Lavenham. The empire of wool

 Lavenham 

The empire of wool

Located in East Anglia, the village dates back from Anglo-Saxon times. After the Norman conquest of 1066, the land was in possession of Aubrey de Vere I, a tenant-in-chief of king William the Conqueror. 

King William the Conqueror/First of England

Lavenham experienced its golden age between the 15th and the 16th century. This is when the wool trade became a very profitable business in England and, as a result, the village prospered, becoming one the wealthiest settlements in the kingdom. Various rich merchant families emerged, the best known being the Spring family. Richard Spring, the Lord Risby, a former member of the UK Conservative Party and former MP (member of the Parliament) from 1992 to 2010, was born into this family.

Spring family coat of arms

Richard Spring (b.1946-)

Back to our village, as a symbol of great wealth and prosperity, the wool merchants donated for the construction of the church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Because it was financed primarily by revenues generated from wool trading, it is considered a ''wool church'', and, it is not the only wool church in England. 

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul

The construction ended in 1525, it is probably one of the most beautiful worshiping places I have ever seen. And yes, I am subjective when I say that, so, don't judge me😂. Other objectives to visit are the timbered framed buildings, such as Lavenham Wool Hall, the former guildhall which was built in 1464,  and Guildhall of the catholic guild of Corpus Christi, built in 1529 and it is located in the centre of the village.

Lavenham Wool Hall

Lavenham Guildhall

Unfortunately, in the 16th century, the influx of Dutch refugees in the region had negative consequences over the wool trade. The merchants from Lower Countries commercialized cloth, which was cheaper to be produced than wool, and more fashionable. Eventually, after some plagues in the 17th century, the village suffered a decline in population and lost its prestige. However, it managed to conserve its values and symbols.