What’s going for it? Think of Suffolk: what comes to mind? Pink-painted, half-timbered houses, crooked and tottering under the weight of history? Magnificent medieval churches built in the cloth boom? Golden ale made by bearded local brewers in holey jumpers? All the kind of things Hadleigh’s packed with, and precisely the kind of homely, quintessentially English images the county’s then tourist board, Choose Suffolk, had in mind four years ago when it asked the Great British Public to vote in its Suffolk Icons contest. The public had other ideas and Hadleigh-born purveyors of “extreme metal”, Cradle Of Filth, topped the poll (an Ipswich lido was runner-up with six times fewer votes).
But then Hadleigh, like so much of rural Britain, refuses to conform to stereotype. Yes, you’ll find butcher, baker, candlestickmaker, nuns on bikes (probably) and warm beer, but it has a rebellious side, too. Firebrand protestant preachers ruled the roost in the 17th century; in the 20th, Cedric Morris’s freewheeling bohemia, the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing (alumnus, Lucian Freud), set up camp; lately, it’s one of the few spots to have kept Tesco at bay. Gotta love this country sometimes.
The case against Not the cheapest spot, nor the best connected: it’s the wilds of mid-Suffolk here.
Well connected? As I said, no. Trains: the nearest station is the branch-line terminus at Sudbury 20 minutes’ drive away, with hourly trains to the mainline at Marks Tey, Ipswich or Manningtree. Driving: the A12 is 20 minutes away, Colchester 30 and the seaside at Felixstowe 40.
Schools Primaries: the town’s three primaries, St Mary’s CofE, Beaumont Community and Hadleigh Community, all “require improvement”, Ofsted says, but “are taking effective action”. Secondaries: Hadleigh High is “good”.
Hang out at It’s all about the country pub. Hadleigh has some decent examples, plus tea shops and delis etc, but for the star turns head to nearby villages: Boxford has the much-lauded Fleece and Lindsey The Red Rose.
Where to buy The historic heart has pargetting, plaster and half-timbered cutesiepieness aplenty. It’s very hugger-mugger, with 1930s council cul-de-sacs abutting medieval cottages, so you can’t really go wrong. To max up the heritage, head to Bridge, High, Angel and Benton Streets. Large detacheds, £400,000-£600,000. Townhouses, £300,000-£550,000. Detacheds, £220,000-£400,000. Semis, £180,000-£350,000. Terraces and cottages, £150,000-£300,000. Rentals: one-bed, £325-£500 pcm; three-bed, £700-£800 pcm.
Bargain of the week Cute as a button, pink as Barbara Cartland’s boudoir: the two-bed cottage of your dreams, £177,500 with frostandpartners.co.uk.
From the streets
Russell Morgan “Hadleigh is packed with great pubs and restaurants. Try The Ram and The White Horse for great food and atmosphere.”
Sharon Gold “Fantastic walks: the banks of the River Brett or the disused Railway Walk are great.”
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