Lavenham Guildhall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lavenham Guildhall |
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| Location | Lavenham, Suffolk |
| Built | 1529 |
| Architectural style(s) | Jettied timber framing |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 23 January 1958 |
| Reference no. | 1037186 |
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The Lavenham Guildhall is a very old building in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. It was built using a special style called timber-framing. This means its walls are made from strong wooden beams. Today, it is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historic building that is protected.
Contents
History of the Guildhall
Lavenham's Wool Trade Wealth
Around the late 1300s, Lavenham was a very rich town. It was a major center for making wool cloth in East Anglia. The town was famous for its special blue cloth, known as "Lavenham Blue." This cloth was dyed with a plant called woad. Because Lavenham was so wealthy, local merchant families started four special groups. These groups were called guilds. The most important one was the Guild of Corpus Christi, started in 1529. This guild built the Lavenham Guildhall around that time. The building was made with a unique style called jettied timber framing. It also had a gabled porch sticking out from the front.
Changes Over Time
After a while, the wool trade in Lavenham slowed down. The town became less wealthy. Because of this, the guildhall's purpose changed. By 1689, it was used as a bridewell. A bridewell was a small prison or house of correction. From 1787, it became a workhouse. A workhouse was a place where poor people could live and work. In 1833, prison cells and buildings for storing bodies were added behind the guildhall.
Restoration and Public Use
In 1887, a local member of parliament named Sir Cuthbert Quilter, 1st Baronet bought the guildhall. He started to restore the old building. The restoration work was finished around 1911. During the Second World War, the building was used in different ways. It was a social club for American soldiers nearby. It also served as a "British Restaurant," which offered cheap meals. In 1946, Sir William Quilter gave the guildhall to the people of Lavenham. In 1951, the National Trust took ownership of the building. They then opened it to the public as a local history museum.
Inside the Guildhall Today
When you visit the Lavenham Guildhall, you can see many interesting exhibits. These displays show how the building changed over time. You can learn about its past as a wool trade center and then as a workhouse. There is also a special display of items from the old Lavenham railway station. This station was part of the Long Melford–Bury St Edmunds branch line. The railway line closed in 1961.
