Americans DRIVING through England | BEAUTIFUL Suffolk Villages 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

We had a holiday in Suffolk recently. We don't drive but were able to visit Sudbury, Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds all on the same bus route (and it also goes through another medieval town - Long Melford). The square in Lavenham that you drove through but didn't stop has the impressive medieval Guildhall and a yellow coloured house called Little Hall. Both can be visited and have really interesting displays and gardens. The Guildhall has a lot about the history of the woollen industry in Lavenham, a WW2 exhibit and a history of criminal justice in the town from medieval times. The Guildhall once held prisoners. Little Hall was owned by a family for many years who were quite creative and inventive and there are a lot of interesting displays there too, along with the architecture of both places, they are really worth a visit. We stopped off in the Swan Hotel on the way back for some refreshment as the bus stop was near. That also has an impressive interior. Sudbury has the painter Thomas Gainsborough's house which is now a museum and has a lot worth seeing. In medieval times one of the locals, Simon of Sudbury ( bishop or archbishop) was on King Richard II's side in London during the peasants revolt and had his head chopped off by the peasants. He was blamed for the high taxes they endured (poll tax). His head/skull can be seen in St Gregory's church in Sudbury. There's a wonderful hotel (The Mill House) right by a mill race with a working mill wheel which overlooks wonderful walking paths, a duck pond with many birds and common pasture land where people walk their dogs and cattle graze. All this can be seen from the hotel which can be visited for drinks (indoor or out) and meals without having to stay there. Bury St Edmunds has an outdoor market, a fascinating museum with many Anglo-Saxon royal artefacts but also info about a famous Victorian murder (The Red Barn Murder). There is also a fantastic cathedral there.

You need to visit the Swan Inn in Lavenham. Favourite haunt of US Airmen in WWII many veterans and families return there for the memory board and other memorabilia on display in the bar area.

It's a lovely area to stay if you want a relaxing time. I've happy memories of a short Summer holiday break spent in this area many years back. I got the train to Sudbury and travelling lightly, walked to Long Melford and beautiful Lavenham, staying at a sweet little Youth Hostel at Alpheton, sadly now long gone. All I did for the three days was to explore on foot the quiet country lanes, footpaths and villages during the day with a packed lunch and a drink bottle, then return to the hostel, make my dinner and chat to the other hostel visitors in the evening before a shower and sleeping soundly. Quite idyllic. A simpler time.

O dear, what has happened to Chris? Why the crutches? Hope he gets better soon. Another most enjoyable 'Sunday morning' tour. I've only been to Lavenham once, many years ago. It was summer and rather busier. I've noticed a change in Chris recently. He is so much more relaxed and chatty when you are filming. Great to see you all so chilled. Take care. x PS. Cool beard!

Another lovely video folks, thank you for your keen interest in seeing sights and landscapes etc. We will definitely miss you when you return to America. Things have “changed” back over there these last few years while you have been away, many would say and NOT FOR THE BETTER unfortunately. We had lived in Florida on and off for 30 years with our own house there but things have certainly changed these last few years mainly the cost of living/local taxes/out of control insurances/traffic levels & HOA fees for nothing in return. WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE YOU TO RETURN AND BUILD A GOOD LIFE WITH US. P.S. You have not yet seen 1% of our attractions that would amaze both you and the kids such as military pageantry, Monarchy, Stately Homes, Castles, Churches, Cathedrals, Palaces, Bletchley Park where the German codes were cracked & Eisenhower stated it shortened the war by 2 years, Palaces and Old Monuments etc. Please consider returning…..

We were in Suffolk recently and dropped in on Lavenham on the way home. We`ve been before and enjoy visiting whenever we can. Pleased that you enjoyed your visit.

Hi family…another great Sunday morning watch..my dad was in the RAF for 17 years and we were based with American servicemen ( 1981) at brize Norton was a brilliant experience..

Hi guys , The Swan Hotel has connections with u.s Airmen , they have the signatures of them enscribed on the wall , one u.s airman loved the place so much he went back year after year to visit after the war . Lovely old place 😊❤

Obviously on these long drives you’ll be stopping for lunch or a coffee and maybe you could show the restaurant and the menu too etc !

Lovely! A blast from the past for me, as I last visited Lavenham about 30 years ago. Hope you all had a great day and Chris' foot gets better soon.

I'm going to miss the drives when you go back to the states.You've shown me more of the country around the south than I would ever find time to see.And the commentary is good too.Very relaxing.

Interesting video, I thought you might have gone inside the Swan Hotel and seen the Airmen’s bar, in WW2 American military were billeted in the area, many signed their names on a wall in the bar, still there to see.

I live close to the Village of Lacock which was also used as a location for Harry Potter . Never knew about Lavenham what a beautiful place . Thanks

You may have noticed how many houses were that distinctive shade of pink. This is known as Suffolk Pink and dates back to when people painted their buildings with a mixture of limewash and ox blood. I dont think the second ingredient will be used these days but the shade is definitely still used!

The strange black building with the grey structure on the top is a windmill for grinding grains minus its sails the black part is brick that was painted in bitumen and housed the mill machinery the grey cap housed the sails and turned into the wind. Yes the concrete structure on the right is indeed a water tower. Most of the buildings in Lavenham were built in the 1400’s or 1500’s. Other picturesque villages to visit in the same area are Kersey and Finchingfield. A whole day trip to Kentwell hall is definitely worth while particularly between 22 to 30 June when at Kentwell the year will be 1535 and there will be in excess of 200 living history specialists dressed in period costumes who interact with visitors. Kentwell hall is part of the village of Long Melford.

Another lovely drive out guy’s I’m just chilling having a cuppa while watching your video 🙌😊 so relaxing!!!! Maybe one day you could check out sandwich in Kent lots of quaint streets and beautiful medieval houses, oh and a American gun boat from the Vietnam era on the river stour it a well cool place to visit! 🇬🇧🫶🇺🇸

I used to live near Lavenham, some of the buildings are 800 years old

Hello Jess, Chris and family, firstly well done Jess the driver, 😊 that tall building that you passed on your left looked like a windmill without the blades and converted to a home. Lavenham was truly gorgeous so thank you for showing me beautiful parts of England that I have never seen. I do wonder how some of those crooked houses remain standing..😊 Have a lovely weekend my friends. xx. Lots of love. ♥

Morning Jess , Chris, family lovley village and buildings, well done with your driving too

Great driving Jess, Lavenham is now on my bucket list of places to visit

Thank you for another great video. The reason wooden frame house became crooked is they make with green oak and as it seasons they will twist and bow.

Hey Jess and Chris, another great video thank you. I notice Chris mentioned about doing a Double Decker bus ride at some point before going back to the U.S. It all depends on when you are due to go back to the U.S. really, but, Two very good Open top bus rides i can Recommend are from Eastbourne on the south coast to Brighton which is very scenic but pick a nice warm day in spring if ya`ll still here by then, also one of the nicest ones is from Bournemouth in the County of Dorset, to Swanage which is further West on the Jurassic coastline overlooking the English Channel. The ride from Bournemouth is truly wonderful with local villages and plenty of coastal views, especially from the top deck of the bus, it makes you realise what you cannot see from a car viewpoint. The ride to Swanage is just so good, and once you get to Swanage you will love this place to look around for a couple of hours on foot. Then when you are done, do the return trip back to where you originally got on the bus. I would recommend doing a couple of nights in an Air B N B, so you can have a good look around Bournemouth too with it`s wonderful Beach and Shops galore. At Least then, you can have the right amount of time to travel home at your leisure. I will leave you a link to a good video below of the exact journey ok, Enjoy Ya`ll. :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-a9rA0vRSL3g.htmlsi=mnTyxk5Qlxf9jiwf

Guys that was brilliant and thanks so much for sharing! We are used to all these structures and to be honest we do take them for granted as we have grown up with them! but to a visitor its must be wonderful to experience! The tower on the way to Lavenham was water tower and the structure in the garden was a windmill with no vanes! Take care x

Jess and family glad you're enjoying your time in the UK. I've lived in Suffolk for 40 years, I love it ! I've been to Lavenham many times. You missed the medieval guildhall in the market Square.

Just came across your site, what lovely family, God bless and all the best for the future

Pleased you're enjoying living in Britain. When Chris gets a bit time off, I recommend you give the Yorkshire Dales a look. I'm not from Yorkshire, but in my opinion it's the most beautiful part of the world.

The roadside hedges are generally in much better shape nowadays. When they were trimmed by hand they would go years without attention.

It's strange to think that the very old timber framed buildings (that date from the early 17th century or older) were often occupied by the poor in society. Today they're often the most sought after to buy. The wealthy tore down out of fashion timber buildings and rebuilt in brick and stone. After a large area of the old timber buildings in London were destroyed in the 1666 fire the city was rebuilt in brick and stone with clay tiled roofs. Partly because it's far more fire resistant but also there weren't the trees available. Much forest had been felled to clear for agricultural use and to produce charcoal. Large areas were reserved to construct ships for the Royal Navy. There was an unlimited supply of clay to make bricks and coal to fire them. Today most timber used is imported to the UK from countries on the Baltic or North America.

My son works at Lavenham blue tea rooms the cream tea is fantastic

Don't know if it's too far for you. Somewhere near Cromer is a Heavy Horses visitors centre (originally used by farmers until the tractor replaced them, nearly were extinct). always wanted to go there but never found the time. Love your videos jx

I think one of the most beautiful things to check out are woodlands in spring time when the blue bells are out it is just a carpet of blue. can I say really enjoy your videos.

Hi I was wondering if you are still here in Suffolk or if you have returned to the states??? I live in Brandon near to Raf lakenheath if you like I could show you some of the interesting and historical parts of Brandon , Thetford in Norfolk, and Bury St Edmunds if you haven't already been to them , for instance Thetford was the town used to film some of the scenes from a popular tv sitcom called dad's army.Just outside of Brandon there is a place sign posted as Grimes graves it's a neolithic flint mine site one of the best preserved in England and you can go into the mines and look around, further along the main road to Swaffham is the Desert rats memorial it's a ww2 tank on a plympth outside of the barracks where they stayed and trained for a brief period before the start of D day you can walk around the camp .

Another great day out with you and your family. That was indeed a water tower but they are also leased to mobile phone companies who festoon them with microwave transmitters. It would seem wonderful to live in one of those old listed buildings. It is until you want to do any repairs or improvements. Because they are listed, you have to work to an agreed standard. You can't, for example, take out those drafty old windows and replace them with modern UPVC. Everything has to match the original. That is a good thing but gets incredibly expensive. I do wonder how some of them manage to stay up. By the way, you are a great and careful driver.

Glad to see it's pretty much the same as when I was a kid. Much better of course, when the weather co-operates. Did you notice in Lavenham that there are no telegraph poles in the main street? They wanted to preserve the look of all the old wattle and daub buildings. On some days, they don't let traffic up the main street so you can really get a bit more of the mediaeval vibe.

Another great video and Lavenham looks lovely much like it was when I last visited more than 15 years ago. I felt very nostalgic watching this video as reminds me of a time back in the 90's and early 2000's when I would pass through Suffolk on my way to my parents boat they kept of the Norfolk Broads. I would usually turn of the busy M11/A11 road and have lunch in a pub in one of the pretty villages. I'm very happy this winter has been fairly mild as has kept my heating bill down though a bit too much rain for my liking.

Enjoy Lavenham but then don’t miss seeing Thaxted, Saffron Walden and Clare, just driving through is amazing. TV series Lovejoy was filmed in and around these towns and villages. Loads of gorgeous villages in Suffolk, and do visit Cambridge but use the park and Ride sites as parking is very expensive and hard to find.

Enjoyed this very much ❤ I love seeing gorgeous little villages, and because I don't drive, it's great watching you guys driving BTW Jess did a great job driving through the tiny lanes 😊 please keep doing these lovely videos xxx

My aunt worked at" the Swan" in Lavenham she was a suffolk girl of course ,her father ,My grandfather was a farm manager for a big farm in the county,Dad was on the plough and his brothers all worked various jobs for the old man ,happy days

Is this coincidence that we should meet again so soon in the place of our ancestors, Lavenham, Boxted, Polstead, Sudbury and Burgh amongst the many villages mentioned in our roots. We have Norfolk and Suffolk accents which were 'normal' in our parents' time, a homely dialect which we like to speak over breakfast. My late mum b.1910 was very 'broad' and was once asked what country she came from! Lovely❤ Thank you.

Part of the film Witchfinder General was filmed in Lavenham.

That tall structure at the back of the house was an old windmill. Now often the sails are removed and the building converted into accommodation. Quirky.

Nice drive again folks, thanks. I love the old timber frame buildings I find them fascinating. My brother lives in one over in Shropshire which is quite unusual as far as I know. It was built in the 17th century then about 200 years later the outside had a stone surround built. From outside the house looks Victorian but going inside is like entering a time warp as all the original timber work is exposed. It does make me wonder how much history is hidden behind a few bricks or a couple of inches of soil.

Thanks again for a tour of beautiful Lavenham. Good driving as always love to all ❤

Another great post Jess, hope Chris is on the mend. Have a great week guys. 👏🏻👏🏻

Very enjoyable, thank you. My relations are traceable and go back to the early 16th century near Lavenham. Then 95 per cent of the population were engaged in agriculture and lived in extremely poorly constructed housing long since fallen down or demolished. This is why some villages have only a church a manor house and a small number of houses dotted about.

You went past "the Windmill" Suffolk.

You are in the territory of the infamous "Mathew Hopkins", "Witchfinder General", It is very likely you are seeing buildings, especially Lavenham, that Hopkins had passed or even entered to find witches to torture and burn. He covered a lot of Suffolk and a part of Essex, my county. 5:55 is an old windmill. 7:04 is a water tower Excellent driving, not easy on our small congested roads, you are good enough to be a Brit.

Great video 👍 The water tower are popular to convert to a home as shown on Grand designs on channel 4. Thacthed house's are nice to look at but have difficulty in getting insurance and need regular maintenance.

Another brilliant video guys 🤓 I have ADHD and your content really makes me calm and chilled 👌. keep up the good work. 🇬🇧🇺🇲.

i think most of buildings and houses in lavenham are 500 years old. the reason why the streets and country roads are very narrow they were made for the horse and cart.

Nice little road trip as usual Have you guys done Sutton Hoo yet ? . I’m going there with my son and grandsons later in the year , being National Trust members entrance will be free If your not in the National trust I would seriously recommend it , get a family ticket you will save a fortune, if your not sure down load the App first so you can see how many properties will be available to you 👍👍👍

I'm surprised you didn't go into the US Airmen's bar in the Swan Hotel & Spa you drove past what with you being a US Air Force family, and apart from the very long history of the hotel itself of course. It has memorabilia and signatures from the 1940s onwards by airmen and their US family members & ancestors who have paid visits to the hotel bar to commemorate their loved ones since WW2 on display including servicemen from the 1940s who returned to pay a visit. The bar is open from midday until 11pm to visitors and open 24 hours a day to hotel residents. It's also dog friendly. The Swan also commissioned a beer named the 487th Commemorative Beer which is not sold anywhere else and is named after the 487 Bombardment Group of the 8th US Air Force who were stationed in Lavenham and who regularly frequented the bar. As it's fairly close to where you live maybe you'll pay another visit before you leave the UK.

"in our yard too...'' "In the Garden!" That made me laugh out loud! She's right! A yard is for builders!

Congrats on your driving 😊

Got to do Duxford 😊 museum

you can not visit Suffolk without going to Kersey , Eat Bergholt (Constable Cointry ) and just across the border into Essex for Dedham and Colcheater .

It may be too far for you but I would recommend Scotland for a visit some beautiful scenery.

My daughter went to a friends party in Lavenham and it turned out to be the Harry Potter house. While waiting to pick her up my wife and I had a very pleasant time in a nearby wine bar.

wow beautiful places.

i bet chris could not wait to get out of the house?!

how do you find the american wilderness to british wilderness?

Part of the😅 fil

Your missis is really beautiful big fella..

I understand the references, but I am heartily sick of people referring my history to the thoroughly transient (and pretty shitty) Harry Potter) books and films.

This video highlights the biggest scourge on English day to day life. Persistent drizzle. In other country's, it hammers down, then clears up & you're done. But we have this annoying drizzle for days on end. It's soul destroying.