Gainsborough's House — Attraction in Babergh

Gainsborough’s House very interesting place to visit. Gainsborough's work is central but there are works from artists relevant to TG such as Joshua Reynolds, and Francis Hayman, and currently Cedric Morris. Featuring a permanent exhibition dedicated to the local silk industry the new visitor centre was an unexpected treat. The main gallery has green silk lined walls from a local company as a backdrop to some of Gainsborough’s finest works . The old house is wonderful and even has a studio set up as well as rooms set as they would have been used when he lived there. In every room there are is a book on a table explaining a bit about the room , but sadly only one room had a volunteer guide, ( main gallery ) - an elderly gentleman who was charming and gave us some interesting insights into the paintings on display. We visited the day after a temporary exhibition had closed, mid afternoon. There is a fantastic new visitor centre with views across Sudbury and a camera obscura subject to volunteer being there to operate it ( sadly not operated for our visit ). Allow around 2 hours for your visit. We parked in a nearby free car park , off street is available nearby. The garden is very pleasant and it is possible to sit and have refreshments there. Gift shop very good and postcards of the artworks were fairly priced. Standard Admission is £15 Under 18’s admission is free. There are lots of ways of saving money on admission, Historic Houses & Art Fund Members are free. National Rail discount etc. Check the website before visiting for more details. We had a really enjoyed visit , and highly recommend Gainsborough’s House to visit- especially if you enjoy historic buildings , art and new architecture ( the visitor centre has just won a RIBA award ).If you staying at any of the nearby villages such as Lavenham - it’s just 15...

We came down for the Remembrance Day Parade a bit early. We found that this was the hometown of Thomas Gainsborough. He painted landscapes and portraits during the 17th century. You would recognize him by his famous painting “The Blue Boy”. There was a reduced cost to £12 (~$15.50 USD) due to one of the galleries being closed.

After getting your tickets, you can go up to the top floor which has a beautiful panoramic view or go to the left door to see a small gallery of his art. They have diagrams on paper of the art hanging if you want more details. They do this throughout the house which is great for a more in depth review on what you're seeing.

To get to the house itself from the gallery, go out the door, through a garden and then into the door to the home.

There are plenty of his paintings throughout the house. It was originally 2 medieval homes separated by an alley. It was converted into a split house of which you can see the medieval structure in some areas. There are 2 stories, but a lift is available if needed. There is a painting by Cedric Morris in one of the lower rooms. You also get a glimpse of the silk work done in Sudbury which it was also famous for.

Attached to this is a cafe called ‘The Watering Place’ and a store that has 2 sections to it for souvenirs or...

Did not expect so many pictures from the artist himself on display. Such stunning pieces on display that allow up close and personal admiration of the artists work - so many pictures look bright and cleaned/restored as if they were painted last week. Can see why Gainsborough was the premier portraitist of his age. Captures the human essence and sprit like few others. Equally amazing is the beautiful exhibition space and extension to the museum by ZMMA architects. ZMMA are one of the most accomplished architects of their age as was Gainsborough in his time, equally talented I would say. Together with the uber trendy cafe and lunch options - this feels like a world class museum and not a frusty provincial...