Few towns can claim a mummified cat and the severed head of an Archbishop among their visitor attractions. Even fewer were the birthplace of one of Britain's finest painters and are encircled by ancient commonland where cattle roam freely. Sudbury in Suffolk is a stunning town with a wealth of industrial and cultural heritage, yet like numerous charming settlements across East Anglia, it struggles with its geographical position.
"We're on the way to nowhere here. No one comes to Sudbury by accident," a volunteer at Gainsborough's House Museum remarks as we view the gallery's current exhibition — a collection of 18th-century masterpieces on loan from Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath. The town sits at the end of the Gainsborough Line, the railway that connects it to London. Sudbury is having something of a moment. It was ranked second-hottest in a rundown of UK destinations compiled by Expedia, based on search interest.
Its challenge is that it is very much at the end of the line. You will need to catch the 50-minute train from London Liverpool Street to Marks Tey and switch onto a three-carriage trundler, which emerges from verdant cuttings to glide high above the bucolic splendour of the Stour Valley on a 32-arch viaduct — the second largest brick-built structure in England — before reaching its final stop in Sudbury.
The town also finds itself vying with neighbouring gems in the unofficial 'greatest beauties of Suffolk' stakes. Just seven miles away lies Lavenham, Britain's finest preserved medieval village, where wonky houses painted pink with pigs blood limewash border the streets. Along the coast, the pastel hues of Aldeburgh rise above a sweeping East Anglian shingle beach. The fiercest rivalry comes from Flatford, 15 miles downstream on the River Stour, where John Constable created The Hay Wain. The white mill that served as inspiration for the masterpiece still stands unchanged from the early 19th century, much like the rest of Constable Country as it blends into Gainsborough's domain while travelling back westward along the Stour towards Sudbury.
Arriving on foot, the town could belong to any era across the past millennium, thanks to the meadow's protected common land status which has preserved this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as a sanctuary for moorhens, field mice, collared doves and, as my niece repeatedly observed, "ducks!" When the sun shines, a table on The Mill's terrace offers the perfect vantage point for observing the wildlife, grazing cattle and small children tottering beside the water's edge.
Visiting Gainsborough's House is particularly rewarding when the sun is out, as natural light floods its airy galleries, showcasing not only the artist's own works but also contemporary pieces inspired by Thomas from artists including Royal Academician Katherine Jones. Afterwards, a cup of tea beneath the trees in the museum's garden makes for a perfect interlude. Elsewhere in town, food lovers can tuck into offerings at vegan spot Cradle, brunch favourite Painters at the Angel, or — as seemingly everyone locally insists — The Henny Swan. This 17th-century boozer sits an hour's stroll from town along the Stour and rewards those who venture out with a riverside garden and a highly praised Ploughman's.
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats," Ratty once opined to Moley in Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, and he is right. Fortunately, both the Henny and Stour Valley Adventures have you covered with affordable rowing boats, paddle boards and kayak hire, allowing you to hop between Sudbury's waterside pubs with ease.
After you have had your fill of aquatic adventures, it will be time to turn your attention to Sudbury's second and third most celebrated attractions — the mummified cat and the head. The unfortunate feline is preserved in a glass cabinet at the Mill, where she was discovered during renovation work in 1971. It is believed the cabinet had been in place for 300 years, following an ancient Suffolk custom that involved burying live cats in building foundations to protect against witches, warlocks, and blazes. The head is arguably less tragic but more of a must-see attraction.
Simon of Sudbury was another local boy made good, the bright young man rising through the ranks from Rector of Wickhambrook to become Archbishop of Canterbury in the 14th century. Sadly, he assumed his position and the role of Lord Chancellor just as the Government chose to settle the King's enormous war debts with a poll tax. In stormed the angry peasants from the Home Counties, and off went Simon's head. Before the spike he was mounted on was later used to display the defeated People's Champion Wat Tyler, Simon's head was secretly taken back to his birthplace and hidden away in St Gregory's Church. These days, if you ask the caretaker politely, they may retrieve it from storage and let you have a peek.
