Christchurch Mansion — Attraction in Ipswich

Christchurch Mansion occupies one of the oldest developments in Ipswich, originally the site of a 12th Century Augustinian Priory. It's an impressive red-brick Suffolk Tudor stately home, nestling at the bottom end of the Parkland it gives its name to. Built in 1548 by the Withypolls, in 1645 it passed to the Devereux family by marriage, then the 70 acre estate was bought by Fonnereau in 1735. Nowadays, Christchurch Mansion possesses at least 5 centuries of visible history & always looks special, whatever the weather. In 1894 it became the property of Ipswich brewer & philanthropist, Felix Cobbold, who scuppered plans to build a housing estate on the site & repurposed the pile as combined museum & art gallery. The interior contains some notable exhibits, most especially the original collection of both John Constable & Thomas Gainsborough paintings. The art gallery section is named in honour of Ipswich's favourite son, Cardinal Wolsey & is accessible from a small formal parterre garden at the back of the main building. Christchurch Mansion overlooks St. Margaret's churchyard, from where it's only separated by a red-brick wall. By standing at the eastern corner of Christchurch Mansion, it's possible to see the towers of St. Margaret's, St. Lawrence's, & St. Mary-le-Tower, side-by-side. Also in this corner can be found the so-called; 'Great Black Stone', actually a huge white monolith, engraved with a pair of life-size...

WOW. what a fabulous little place. the house is marvellous, a really breathtaking place. i visited with my brother and his two kids, ben and leslie, such cuties. 😊! they enjoyed the woolly trail as it was a fun activity and my brother and i were fascinated by the architecture of the mansion, such a nice tudor building. there was so much wonderful art and i was enthralled by the beauty and talent of all artists. The furniture indeed did too create a historical setting and i really did feel like i’d been whisked back in time! My brother and i really did have such a special day and the staff were so supportive and friendly, so welcoming and it really was the best time. We then ventured into the park which was such a beautiful area despite the english weather and there was an ornate fountain which really helped make the area so delightful. pet friendly so my brother could bring his st bernard’s and there were even ducks in the pond which we fed bird seed to! they were very well natured and if we could come back again for a picnic on a brighter day, i’m sure we would! it was such a lovely day and i am definitely going to recommend to many friends especially in the summer hols! it was free as well which was such a bonus! there was also an ed sheeran exhibit which was very close to my heart as ed is my favourite singer in the world his lyrics are so beautiful. thanks...

Very friendly staff and lots to see despite certain areas being closed off due to Covid restrictions. Whilst not an Ed Sheeran fan , the exhibition was still interesting and complemented the other local boys (Gainsborough and Constable ) a large collection of whose works were displayed later on. The room settings were excellent with some really interesting pieces of furniture and informative info boards. The Great Hall and the unusual way that The Library and the Rococo Room interact with the space at the top of the stairs (with two large window-like openings and two false doors ) make this a fascinating place posing so many questions. Only minor negative - too much of the Tudor overmantel in the Servants Hall was masked by what looked like a bacon back curved settle (nice piece of furniture in its own right). A very enjoyable visit. Loved the unusual bands of white inlay in two items of furniture in the Dining Room ( not ivory but horse teeth !) Look forward to coming back again when the other rooms are open.

Incidentally the Mansion is only a short walk from the town centre where Sparrowe's House (aka The Ancient House - 15th cent) has really good figurative plaster work around the windows and don't miss the Public Library (1924) in Northgate with delightful animal carvings around the original...