Lavenham Guildhall
Medieval timber-framed guildhall in Lavenham telling the story of the wool-cloth town, its prison and its workhouse, run by the National Trust.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Guildhall of Corpus Christi in Lavenham was built as the meeting place of a religious guild of wealthy cloth and wool merchants. The town grew rich in the Middle Ages on the production and export of high-quality woollen cloth, and Lavenham's famous blue cloth made its merchants some of the wealthiest in England. The same merchants built the Guildhall and the timber-framed houses that still line the village.
When the cloth trade declined, the building took on new uses. A workhouse operated within its walls between 1655 and 1836, and in 1785 part of the building was used as a prison, where the young Anne Baker was held before being transported to Australia. The Guildhall was later restored by Sir William Cuthbert Quilter and was left to the people of Lavenham. The local tailor Francis Lingard Ranson campaigned for the village's historic buildings to be protected, and ownership passed to the National Trust in 1951.
Today the building is a small museum. Displays explain the cloth trade, the workhouse and prison, and the early twentieth-century photographs of Ranson, and a 1942 film shows village life during the war. The courtyard garden includes a bed of the plants once used for natural cloth dyes, and there is a tea-room and a second-hand bookshop.
Highlights
- Medieval timber-framed building of the 16th century in the centre of Lavenham
- Displays on the wool and cloth trade, the workhouse and the prison
- Early twentieth-century photographs by Francis Lingard Ranson and a 1942 village film
- Courtyard garden with plants once used for natural cloth dyes
- Tea-room with indoor and outdoor seating
Permanent exhibition
- Lavenham Guildhall – Displays on the medieval cloth trade, the Guildhall's use as a workhouse and prison, and the photographs of Francis Lingard Ranson.
- Operated by
- National Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £11 |
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| Children & teens | £5.50free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 17; under 5s are free. |
| Groups | £10.45 per personPer adult; groups must book in advance. Group child price £5.23. |
| Families | £27.502 adults and up to 3 children. A family ticket for 1 adult and up to 3 children costs £16.50. |
| Family ticket, one adult and up to 3 children | £16.50 |
Prices shown are standard admission without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid the adult ticket costs £12.10, the child ticket £6.10 and the family ticket £30.30. Entry is free for National Trust members. Entry to the tea-room and garden area is free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: not available
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ground floor of the Guildhall and parts of the garden are accessible. There is an accessible toilet and an induction loop, and a virtual tour is available. Visitors can be dropped off outside the entrance. There is no on-site parking and no Blue Badge parking. Only assistance dogs are admitted.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £27.50 · 2 adults and up to 3 children. A family ticket for 1 adult and up to 3 children costs £16.50. |
- Family tours & workshops
Children under 5 enter free and there are family tickets. Seasonal trails and activities for families are listed in the events programme.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Chambers bus 753 runs between Bury St Edmunds and Colchester and passes close to Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury railway stations. Sudbury station is 7 miles away.
By car
Free parking
There is free parking in the village, with some on-street parking and car parks around the village if the Market Place outside the Guildhall is full. Electric vehicle charging points are at the Gas Works car park on Water Street and at Church Street car park.
- Accessible parking: not available
Take the A1141 off the A1134 into Lavenham High Street, then follow Water Street and Lady Street to the Market Place; the Guildhall is straight ahead. The sat nav postcode is CO10 9QZ. A 4 mile railway walk links Lavenham with Long Melford, and the South Suffolk Cycle Route A1 passes through the village.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The tea-room has indoor and outdoor seating and serves hot and cold drinks, cakes, ice cream, lunches and cream teas. A second-hand bookshop sells books, CDs and DVDs. There is an electric vehicle charging point.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Guided walks of the village by volunteer guides run on selected dates, and spinning demonstrations take place at regular times. Groups must book in advance by phone or email. |
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