Tudor Times

With the arrival of the Tudors the number of religious houses in the town were dissolved as a result of Henry VIII's split with the Church of Rome. In Ipswich Blackfriars, Whitefriars and Greyfriars were all closed down along with Holy Trinity Priory which was sold to the Withypoll family who built Christchurch Mansion on the site. A result of Henry's actions also saw a chance for one of Ipswich's most important historical figures to rise to power, Cardinal Wolsey's political skills at court gained him influence with the King. Wolsey served as cardinal legate, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor, and was in fact the King's chief minister for 14 years. Back in his home town Wolsey began a school, using the priory of St Peter and Paul close to the docks. The foundation stone was laid in 1528, but within a year Wolsey fell spectacularly from power and the school was demolished, the imported building stone removed for use in Westminster. Only part of the red brick boundary wall and a side gate in College Street, now remains of the prestigious venture.

One building which has survived from the period, is the Sun Inn in St Stephens Lane. The building has undergone extensive renovation recently and during the work a burial from the neighbouring Whitefriars (Carmelite) monastery burial ground has been excavated. Occupation finds from the site go back to the 15th Century when it was probably a merchant's house. By 1621 it was an inn, documentary evidence mentions it as "the sign of the Sunn". It's final incarnation was as a shop in 1901 when it sold art and antiques and later as a bookshop (Atfield and daughter) until 1998 when restoration started. The Sun Inn is one of the treasures of the town, and thanks to the restoration team it is open at the annual heritage weekends. 2006 was possibly the last open weekend for this fine building, and the picture of the cellar shows an array of finds from the excavations within the building and it's well.

The half timbered office building at the corner of Oak Lane and Northgate Street was once the Royal Oak Inn. The original Tudor building has been much restored, but it is still in use. The cornerpost shows a blacksmith or bladesmith working on an anvil, it is said that this was carved to reflect the trade of one time resident John Bemit (or Bennett) c 1500AD.

On the corner of Buttermarket and Lower Brook Street in what is now Cafe Nero there is more evidence for the Tudor period. On the upper floor a boxed in chimney place has a glass fronted display to show off an Elizabethan crest painted onto the wall plaster. The royal crest is dated 1593 and demonstrates that this is another ancient building with a more recent facade.