hall is just east of the centre of Ipswich. It is listed as a building at risk by the Victorian Society . The Town Hall remains in use as an arts centre and events venue; it dates from 1866 (architects: Bellamy & Hardy of Lincoln). The 18th Century Grade II listed Old Post Office, which
2090-436: A notable punk scene and influential grindcore band Extreme Noise Terror , formed in the town in 1985. It also features art and photography exhibitions, film screenings and workshops held in venues across the town. Ipswich is covered by BBC Look East and ITV News Anglia both broadcast from Norwich . The town has five local radio stations, BBC Radio Suffolk which broadcast from its studios on St Matthews Street in
2200-472: A pin and a chatelaine . The most impressive of the burials without a chamber is that of a young man who was buried with his horse , in Mound 17. The horse would have been sacrificed for the funeral, in a ritual sufficiently standardised to indicate a lack of sentimental attachment to it. Two undisturbed grave-hollows existed side by side under the mound. The man's oak coffin contained his pattern welded sword on his right and his sword-belt, wrapped around
2310-590: A resolution admitting "persons of distinction" and persons who have "rendered eminent service" to be an honorary freeman of the borough. This power has been used to grant honorary freedom not only to individuals, but to units and ships of the armed forces. Borough charters granted under section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts of England Granted city status in 2012 Renamed Redcar and Cleveland 1996 Abolished 1998 Abolished 1996 Greater London
SECTION 20
#17327811354322420-639: A right-handed owner. The unorthodox sword placement on the right side of the body supports this theory, as other Anglo Saxon burials placed the sword on the left side of the body. David M. Wilson has remarked that the metal artworks found in the Sutton Hoo graves were "work of the highest quality, not only in English but in European terms". Sutton Hoo is a cornerstone of the study of art in Britain in
2530-503: A shield of normal size. The shield bore an ornamented boss-stud and two fine metal mounts, ornamented with a predatory bird and a dragon-like creature. The ship-burial discovered under Mound 1 in 1939 contained one of the most magnificent archaeological finds in England for its size and completeness, far-reaching connections, the quality and beauty of its contents, and for the profound interest it generated. Although practically none of
2640-420: A small deposit indicating the presence of a single burial, probably of unurned human ashes. One burial lay in an irregular oval pit that contained two vessels, a stamped black earthenware urn of late 6th-century type, and a well-preserved large bronze hanging bowl , with openwork hook escutcheons and a related circular mount at the centre. In another burial, a man had been laid next to his spear and covered with
2750-593: A soundscape of immense scale. Eastern Angles Theatre Company is based at the Sir John Mills Theatre in Ipswich, named after the famous actor who lived in Felixstowe as a child. In 2012 it celebrated its 30th anniversary. The group engages in rural tours and seasonal performances. The Ipswich Arts Festival , known as 'Ip-art' has been the town's annual summer arts festival since 2003 and seen
2860-515: A timber merchant. Other industries have been established to the south of the wet dock. The area was flooded in 2013 during a tidal surge. In February 2019 a flood gate , which protects the "New Cut", was unveiled. The flood barrier, similar in design to the Thames Barrier , cost £67m. The Ipswich Village Development , begun in 2002 around Russell Road, is home to Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council . Holywells Ward, Ipswich
2970-473: A town or urban area. Outside Greater London , borough status is granted to metropolitan and non-metropolitan districts under the provisions of section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 . This section allows the council of a district to petition the monarch for a charter granting borough status. The resolution must have the support of at least two-thirds of the councillors. Having received
3080-559: A wooden trough or dugout bier , a Frankish iron-headed throwing-axe , and imported objects from the eastern Mediterranean , including the lid of a bronze ewer , part of a miniature carved plaque depicting a winged Victory , and fragments of decorated bone from a casket . Under Mound 4 was the cremated remains of a man and a woman, with a horse and perhaps also a dog, as well as fragments of bone gaming-pieces. In Mounds 5, 6, and 7, Carver found cremations deposited in bronze bowls. In Mound 5 were found gaming-pieces, small iron shears,
3190-467: Is divided into thirty-two London boroughs . Their borough status dates from 1965, although each of them had previously included municipal , county or metropolitan boroughs: The districts created in 1974 were abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 . The 1994 Act amended section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972, allowing the new unitary county councils established by
3300-452: Is located at 15 Tavern Street. In the mid-19th century coprolite (fossilised animal dung) was discovered; the material was mined and then dissolved in acid , the resulting mixture forming the basis of Fisons fertiliser business. The Tolly Cobbold brewery, built in the 18th century and rebuilt in 1894–96, is one of the finest Victorian breweries in the UK. There was a Cobbold brewery in
3410-493: Is made in three parts. The plate is a long ovoid of a meandering but symmetrical outline with densely interwoven and interpenetrating ribbon animals rendered in chip-carving on the front. The gold surfaces are punched to receive niello detail. The plate is hollow and has a hinged back, forming a secret chamber, possibly for a relic . Both the tongue-plate and hoop are solid, ornamented, and expertly engineered. Each shoulder-clasp consists of two matching curved halves, hinged upon
Ipswich - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-468: Is situated on a second hill-spur about 500 m (1,600 ft) upstream of the first. It was discovered and partially explored in 2000, during preliminary work for the construction of a new tourist visitor centre. The tops of the mounds had been obliterated by agricultural activity. The cemeteries are located close to the River Deben estuary and other archaeological sites. They appear as a group of approximately 20 earthen mounds that rise slightly above
3630-519: Is the area around Holywells Park , a 67-acre (27-hectare) public park situated near the docks, and the subject of a painting by Thomas Gainsborough . Alexandra Park is the nearest park to the waterfront's northern quay, and situated on Back Hamlet, adjacent to University of Suffolk . Localities outside the town centre include Bixley Farm , Broke Hall , California , Castle Hill , Chantry , The Dales, Gainsborough , Greenwich, Maidenhall , Pinewood , Priory Heath , Racecourse , Ravenswood (built on
3740-516: Is the fourth-largest in the East of England and the 42nd-largest in England and Wales. It includes the towns and villages of Kesgrave , Woodbridge , Bramford and Martlesham Heath . Ipswich was first recorded during the medieval period as Gippeswic , the town has also been recorded as Gyppewicus and Yppswyche . It has been continuously inhabited since the Saxon period, and is believed to be one of
3850-403: Is the fourth-largest in the East of England and the 42nd-largest in England and Wales. It includes the towns and villages of Kesgrave , Woodbridge , Bramford and Martlesham Heath . The waterfront is now devoted primarily to leisure use and includes extensive recent development of residential apartment blocks and a university campus. Businesses operated from the dock include luxury boats and
3960-547: Is the signature installation in the Festival Installed at the historic town centre and waterfront in Ipswich, Clarion Call is a sonic intervention calls out to the setting sun in daily incantations, its voices reflecting contemporary Britain while exploring the local history of the World War I , using audio technology originally employed in war and emergencies, and the voices and songs of women and girls, to create
4070-519: The Eastern Empire during the sixth century. Beneath them were two silver spoons, possibly of Byzantine origin, of a type bearing names of the Apostles . One spoon is marked in original nielloed Greek lettering with the name of PAULOS, "Paul". The other, matching spoon had been modified using lettering conventions of a Frankish coin-die cutter, to read SAULOS, "Saul". One theory suggests that
4180-640: The Romano-British period , from 43 to around 410. Life for the Britons remained unaffected by the arrival of the Romans. Several artefacts from the period, including a few fragments of pottery and a discarded fibula , have been found. As the peoples of Western Europe were encouraged by the Empire to maximise the use of land for growing crops, the area around Sutton Hoo suffered degradation and soil loss. It
4290-600: The Suffolk Coast and Heaths and Dedham Vale . The town has a tourist sector, with 3.5 million people reported to have visited the town in 2016. In 2020, Ipswich was ranked as an emerging global tourist destination by TripAdvisor . Ipswich is one of England's oldest towns , and is claimed to be the oldest still continuing town to have been established and developed by the English , with continuous settlement since early Anglo-Saxon times. A large Roman fort , part of
4400-592: The oldest towns in the United Kingdom . The settlement was of great economic importance to the Kingdom of England throughout its history, particularly in trade, with the town's historical dock, Ipswich Waterfront , known as the largest and most important dock in the Kingdom. Ipswich is divided into various quarters , with the town centre and the waterfront drawing the most footfall. The town centre features
4510-402: The 1960s exploration to define the extent of Mound 5, together with two inhumations and a pit with a skull and fragments of decorative foil . In level areas between the mounds, Carver found three furnished inhumations. One small mound held a child's remains, along with his buckle and miniature spear. A man's grave included two belt buckles and a knife, and that of a woman contained a leather bag,
Ipswich - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-428: The 26 districts with 11 larger districts . The "statutory transition committee" handling each council merger had the right to request transfer of borough status as in 1972, and unionist -majority councils did so, while nationalist -majority councils chose not to apply. There were complications where places had city status; therefore Belfast, Derry and Lisburn 's borough charters carried over automatically, without
4730-538: The 6th to 7th centuries near Woodbridge, Suffolk , England. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938, when an undisturbed ship burial containing a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artifacts was discovered. The site is important in establishing the history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia as well as illuminating the Anglo-Saxons during a period which lacks historical documentation. The site
4840-620: The 6th–9th centuries. George Henderson has described the ship treasures as "the first proven hothouse for the incubation of the Insular style ". The gold and garnet fittings show the creative fusion of earlier techniques and motifs by a master goldsmith . Insular art drew upon Irish, Pictish , Anglo-Saxon, native British and Mediterranean artistic sources: the 7th-century Book of Durrow owes as much to Pictish sculpture, British millefiori and enamelwork and Anglo-Saxon cloisonné metalwork as it does to Irish art. The Sutton Hoo treasures represent
4950-458: The Act to apply for a charter in a similar manner to the old district councils. On receiving a charter a county became a "county borough". The privileges of borough status are that the council chairperson is called "mayor"; up to one quarter of councillors can be called "alderman"; and the council can award freedom of the borough . The Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 extinguished all
5060-465: The British Museum, has narrowed the date of the burial to 610 to 635. This makes Sigeberht, who died in 637, less likely. Rædwald is still the favourite, although Eorpwald also fits the timescale as he died 627–28. Closer inspection of the sword hilt suggests that the occupant was left-handed , as the hilt's malleable gold pieces are worn down on the opposite side than would be expected with
5170-913: The Christchurch Mansion and Ancient House, Ipswich in the 21st century has some important cultural buildings including the New Wolsey Theatre and the Regent Theatre —the largest theatre venue in East Anglia where, in 1964, the Beatles performed when it was still known as the Gaumont. There is also the Corn Exchange in King Street which was completed in 1882. There are several medieval Ipswich churches but
5280-577: The Neolithic farmers may have associated the hollows with the pots. During the Bronze Age, when agricultural communities living in Britain were adopting the newly introduced technology of metalworking, timber-framed roundhouses were built at Sutton Hoo, with wattle and daub walling and thatched roofs. The best surviving example contained a ring of upright posts, up to 30 centimetres (12 in) in diameter, with one pair suggesting an entrance to
5390-720: The Port", recalling an historic jurisdiction. The lord mayors of Chester and Kingston-upon-Hull are admirals of the Dee and the Humber respectively, the Mayor of Medway is Admiral of the River Medway, and the mayors of Poole and Southampton are admirals of those ports. Privileges or rights belonging to citizens or burgesses of a former borough can be transferred to the inhabitants of the new borough. Borough councils are permitted to pass
5500-458: The Snape cemetery: Other examples have been inferred from records of the discovery of horse furniture at Eye and Mildenhall . Although the grave under Mound 14 had been destroyed almost completely by robbing, apparently during a heavy rainstorm, it had contained exceptionally high-quality goods belonging to a woman. These included a chatelaine, a kidney-shaped purse-lid, a bowl, several buckles,
5610-688: The Swedish examples in having an iron skull of a single vaulted shell and has a full face mask, a solid neck guard and deep cheekpieces. These features have been used to suggest an English origin for the helmet's basic structure; the deep cheekpieces have parallels in the Coppergate helmet , found in York . Although outwardly very like the Swedish examples, the Sutton Hoo helmet is a product of better craftsmanship. Helmets are extremely rare finds. No other such figural plaques were known in England, apart from
SECTION 50
#17327811354325720-478: The ancient road plan still survive in its modern streets. After the invasion of 869, Ipswich fell under Viking rule. The earth ramparts circling the town centre were probably raised by Vikings in Ipswich around 900 to prevent its recapture by the English. They were unsuccessful. The town operated a mint under royal licence from King Edgar in the 970s, which continued through the Norman Conquest until
5830-587: The area has made it a hub of culture in Ipswich, the area boasts fine dining restaurants, a boutique hotel, and the new regional university, the University of Suffolk . The new high rise buildings of the Regatta Quay development has topped the list of the tallest buildings in Ipswich . The mixed-use high rise building, The Mill , is currently the tallest building in Suffolk. Ipswich has made several unsuccessful bids for city status . The town does not have
5940-518: The authority that the gold was intended to convey, the community involvement required to conduct the ritual at a cemetery reserved for an elite, the close proximity of Sutton Hoo to Rendlesham and the probable date horizons. As of 2019, the refurbished museum on the site states that the body is Rædwald while the British Museum just says a "King of East Anglia". Analysis of the Merovingian coins by Gareth Williams, Curator of Early Medieval Coinage at
6050-433: The beam amidships with an inboard depth of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) over the keel line. From the keel board, the hull was constructed clinker-fashion with nine planks on either side, fastened with rivets. Twenty-six wooden ribs strengthened the form. Repairs were visible: this had been a seagoing vessel of excellent craftsmanship, but there was no descending keel. The decking, benches and mast were removed. In
6160-595: The black-faced Suffolk sheep. Ipswich is home to many artists and has a number of galleries, the most prominent of which are at Christchurch Mansion , the Town Hall, Ancient House and the Artists' Gallery in Electric House. The visual arts are further supported with many sculptures at easily accessible sites. The Borough Council promotes the creation of new public works of art and has been known to make this
6270-415: The blade, which had a bronze buckle with garnet cloisonné cellwork, two pyramidal strapmounts and a scabbard -buckle. By the man's head were a firesteel and a leather pouch, containing rough garnets and a piece of millefiori glass. Around the coffin were two spears, a shield, a small cauldron and a bronze bowl, a pot, an iron-bound bucket and some animal ribs. In the north-west corner of his grave
6380-408: The body have been identified as regalia , pointing to its being that of a king. Most of the suggestions for the occupant are East Anglian kings because of the proximity of the royal vill of Rendlesham. Since 1940, when H.M. Chadwick first ventured that the ship-burial was probably the grave of Rædwald , scholarly opinion divided between Rædwald and his son (or step-son) Sigeberht . The man who
6490-420: The body was the sword harness and belt, fitted with a suite of gold mounts and strap-distributors of extremely intricate garnet cellwork ornament. Together with the sword harness and scabbard mounts, the gold and garnet objects found in the upper body space, which form a co-ordinated ensemble, are among the true wonders of Sutton Hoo. Their artistic and technical quality is exceptional. The "great" gold buckle
6600-526: The boroughs in Ireland except for ten. In what would in 1921 become Northern Ireland , there were two remaining municipal boroughs in 1840: Belfast (made a city in 1888) and Derry ( officially Londonderry , and a city since 1604). Five towns with abolished corporations remained parliamentary boroughs until 1885 ( Armagh , Carrickfergus , Coleraine , Dungannon , and Enniskillen ) as did three ( Downpatrick , Lisburn , and Newry ) where any corporation
6710-591: The coastal defences of Britain, stood at Walton near Felixstowe (13 miles (21 km), and the largest Roman villa in Suffolk (possibly an administrative complex) stood at Castle Hill (north-west Ipswich). The modern town took shape in Anglo-Saxon times (7th–8th centuries) around the Port of Ipswich . As the coastal states of north-western Europe emerged from the collapse of the Roman Empire, essential North Sea trade and communication between eastern Britain and
SECTION 60
#17327811354326820-519: The continent (especially to Scandinavia , and through the Rhine ) passed through the former Roman ports of London (serving the kingdoms of Mercia , the East Saxons , Kent ) and York (Eoforwic) (serving the Kingdom of Northumbria ). Gipeswic (also in other spellings such as Gippeswich ) arose as the equivalent to these, serving the Kingdom of East Anglia , its early imported wares dating to
6930-405: The docks was especially devastated. Eighty civilians died by enemy action in the Ipswich county borough area during the latter war. The last bombs to fall on Ipswich landed on Seymour Road at 2 a.m. on 2 March 1945, killing nine people and destroying six houses. The Willis Building is a glass-clad building owned by Willis . Designed by Norman Foster , the building dates from 1974, when it
7040-460: The end of Roman imperial rule in the 5th century. South of Woodbridge, there are 6th-century burial grounds at Rushmere , Little Bealings , and Tuddenham St Martin and circling Brightwell Heath, the site of mounds that date from the Bronze Age . There are cemeteries of a similar date at Rendlesham and Ufford . A ship-burial at Snape is the only one in England that can be compared to
7150-576: The example at Sutton Hoo. The territory between the Orwell and the watersheds of the Alde and Deben rivers may have been an early centre of royal power, originally centred upon Rendlesham or Sutton Hoo, and a primary component in the formation of the East Anglian kingdom. In the early 7th century, Gipeswic (modern Ipswich ) began its growth as a centre for foreign trade, Botolph 's monastery at Iken
7260-492: The fore and aft sections along the gunwales , there were oar-rests shaped like the Old English letter "thorn" , indicating that there may have been positions for forty oarsmen. The central chamber had timber walls at either end and a roof, which was probably pitched. The heavy oak vessel had been hauled from the river up the hill and lowered into a prepared trench, so only the tops of the stem and stern posts rose above
7370-586: The grandest is St. Mary-le-Tower , rebuilt by the Victorians. Holy Trinity Church by the waterfront is one of the few churches in the country which was built during the reign of William IV and whilst the outside looks plain, the interior is quite spectacular. The world's oldest circle of church bells is housed in St Lawrence Church . The Ancient House in the Buttermarket is an example of
7480-470: The graves. At the time when the Sutton Hoo cemetery was in use, the River Deben would have formed part of a busy trading and transportation network. A number of settlements grew up along the river, most of which would have been small farmsteads, although it seems likely that there was a larger administrative centre as well, where the local aristocracy held court. Archaeologists have speculated that such
7590-494: The horizon of the hill-spur when viewed from the opposite bank. The visitor centre contains original artefacts, replicas of finds and a reconstruction of the ship burial chamber. The site is in the care of the National Trust ; most of these objects are now held by the British Museum . Sutton Hoo derives its name from Old English . Sut combined with tun means the "southern farmstead" or "settlement" and hoo refers to
7700-409: The land surface. After the addition of the body and the artefacts, an oval mound was constructed, which covered the ship and rose above the horizon at the riverward side of the cemetery. The view to the river is now obscured by Top Hat Wood, but the mound would have been a visible symbol of power to those using the waterway. This appears to have been the final occasion upon which the Sutton Hoo cemetery
7810-435: The local afternoon show prior to the rebrand). The younger audience was catered for with Suffolk-based Kiss 105-108 , until September 2023 when its 106.4 frequency flipped over to carrying Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk . Ipswich Community Radio was launched in 2007. The town's daily newspaper is the Ipswich Star a sister title to the county's daily newspaper the East Anglian Daily Times . In addition to
7920-503: The most of its wealth. Five large religious houses, including two Augustinian Priories (St Peter and St Paul, and Holy Trinity, both mid-12th century), and those of the Ipswich Greyfriars ( Franciscans , before 1298), Ipswich Whitefriars ( Carmelites founded 1278–79) and Ipswich Blackfriars ( Dominicans , before 1263), stood in medieval Ipswich. The last Carmelite Prior of Ipswich was the celebrated John Bale , author of
8030-434: The need for the council to pass a resolution. Although Newry received city status in 2002, Newry and Mourne District Council did not receive borough status. In 2015 its successor Newry, Mourne and Down District Council voted not to request borough status, the required two-thirds majority failing after opposition from Sinn Féin . Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating from
8140-583: The oldest English historical verse-drama ( Kynge Johan , c. 1538 ). There were also several hospitals, including the leper hospital of St Mary Magdalene, founded before 1199. During the Middle Ages the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Grace was a famous pilgrimage destination, and attracted many pilgrims including Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon . At the Reformation the statue
8250-433: The original timber survived, the form of the ship was perfectly preserved. Stains in the sand had replaced the wood but had preserved many construction details. Nearly all of the iron planking rivets were in their original places. It was possible to survey the original ship, which was found to be 27 metres (89 ft) long, pointed at either end with tall rising stem and stern posts and widening to 4.4 metres (14 ft) in
8360-487: The petition the monarch may, on the advice of the Privy Council , grant a charter whereupon: Charters granted under the 1972 Act may allow the borough council to appoint "local officers of dignity" previously appointed by an abolished borough corporation. Examples include: There is no obligation on the council to appoint persons to these positions. In some boroughs the mayor has the additional title as "Admiral of
8470-582: The pre-existing Brittonic population adopted the culture of the newcomers. During this period, southern Britain became divided up into a number of small independent kingdoms. Several pagan cemeteries from the kingdom of the East Angles have been found, most notably at Spong Hill and Snape , where a large number of cremations and inhumations were found. Many of the graves were accompanied by grave goods , which included combs, tweezers and brooches , as well as weapons. Sacrificed animals had been placed in
8580-530: The primary aim of advocating innovation and development of dance in the East of England is now resident in their new premises as part of the waterfront development. They are building new premises as part of the waterfront development. These are the first custom built dance facilities in the east of England at a cost of around £8 million. Spill Festival of Performance was launched in Ipswich in 2007 and alternates between London and Ipswich yearly. In 2018, Clarion Call
8690-567: The quay. Around 700 AD, Frisian potters from the Netherlands area settled in Ipswich and set up the first large-scale potteries in England since Roman times. Their wares were traded far across England, and the industry was unique to Ipswich for 200 years. With growing prosperity, in about 720 AD a large new part of the town was laid out in the Buttermarket area. Ipswich was becoming a place of national and international importance. Parts of
8800-552: The retail shopping district and the historic town square , known as the Cornhill . The waterfront, south of the town centre on a meander of the River Orwell, offers a picturesque setting with a marina , luxury yachts, high-rise apartment buildings, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. The waterfront is also home to the University of Suffolk campus. Ipswich is surrounded by two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) :
8910-406: The same dies as those in Mound 1); and the similarity of two fragments of dragon-like mounts or plaques. Although the rituals were not identical, the association of the contents of the grave shows a connection between the two burials. The cemetery contained remains of people who died violently, in some cases by hanging and decapitation. Often the bones have not survived, but the flesh had stained
9020-400: The sandy soil: the soil was laminated as digging progressed, so that the emaciated figures of the dead were revealed. Casts were taken of several of these. The identification and discussion of these burials was led by Carver. Two main groups were excavated, with one arranged around Mound 5 and the other situated beyond the barrow cemetery limits in the field to the east. It is thought that
9130-884: The settlement was eventually abandoned, to be replaced in the Middle Bronze Age (1500–1000 BC) by sheep or cattle, which were enclosed by wooden stakes. During the Iron Age , iron replaced copper and bronze as the dominant form of metal used in the British Isles. In the Middle Iron Age (around 500 BC), people living in the Sutton Hoo area began to grow crops again, dividing the land into small enclosures now known as Celtic fields . The use of narrow trenches implies grape cultivation, whilst in other places, small pockets of dark soil indicate that big cabbages may have been grown. This cultivation continued into
9240-422: The south-east. In the central hearth , a faience bead had been dropped. The farmers who dwelt in this house used decorated Beaker-style pottery, cultivated barley , oats , and wheat, and collected hazelnuts . They dug ditches that marked the surrounding grassland into sections, indicating land ownership. The acidic sandy soil eventually became leached and infertile, and it was likely that for this reason,
9350-578: The spoons (and possibly also the bowls) were a baptismal gift for the buried person. On the right of the "body" lay a set of spears , tips uppermost, including three barbed angons , with their heads thrust through a handle of the bronze bowl. Nearby was a wand with a small mount depicting a wolf . Closer to the body lay the sword with a gold and garnet cloisonné pommel 85 centimetres (33 in) long, its pattern welded blade still within its scabbard, with superlative scabbard-bosses of domed cellwork and pyramidal mounts. Attached to this and lying toward
9460-472: The time of King John , in about 1215. The abbreviation Gipes appears on the coins. King John granted the town its first charter in 1200, laying the medieval foundations of its modern civil government. Thenceforth Ipswich strongly maintained its jurisdiction over the Liberty of Ipswich, an administrative area extending over about 35 square kilometres centred on the town. In the next four centuries it made
9570-478: The time of King Rædwald , ruler of the East Angles (616–624). The famous ship-burial and treasure at Sutton Hoo nearby (9 miles; 14 km) is probably his grave. The Ipswich Museum houses replicas of the Roman Mildenhall and Sutton Hoo treasures . A gallery devoted to the town's origins includes Anglo-Saxon weapons , jewellery and other artefacts. The seventh-century town was centred near
9680-763: The time of their abolition there were three types: Many of the older boroughs could trace their origin to medieval charters or were boroughs by prescription, with Saxon origins. Most of the boroughs created after 1835 were new industrial, resort or suburban towns that had grown up after the Industrial Revolution . Borough corporations could also have the status of a city . For pre-1974 boroughs, see Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1835–1882 , Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835–1886 , Boroughs incorporated in England and Wales 1882–1974 , Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 Borough status no longer implies
9790-511: The town from 1746 until 2002 when Ridley's Breweries took Tolly Cobbold over. Felix Thornley Cobbold presented Christchurch Mansion to the town in 1896. Smaller breweries include St Jude's Brewery, situated in an 18th-century coach-house near the town centre. Ipswich was subject to bombing by German Zeppelins during World War I but the greatest damage by far occurred during the German bombing raids of World War II . The area in and around
9900-590: The town, the commercial station Heart East which was founded in 1975 as Radio Orwell covering the A14 corridor in Suffolk, and Ipswich 102 who took over the FM frequency in 2018, until 2020 when it rebranded as Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk . Then in September 2022, the station was rebranded again as Nation Radio Suffolk where it has one local show on weekday afternoons 1pm-4pm, hosted by Rob Chandler (who hosted
10010-406: The view that a body had disappeared in the acidic soil. The presence of a platform (or a large coffin) that was about 9 feet (2.7 m) long was indicated. An iron-bound wooden bucket, an iron lamp containing beeswax , and a bottle of north continental manufacture were close by. The objects around the body indicate that it lay with the head at the west end of the wooden structure. Artefacts near
10120-578: The waterfront area The Mill is the tallest building in East Anglia , reaching 23 storeys. Borough status in the United Kingdom Until the local government reforms of 1973 and 1974 , boroughs were towns possessing charters of incorporation conferring considerable powers, and were governed by a municipal corporation headed by a mayor. The corporations had been reformed by legislation beginning in 1835 ( 1840 in Ireland ). By
10230-462: The world of Beowulf . The Old English poem is partly set in Götaland in southern Sweden, which has archaeological parallels to some of the Sutton Hoo finds. Scholars believe Rædwald, king of the East Angles , is the most likely person to have been buried in the ship. During the 1960s and 1980s, the wider area was explored by archaeologists and other burials were revealed. Another burial ground
10340-455: Was 2024 and the ship was expected to be functional. Shipwright, Tim Kirk, made this comment to ITV News : "it is really just a big experimental archaeology programme, [but] we're hoping to learn how the ship actually sailed". The plans called for training a crew of at least 80 rowers. As a body was not found, there was early speculation that the ship-burial was a cenotaph , but soil analyses conducted in 1967 found phosphate traces, supporting
10450-403: Was a bridle , mounted with circular gilt bronze plaques with interlace ornamentation. These items are on display at Sutton Hoo. Inhumation graves of this kind are known from both England and Germanic continental Europe, with most dating from the 6th or early 7th century. In about 1820, an example was excavated at Witnesham . There are other examples at Lakenheath in western Suffolk and in
10560-477: Was a printing, bookseller centre, and an entrepôt for continental books in the 16th century. From 1611 to 1634 Ipswich was a major centre for emigration to New England . This was encouraged by the Town Lecturer, Samuel Ward . His brother Nathaniel Ward was first minister of Ipswich , Massachusetts, where a promontory was named 'Castle Hill' after the place of that name in north-west Ipswich, UK. Ipswich
10670-434: Was a rectangular plank -lined chamber, 5 metres (16 ft) long by 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) wide, sunk below the land surface, with the body and grave-goods laid out in it. A small ship had been placed over this in an east–west alignment before a large earth mound was raised. Chemical analysis of the chamber floor has suggested the presence of a body in the south-western corner. The goods found included fragments of
10780-586: Was also one of the main ports of embarkation for puritans leaving other East Anglian towns and villages for the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 1630s and what has become known as the Great Migration . The painter Thomas Gainsborough lived and worked in Ipswich. In 1835, Charles Dickens stayed in Ipswich and used it as a setting for scenes in his novel The Pickwick Papers . The hotel where he resided first opened in 1518; it
10890-747: Was built in 1881, has been renovated and is now home to the Botanist bar. Modern buildings include Endeavour House (headquarters of Suffolk County Council and formerly home of the TXU Corporation ), Grafton House (home of Ipswich Borough Council ) and Ipswich Crown Court , all located on Russell Road in the area known as the Ipswich Village Development , which includes Portman Road stadium. The stadium has hosted England under-21, under-23, and international soccer matches, as well as rugby union and hockey matches. In
11000-427: Was buried under Mound 1 cannot be identified, but the identification with Rædwald still has widespread scholarly acceptance. From time to time, other identifications are suggested, including his son Eorpwald of East Anglia , who succeeded his father in about 624. Rædwald is the most likely of the candidates because of the high quality of the imported and commissioned materials and the resources needed to assemble them,
11110-561: Was defunct by 1801. Several of the urban districts in Northern Ireland created under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 later received charters granting borough status. The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 replaced the multi-tier local government system with 26 unitary districts whose councils could retain the charter of a borough within the district; other districts later received borough charters in their own right. The 2015 local government reforms replaced
11220-516: Was eventually abandoned and became overgrown. After the withdrawal of the Romans from southern Britain after 410, Germanic tribes such as the Angles and Saxons began to settle in the southeastern part of the island. East Anglia is regarded by many scholars as a region in which this settlement was particularly early and dense; the area's name derives from that of the Angles. Over time, the remnants of
11330-529: Was first excavated by Basil Brown , a self-taught archaeologist, under the auspices of the landowner Edith Pretty , but when its importance became apparent, national experts took over. The artefacts the archaeologists found in the burial chamber include: a suite of metalwork dress fittings in gold and gems, a ceremonial helmet, a shield and sword, a lyre , and silver plate from the Eastern Roman Empire . The ship burial has prompted comparisons with
11440-769: Was for its brief duration one of the homes of the Ipswich School . He remains one of the town's most famed figures. During the 14th to 17th centuries Ipswich was a kontor for the Hanseatic League , the port being used for imports and exports to the Baltic . In the time of Queen Mary the Ipswich Martyrs were burnt at the stake on the Cornhill for their Protestant beliefs. A monument commemorating this event now stands in Christchurch Park . Ipswich
11550-464: Was founded by royal grant in 654, and Bede identified Rendlesham as the site of Æthelwold's royal dwelling. There is evidence that Sutton Hoo was occupied during the Neolithic period, c. 3000 BC, when woodland in the area was cleared by agriculturalists. They dug small pits that contained flint -tempered earthenware pots. Several pits were near to hollows where large trees had been uprooted:
11660-476: Was known as the Willis Faber & Dumas building. It became the youngest grade I listed building in Britain in 1991, being at the time one of only two listed buildings to be less than thirty years old. In September 1993, Ipswich and Arras , Nord Pas-de-Calais, France, became twin towns, and a square in the new Buttermarket development was named Arras Square to mark the relationship. Ipswich formerly had
11770-480: Was taken away to London to be burned, though some claim that it survived and is preserved at Nettuno , Italy. Around 1380, Geoffrey Chaucer satirised the merchants of Ipswich in The Canterbury Tales . Thomas Wolsey , the future cardinal , was born in Ipswich in 1473 as the son of a wealthy landowner. One of Henry VIII 's closest political allies, he founded a college in the town in 1528, which
11880-526: Was then known as The Tavern and later became known as the Great White Horse Hotel . Dickens made the hotel famous in chapter XXII of The Pickwick Papers , vividly describing the hotel's meandering corridors and stairs. In 1824 Dr George Birkbeck , with support from several local businessmen, founded one of the first Mechanics' Institutes , which survives to this day as the independent Ipswich Institute reading room and library. The building
11990-521: Was used for its original purpose. Long afterwards, the roof collapsed violently under the weight of the mound, compressing the ship's contents into a seam of earth. Using the imprint of the longship in the sand around its location, archaeologist Angela Care Evans made plans to create a full size replica. Work began in 2021, using oak planks and iron rivets, with help from a charity, the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company. The estimated date of completion
12100-452: Was used in this way from around 575 to 625 and contrasts with the Snape cemetery, where the ship-burial and furnished graves were added to a graveyard of buried pots containing cremated ashes. Martin Carver believes that the cremation burials at Sutton Hoo were "among the earliest" in the cemetery. Two were excavated in 1938. Under Mound 3 were the ashes of a man and a horse placed on
#431568