Above: the interactive map showing listed buildings in central Ipswich; the visitor can zoom in to view details.

In the midst of the horrors of lockdown, testing, PPE and so on, Suffolk County Council launched its new Suffolk Heritage Explorer website (https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk), offering professionals and members of the public a free resource of interesting up-to-date information on the archaeology and history of Suffolk.

This is an important step forward in providing public access to invaluable resources, particularly in relation to the story of Ipswich, which resulted from notable archeological digs in the town from the 1970s onwards.

The new website includes an upgraded interactive map which is user-friendly; controls can be clicked to reveal, for example, Scheduled Monuments or the hundreds of Listed buildings. The bonus here is that a click on a particular Listed building triangle gives access to the full Listing text relating to that building. There is also a database of known archaeological sites, which can be used to discover more about Suffolk’s history. Alongside downloadable publications and resources, there is updated guidance and best practice advice on finds recording and access to the county’s archaeological archives.

A dedicated section on Ipswich also summarises the town’s development through the ages, featuring the recently completed Urban Archaeological Database with useful archive and planning guidance. Additional features on the site include Suffolk’s World War II heritage and the internationally significant Anglo-Saxon site at Rendlesham (its twelve years of ongoing archaeological research and results, with podcasts and archaeological reports). There are also lots of downloadable activities for families and children.

R.G.

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