Search Results

Members of Suffolk Open Studios are inviting members of the public to visit their studios in and around Sudbury on the weekend of the 14th and 15th June this year. Visitors will be able to view artists’ work in a range of mediums including paintings, ceramics, sculptures and more! Interact with Sudbury through the eyes of its resident artists and understand the inspiration behind their work. The event is free to participate in unless you feel tempted to buy pieces directly from the artists themselves! A Wooded Landscape in Suffolk by Thomas Gainsborough Sudbury has a rich artistic history, being the birthplace of classic and contemporary artists such as Thomas Gainsborough and Maggi Hambling. The rolling Suffolk countryside has inspired the work of Gainsborough and Constable, and continues to serve as inspiration for local artists such as Anne Lowe, whose studio will be open for visitors during this event.  Mill Pond by Ilona Johnson The trail is also an excellent opportunity to explore parts of Sudbury you may not have visited otherwise. With 243 listed buildings in Sudbury, be sure to keep an eye out for beautiful architectural details in buildings such as the exposed timber framing on The Chantry in Stour Street, or a former gatehouse to a 1500s Dominican Priory along Friars Street. 'Hope' by Peter Day Pick up a leaflet at the Tourist Information Centre in Gaol Lane or at Mill Tye Gallery.  You'll find an art directory with information on the artists and a map to plan your route. Alternatively, please find the route map and a link to download the information leaflet at the bottom of the page. A full list of artists participating and further information can be found on the Suffolk Open Studios website: www.suffolkopenstudios.org/event/sudbury-art-trial-14th-and15th-june/ To download the information leaflet please click the following link: Route map for Sudbury Artists' Open Studio Trail

Introducing the 2025/26 Sudbury Town Mayor, Councillor Andy Welsh! Last year Andy was the Deputy Mayor of Sudbury while Councillor Alison Owen Was the Mayor. Chained on Tuesday 13th May at the Full Council’s Annual meeting, Andy then had his first experience of being Chair of the meeting and the amount of signing papers involved with being Mayor! Find out about your new Mayor: 1) Congratulations! How does it feel to be Mayor of Sudbury? It is obviously a huge honour and a privilege to be elected mayor of this historic town. 2) Can you tell us about your role as a Councillor for Sudbury, when you started, and what motivated you to run for Mayor of Sudbury? I was first elected to the council in 1999 and served for 16 years before losing my seat in 2015. Having recharged my batteries I was re-elected in 2023 and am looking forward to drawing on my experience to help in the role. 3) Have you chosen your Mayor Charities? My charities are Prostate Cancer as I was diagnosed in 2013 and Sudbury Defibs which raises money to install and maintain defibrillators around the town. 4) What do you feel are some of Sudbury’s biggest challenges, and what would you like to see done to address these? Sudbury has always battled to balance maintaining its intrinsic character and charm against the need to develop and grow to survive as a market town. Maintaining that balance is paramount. 5) What do you feel will be your focus for you term as Mayor? Positioning Sudbury so that is best placed to benefit from the proposed changes to local government infrastructure will be my main focus. 6) Are there any events or special occasions you are looking forward to being a part of? There are a host of traditional events that I will be lending my support to, but Remembrance Day and the Christmas Light Switch On are always special for completely different reasons. 7) What message would you like to convey to the residents of Sudbury as you begin your term as Mayor? I will be doing my best to make sure that Sudbury continues to be the wonderful place that we all love to live in.   If you would like for Councillor Andy Welsh to attend your event as Mayor of Sudbury, please find the application on the Sudbury Town Council website.   And from all of us here at Sudbury Town Council and on behalf of everyone, we would like to thank Alison for her time and dedication over the past year, including dressing up as a witch and a bunny! It has been a pleasure seeing Alison involved in some lovely event over the past year:

Sudbury Town Council is pleased to announce the completion of a new signage, interpretation and wayfinding suite of signage for Sudbury! An Industrious Town - Northern Road Market Town - Waldingfield Road Valley of Artists - Ballingdon Hill The UK Capital of Silk - Kings Hill Sudbury's Ancient Water Meadows - Melford Road Funded by section 106 and Shared Prosperity Funds, the funding was contractually ringfenced for the provision of new signage in Sudbury Town centre. Designed to celebrate Sudbury's rich heritage, Sudbury Town Council prioritised using the funds to create new signage including gateway signs, fingerposts wayfinders and Totem Interpretations & Map Signs. 6 new finger wayfinding posts have been installed in locations determined by early 'walk testers' research and heat maps of Sudbury's footfall, located on Old Market Place, Friars Street, Station Road, Hamilton Road, Walnut Tree Lane and Cornard Road. Helping guide pedestrians to some of Sudbury's landmark buildings and town centre. The beginning of May saw the completion of the project as the last of the Totem Interpretation & Map Signs were installed and ready to be unveiled. Ashley Cooper giving a speech On Friday 2nd May a group, including the Town Clerk, Deputy Mayor Andy Welsh, local historian Ashley Cooper, Talbot Trail creator Robin Drury, members of the South Suffolk Culture Group, Town Councilor's and more gathered on the Croft for the totem 'The Birth of the Town of Sudbury'. Ashley Cooper was invited to speak at the unveiling having been a crucial expert in putting the history together and lending his knowledge to make the totems unmissable. The ribbon was cut by Deputy Mayor Andy Welsh who later said: "The totems have added further information that i didn't know about before, all around its been a fantastic job!" After the cutting the Business Manager Rachel Price, who has been leading this project for the last 2 years took the group on a small tour to the other 4 totems, taking the group through the scenic route, the water meadows. The totems were placed in a way to provide historical information at 5 key points of the Town Centre, with one side a map specially designed with Sudbury's key sites and attractions highlighted with bespoke icons. On the reverse side of the totem tells a story of the place the totem is placed, including the aforementioned ' The Birth of the Town Sudbury' on the Croft, ' The Great Ditch' on Friars Street, ' Sudbury Water Meadows & The Mill' on Walnut tree lane, ' Sudbury's Railways Past and Present' on Station Road or ' Sudbury Market & Market Hill' on Old Market Place. During the group tour, local historian Ashley Cooper and Talbot Trail creator Robin Drury spoke at each totem, giving the significance of the history and showing the influence they have had both on this project and others around Sudbury. Joining in showing her love of all Sudbury both then and now, Business Manager Rachel Price added some of the inspiration to how the project came about. Finishing the tour at the last totem in Old Market Place you can see the excitement by all of who taken part, and played a huge role in making this become a reality. A huge thank you to: Steve Pardue of Differentia for the designs, IS Group for the fabrication and installation of all signs. The Sudbury Museum Trust for access to the town's extensive photo and image archive, And finally to Ashley Cooper, for his valuable input at the research phase and for his continued love of Sudbury. Enjoy the video below of the tour and speeches by special guests. To find out more about Section 106 visit www.babergh.gov.uk/w/section-106-information-guidance

After the Leisure and Environment committee meeting on the 26th November, Sudbury Town Councilor's voted to have a Bleed Kit installed in Sudbury Town centre. On Friday 13th December a new Blood Kit on the wall of the public toilets in Gaol Lane by the community wardens and were joined by Sudbury Mayor, Councillor Alison Owen and the local group, Vibes Not Lives. Mayor Alison Owen & Vibes Not Lives Group Vibes not Lives are a local family orientated group who strives to build a safer environment for our Children and Grandchildren. Having raised money for Emergency Control Bleed Kits and securely installed in some of the busiest towns, these kits will help not only to suppress a bleed, but help to save a life. They travel the UK to teach young individuals the consequences of purchasing and carrying knives, and go above and beyond expectations to fund raise at any event they can. "Bleed kits save lives. This is a great idea having a bleed kit in our Town, hopefully it will never be needed. I would like to thank Vibes Not Lives for fundraising and for making this happen." - Sudbury Mayor, A Owen. Vibes Not Loves are sponsored by Lemzstudios based in Tilbury, who give anyone the chance to show their potential and to become a valued member of society. If you need to use the bleed kit, please ring 999 and follow their instructions.

With 2025 just around the corner it’s time to pick up your Sudbury 2025 calendar, this time with a touch of the past!   Thanks to Sudbury Photo Archive and The Museum Trust we have been given photos of Sudbury in the past, from the meadows, the Mill Hotel, Vue House to aerial views of Ballingdon, and an Edwardian view of Friars Street. More of these photos and more can be seen by visiting the Heritage Centre, open Monday to Friday, 9.45am - 4.30pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm for free! Using local photographers who submitted their photos, 12 have been selected to show how our town has changed, with some of the views almost identical to the ‘then’ photos. Photos were provided by Sue Longhurst, Andy Longhurst, Rachel Price, Robert Henry, and Haydn Taylor. Looking through the images you can see how vastly Sudbury has changed, which demonstrates the hard work of so many organisations, including River Stour Trust, Sudbury Common Lands Charity and The Sudbury Society to name a few. Available for purchase from the Tourist Information Centre at the lower price of £6, more affordable than ever! In this year’s calendar are classic Sudbury Town Council events, including our market days, Farmers markets, Moving Cinema and Guided Tours.   On sale from tomorrow, Wednesday 25th September 2024.

Heritage Open Days - Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2024.   Heritage Open Days is England’s largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history.   Sudbury Town Council with our event partners, coordinated a host of free open house events, guided tours, talks, and hands-on creative workshops, all to showcase Sudbury’s fascinating heritage spanning many centuries.   On Saturday 14th, Market hill, with its busy Market, saw the meeting spot for 3 guided tours, ‘From Wool to Silk’, ‘Step into Sudbury’ and ‘Tales of the Talbot Trail’. With lots of interest and bookings, our tour experts where able to share their knowledge of all things Sudbury. 'Step into Sudbury' guided tours are held each month, starting in the Tourist information Centre. The next Tour is on Saturday 19th October, where you pay on the day. Book your place by contacting the Sudbury Tourist Information Centre.   Gainsborough House opened their doors free of charge over Heritage Open weekend to explore all they have to offer in the traditional House and New Galleries. A chance for all to come and see the fantastic work of Gainsborough himself, as well as exhibitions including Revealing Nature: The Art of Cedric Morris & Lett-Haines, and The Iris Florilegium of Sir Cedric Morris. The top floor boasts a special viewing window in the Landscape Studio with spectacular views. Visitors were then able to enjoy the weather and take a break in The Watering Place cafe and the beautiful gardens.   Hosted within Sudbury Arts Centre, Sudbury Museum Trust hosted an unmissable local history book sale to raise funds for the Heritage Centre. With many rare titles and some out of print the sales went fast all from the collection of the late Lord Phillips of Sudbury.   Sudbury Library had fun activities for all the family the weekend, centered around Sudbury's connections with the wider world over time - including making Silk hangings, looking at the routes that Silk took to get here, and bringing it up to date looking at American airfields in Suffolk - including the making of silk parachutes.  They had colouring, activities, junk box modelling, maps, quizzes and more!  They also had their usual Lego club and had their train set out for children to enjoy. With visitors from Sudbury, Halstead, Braintree and Hadleigh, the Mill Tye Gallery, allowed people to discover the history behind the former Cornard Mill building, which was once a medieval water mill. Exploring the fascinating past of this unique space, from its industrial roots to its transformation into the thriving gallery you see today. With an increased footfall, people visited the gallery who had not previously attended were very happy with the discovery. Plan your visit today: https://www.milltyegallery.co.uk/ On Sunday 15th Market Hill was host to Green Sundays Eco Market with a crafty twist, showcasing local businesses, charities and community groups making strides for sustainability, encouraging all to make small changes towards sustainable living. Activities included making owls and frogs on logs using tree bark, acorns, log slices and imagination. Children and adults alike were able to join the fun and have a go. The next Green Sunday Market is Sunday 20th October. Joining them, Gainsborough House bought along their Camera Obscura, free for all to have a go, allowing a 360-degree view of Sudbury and the landscapes that inspired Thomas Gainsborough. A predecessor to modern photography proved its popularity on Sunday with all ages taking turn to see Sudbury in a new way. Not to be missed, the permanent Camera Obscura is situated at Gainsborough house, one of only 74 in the world, 21 of which are in UK. Book your visit below: https://gainsborough.org/your-visit/camera-obscura/ The highlight of the weekend was a free talk ‘Roads, River, Rails of Sudbury’ and Q&A with local history experts of the routes in and out of Sudbury over the centuries that have enabled our industries, cultures and communities to stay connected and thrive.  Speaking about the roads in and out of Sudbury, Ashley Cooper engaged with artwork by Ben Perkins and showcased the changes that make Sudbury what it is today. Jim Lunn from The River Stour Trust presented how the River Stour shaped Sudbury, from defensive decisions to the present-day uses of the river. Closing with rail, local railway expert and enthusiast Gavin Moulton spoke on the coming of the railway to Sudbury, later Beeching cuts to the present-day terminus station on The Gainsborough Line. With over 100 people attending, the talks were a huge success, with a captivating Q and A afterwards with the experts left the crowd wanting more. The Heritage Open Days 2024 for Sudbury were a great success, from the well attended talks, activities for all ages, guided tours and free open houses, we are proud to be part of the Heritage Open Days organisation. For more information and to learn more about Heritage Open Days, visit their website: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/

TOWN OF SUDBURY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a casual vacancy has arisen in the Office of Councillor for Sudbury Town Council. Candidates must submit their applications to the Town Clerk by Monday 30th September 2024.   The candidates will be invited to appear before the Full Council meeting on 8th October at 7pm and will be given a maximum of 3 minutes each to explain why they would make a good town councillor. The current members will then select their preferred candidate by voting. Anyone eligible to be a councillor may apply. Candidates must apply in writing or by email, certifying that they meet the criteria for eligibility set out in section 79 of the Local Government Act 1972 (see below) and are not disqualified under section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972. Dated 10 September 2024 Proper Officer: Ciaran Griffin, Town Clerk, Sudbury Town Council, Town Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 1TL ciaran.griffin@sudbury-tc.gov.uk Section 79(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the 1972 Act”) provides, unless disqualified, a person is qualified to be elected and to be a councillor if he is a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights and on the day of co-option he is 18 years of age or over and: a) on that day he is and thereafter he continues to be a local government elector for the area of the authority; or b) he has during the whole of the 12 months preceding that day occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in that area; or c) his principal or only place of work during that 12 months has been in that area; or d) he has during the whole of those 12 months resided in that area; or e) in the case of a member of a town council he has during the whole of those 12 months resided either in the town or within three miles of it.

This bank holiday Sunday Sudbury Town Council partnered with Sudbury Arts Centre and hosted it’s first (hopefully of many) Street Food Festival. A massive achievement for Sudbury, My Thai Chef was proud to have been a part of this amazing day." - My Thai Chef Melford Market Hill was filled to the brim with street food vendors, including some of our regular market traders, offering Sudbury a variety of foods to try from 11am until 7pm. People could enjoy lunch, afternoon bite and an evening meal all in one place. With seating inside the Arts Centre, they also provided a bar to quench the first in-between the mouth-watering food. The Mayor of Sudbury, Councillor Alison Owen presented a short speech from the Gainsborough Statue before officially opening the event, however by 11am the hill was already buzzing with no end of people wanting to try their favourite foods. Every stall had its fair share of queues and happy customers, some even selling out before 3 o’clock.   "Thank you for this opportunity, we sold out and it was amazing!" - Karachi Kitchen During the afternoon it became apparent that we had underestimated the power of Sudbury, as traders were selling out left right and centre, we made the decision to close the Festival at 5pm instead of 7pm. The few that still had a small amount of stock kept going until they served all the customers they could. "We loved seeing the local town come together to support the food trading community, everyone was buzzing and there was a real cohesive atmosphere!" - Wagyu Burgers & Street Foods   From Facebook, praise had been coming in all day, including “ the food was amazing”, “so much fun”, “it was so good to see the town so busy. More things like this need to happen”, “it was amazing – such lovely food and a fantastic atmosphere!”  among many more.   Exceeded all our expectations, fantastic event, can't wait until next year!" - The Little Pizza Oven Even with St Peters providing seating inside and Sudbury Town Council putting some tables outside, there were so many people they had taken to eating standing up or going on the curb. Some feedback mentioned about additional seating both for the event and in the Summer, especially Sundays, something that will be taken into account for future events. One of the best food festivals we have attended, Jaclyn and Rachel were fun to work with and checked in with us many times to make sure everything was running well. Definitely looking forward to next time!" - iShakeit Catering We'd love to hear how you found out about the festival and how you felt about it, to leave feedback on your experience visit Sudbury Town Council's website and find the Street Food Festival page. Sunday was proof that the good folk of Sudbury will support their town if the opportunity is there. A brilliant day was had by everyone! - Bites and Delights We would like to thank Sudbury Arts Centre who worked with Nethergate Brewery and The Barista Shed who provided quality local drinks, to all the people of Sudbury and the surrounding areas who made the event such a success and our amazing vendors, we couldn't have done without you! Our amazing Vendors: Authentic homemade Pakistani food from newly established Karachi Kitchen , Mac and cheese varieties from Mac Street Kitchen  trading from their distinctive ’77 Bedford ambulance, Classic whippy ice cream and other creative desserts from Mikey and Jordy’s Ice Cream  van, Shika Shack Ltd best known for its takeaway,   served hand rolled fresh pizza and home-made sausage rolls, Market regular Bites and Delights, wowed the crowd with their signature bubble waffles treats, Brand new to Sudbury, S&K Tasty Treats treated with their classic German sausages, Delights Catering and its sister stall provided fully loaded hot dogs and for dessert, fully loaded donuts, From Long Melford, My Thai Chef Melford, served delicious authentic Thai cuisine created from personal experiences in Thailand, Another familiar face, Chilli Brothers served their favourite Latin American soul food, burritos, quesadillas and rice dishes, Needed another pizza option, The Little Pizza Oven brought fresh Neapolitan pizza for all to enjoy, When you needed a fix of loaded chips, The Bucket List Chips served buckets of loaded chips, To cool down, Tornado Ices, a one-woman operation, provided small batch locally made ice creams and sorbets, From Hadleigh, Wagyu Burgers & Street Foods served their classic Wagyu patty’s, pulled smoked brisket and triple cooked chips, Another favourite from Sudbury Market Jo’s Traditional Sweet Treats brought along their classic sweets for those with a sweet tooth, iShakeit Catering served locally sourced fresh tortilla wraps shaped in large cones filled with fresh salad and fillings, And last but not least, The Raclette Truck served mouth watering Swiss/French cheese melted over the top of your choice of foods.

With schools all coming to the end of term and summer weather being so sporadic, some Sudbury residents look further afield to enjoy their summer. But why not look a little bit closer to home to experience a fun summer for all. From enjoying the River Stour, having a drink at a local café or trying to escape an escape room, there are activities for all.   If the weather looks good, why not enjoy the River Stours new designated bathing water status and go for a dip? With weekly updates on their results of testing the waters, you can view online and decide for yourself. Not feeling that brave just yet? There are still plenty of ways to enjoy the river. Sudbury Rowing Club will be holing their international regatta on the 3rd August for all to come and watch. Or if you fancy going down the river yourself you can hire from Stour Kayak by the Henny Swan, the Stour Valley Adventure Club or the Paddle Company. If you just want to enjoy the scenery whilst taking a trip down the river look at booking a boat trip with the River Stour Trust. Take advantage of the weather and follow one of the stunning Gainsborough trails around our beautiful meadows or book a guided walk with experts from Blue Badge guides to learn about Sudbury’s rich history.   When the weathers not so nice and you’re looking for an indoor activity, Sudbury Escape Room, the largest escape room in Suffolk, located by the bus station, is a unique experience to be enjoyed for all different ages.   Don’t forget to check out some of our local cafés and restaurants in Sudbury including Twenteaone, Painters, Cradle, Bishops Coffee, Miramba and so many more, check on our website to find a list that just keeps going. This August will see Sudbury hosting our first Street Food Festival. With some of our regular traders taking part and lots of new faces we can’t wait to share the event with all of Sudbury.   There are so many activities being hosted in Sudbury by the Library, Sudbury Arts Centre, The Christohper Centre, Gainsborough House and the Wine Boutique to name a few! Every month in the Tourist Information Centre find our What’s On magazine showcasing classes, courses, clubs and concerts for in and around Sudbury. If you are looking to learn a fun new skill and love music, why not take a go at a free DJ workshop, for ages 10 – 19 in the Sudbury Arts Centre, Wednesday 14th August. "Explore the world of DJing and create your own mixes. Experiment with remixing tunes, performing live and creating new music with professional DJ equipment. No previous experience required."  - https://sudburyartscentre.com/event/free-youth-music-workshops-how-to-dj-ages-15-19/ For those sport fans, Sudbury have a wide range of clubs to cheer on, with cricket on all summer, football season staring soon, tennis tournaments and many more, there’s a sport for everybody. AFC Sudbury will also be hosting HAF summer camps in August, book your place online. ‘All activities will help to develop new skills or knowledge, try new experiences and have fun and socialise by stimulating their creativity, physical activity and education. The skills and knowledge they'll gain will be beneficial to communication and collaboration skills as well as their individual mental and physical wellbeing.’- https://eequ.org/experience/9459   With so much available in Sudbury, no matter the weather, there should be something for everyone to enjoy this summer!

Open from 6th July - 3rd November 2024 Sudbury Town Council had the honour of visiting Gainsborough House and seeing their exciting new exhibit – Revealing Nature: Morris and Lett-Haines. Met by Charlie Dixon, the events & marketing manager, and one of their many amazing volunteers, Jane, we were given a guided tour of the new exhibit as well as Gainsborough’s old house.   Gainsborough’s House society was formed in 1958 to purchase Gainsborough’s house and re establish it as a centre for Thomas Gainsborough, which opened publicly in 1961, and has operated as an independent charitable trust. The redevelopment and refurbishment commenced in 2019 making it more accessible and expanding on the rich history of Sudbury and Gainsborough, reopening to the public 21 November 2022.   Currently Gainsborough House has around 200 volunteers hard at work in all different areas of the museum and all equally passionate about what they do. Whilst showing us around Jane showed immense knowledge in Cedric Morris’ work and you could tell by how she spoke it is something she is truly proud of.   We were taken to the top floor and shown by another volunteer, Tim, their Camera Obscura. A truly amazing experience of seeing Sudbury from one of only 74 Camera Obsrura’s in the world. ‘Gainsborough was clearly interested in experimenting with light— creating the Showbox (considered a ‘cousin’ to the camera obscura) which can now be seen at the V&A.’ https://gainsborough.org/your-visit/camera-obscura/ Gainsborough House is looking at working with the local schools helping to promote arts and holds regular art classes and printing workshops. With major loans from Tate and the National Portrait Gallery the exhibit is fulfilled with loans private lenders, descendants of pupils of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing or friends of Morris and Lett. Showcasing over 90 works the new exhibit is spaced out throughout the museum giving all a chance to enjoy the other wonders the museum has to offer.   “As the new Director of Gainsborough’s House, I can think of very few exhibitions that give me greater pleasure in presenting than The Art of Cedric Morris and Lett-Haines. This is the first opportunity for many years to examine the oeuvre of two artists side by side and whose legacy lives through their life and art. The East Anglian School of Painting is an important chapter in the story of twentieth- century British art which deserves to be better known and understood.”   - Calvin Winner, New executive director.    Going around the new exhibitions, the new layout and Gainsborough house you truly feel you are part of something much bigger, enjoying the secluded garden and café, volunteers describes the museum as their little piece of paradise.