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Issue 184 Newsletter July 2011 


Contents: 

• Editorial: A Great Past

• New Members

• Heritage Open Days

• Winter Lectures to Enjoy

• Ipswich Society Awards 2011

• IBC'S Core Strategy

• Some Shorts

• Planning Matters Large & Small

• Annual General Meeting

• Suffolk Preservation Society

• Engaging with Young People

• Big Society and Localism

• A Wet Dock Crossing?

• New Bridge at the Station

• Adam Gordon (1934-2011)

• Puzzling over the Mansion

• Building a Gable Warmer

• Waterfront Attractions (2) 

• Questions about High Streets

• Letters to the Editor

• Down and Out on the Orwell

• News & Comment

• Touring the Olympic Sites 

• Tourist Guides in Ipswich

• Petitions from Suffolk

• The Cobbold Blue Plaque

• Roads, at a Price 

• Where you paid Tolls

• Outings and Events 


Editorial: A Great Past

'Made in Ipswich' was the title of the Town Lecture given by Brian Dyes on 12 May. It was a 

masterly survey of manufacturing in Ipswich from Saxon times to the present day. With less than an 

hour to cover a huge amount of material, he chose to concentrate almost exclusively on the 

remarkable achievements of the two Ransomes firms. That meant short shrift for medieval 

shipbuilding and for distinguished companies like E R & F Turner, Cocksedge's, Reavell's and 

Crane's, omissions which might have disappointed former employees of those firms. But the result 

was that Mr Dyes could revel in describing the design and production of Ransomes, Sims and 

Jefferies' ploughs, lawn mowers, threshing machines, tractors, forklift trucks, trolley buses, aircraft 

and combine harvesters - and Ransome and Rapier's whole range of railway products, concrete 

mixers, sluice gates and cranes, culminating in the gigantic walking dragline. 


ike many Ipswich Society members, I already knew some of this but by no means all. However, I 

came away with two persistent general impressions. One was the knowledge that this work was not 

merely routine mass production but in several cases world class pioneering invention which 

depended on some brilliant engineers backed up by first class apprentice training. The other 

realisation was that these companies were not running down but perhaps at their peak when I came 

to live in Ipswich in 1957. And yet to me, living in N W Ipswich and quite close to the town centre, 

what was going on around the docks and in the east of the town was not very noticeable, almost part 

of another world. 


So even in the 1950s there was little obvious synergy between the docks and the town centre to 

many residents like me. (It wouldn't have been the case in previous centuries of course when people 

lived close to their places of work.) But that' division' is still apparent today - probably more so. 

Hence the Master Plan which I referred to in my April Editorial- the joint effort by Ipswich Central 

and IBC to promote an ambitious vision of linking up Ipswich's unique potential attraction, the 

Waterfront, with the town centre. Your Executive Committee was pleased to learn more about this at 

a meeting with Mr Richard Turner, Property Surveyor for Ipswich Central. How much of this 

possible development of shops, houses, public spaces and a new comprehensive bus station could 

take place in the foreseeable future is anybody's guess. But the strategy has much to commend it - 

and Ipswich has seldom stood still! 


Other articles in this Newsletter show the variety of activities and achievements in Ipswich at 

present, as well as concerns being expressed by our members about problems actual and potential. I 

hope you will read on and find much to mull over. 


Please let me have contributions to the next issue by 20 August. More and more members are 

responding to this ever-open invitation. I think it makes the Newsletter a vehicle for the whole 

Society and perhaps less predictable. 

Neil Salmon 


Heritage Open Days

The Society will again be organising Ipswich's contribution to this national, in fact Europe-wide, 

event. Details have not been finalised at the time of going to press but there will be many venues 

which will open their doors to interested members of the public free of charge. All information will 

be published in the leaflets which the Society provides. They will be available from mid-August at 

the Tourist Information Centre, museums and libraries. 


Although it is difficult to keep adding new venues to our list, some are well worth a second look 

and some you might have missed in the past. However, if you have visited almost everything 

previously there are two other aspects of Heritage Open Days to consider - you might collect a 

leaflet and encourage friends to go; or you might visit Norwich or Colchester for example and enjoy 

what they have to offer. (London's Open Days are usually a week earlier.) If you do stay in Ipswich, 

don't forget to pay your respects to Thomas Wolsey at Curs on Plain on your way to St Peter's 

Church; he wasn't here last year. 


Winter Lectures

To be held in Methodist Church, Museum Street (entrance Black Horse Lane) at 7.30 pm. 

12 October 'Ipswich's Business Improvement District' by William Coe and Paul Clement. 

William Coe is the Chairman and Paul Clement the Chief Executive of Ipswich BID, a company set 

up by IBC to manage and improve the environment of the town centre and business opportunities 

there. 

14 December 'Getting Wolsey's Statue in its Place' by Dr John Blatchly 

Dr Blatchly, formerly Headmaster of Ipswich School, is a local historian, guide and enthusiastic 

champion of Medieval Ipswich - as many members know. 

11 January 'Sherrington, Ipswich's Most Eminent Son' by Dr Michael Cook 

Dr Michael Cook was a Consultant Anaesthetist at Ipswich Hospital; Sir Charles Sherrington's 

discoveries are a central part of the knowledge of the modern anaesthetist. 

15 February 'Producing and Distributing Electricity for Suffolk' by Dr Michael Coleman 

Dr Coleman has now retired from managing Sizewell and Bradwell nuclear power stations. A 

nuclear physicist by training, he was Chairman of Sussex Preservation Society. 

14 March 'Managing Suffolk's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty' by Nick Collinson 

Nick Collinson manages The Suffolk Heaths and Coast AONB to which he is adding the Dedham 

Vale AONB, hopefully to be extended in the near future. 


Ipswich Society Awards 2011

Please feel free to nominate new buildings or new improvement schemes on the separate sheet 

enclosed with this Newsletter. This is one of the most important activities of the Society's year to 

which any member can contribute. In fact, members' involvement in observing changes in the town 

is particularly valuable because you may have noticed things in your own part of town which 

committee members don't know about. Our judges will go and look at all nominations - before all 

will be revealed in November's special meeting. 


IBC's Core Strategy

Some snippets of information from the ongoing examination in public. 


How many housing units does Ipswich need and how many of those should be 'greenfield' family 

homes rather than apartments on 'brownfield' sites? This of course is a vital question for the 

Examination into the soundness of the Core Strategy for the future development of Ipswich, an on-

going public debate in which The Ipswich Society has been involved. 


The immediate difficulty is that Ipswich is constrained by old Victorian boundaries, whereas 

developers, the house buying public and most of the lay population see Ipswich as a bigger 

conurbation (to include, for example, Kesgrave and Pinewood). The Regional Strategy had the 

advantage of including these peripheral residential areas in its thought process and 

recommendations, whereas the Local Development Framework is solely for the Borough. 


The other debate is the perennial chicken and egg question, which should come first in the growth 

stakes - houses or jobs? The developers argue (because they simply want to build and sell) that the 

houses must come first; employers will not move into an area without available labour. The counter 

argument is that building houses speculatively simply attracts residents who then commute to 

existing jobs elsewhere. This is certainly true at Ravenswood, which is conveniently placed 

adjacent to Junction 57 of the A14 and jobs in Martlesham, Felixstowe and north Essex. 


Thus we start playing the numbers game on the only sizeable plot left to develop in Ipswich - the 

Northern Fringe, between Henley and Westerfield Roads north of the by-pass. And again we can 

debate how far north this new estate should stretch. As far as the railway, as far as the Borough 

boundary or into Westerfield itself? Different developers own or have taken options on the different 

fields within this large area and are bending their arguments to ensure their plot is essential to the 

working of the Framework. 


The Ipswich Society's position on this is clear. We support the development of the Northern Fringe 

but with some essential conditions. Piecemeal development of small plots does nothing for 

infrastructure, community facilities or transport links. A planned development of, say, 1500 housing 

units could include (as a planning condition) a primary school, doctors' surgery, contributions to 

establishing public transport and off-site road improvements. 


This is why The Ipswich Society opposed the proposed developments by Ipswich School on their 

playing field site and Mersea Homes on their site immediately east, adjacent to Westerfield Road. 

We are not against building homes on either of those sites (given that the case is proved that 

Ipswich needs to build 10,000+ new homes over the next 20 years) but there must be a Master Plan 

for the entire development and the various developers must contribute their fair share to the 

infrastructure and community facilities. 


Part of the on-going debate at the Examination is how many homes in total should the Northern 

Fringe accommodate (hence the 'how many jobs' question). Crest Nicholson with land interests 

north of the railway are suggesting a number considerably higher than 1500. Thus when 'retail' was 

discussed at the Examination they suggested a supermarket rather than a local centre would be 

essential (think Tesco Kesgrave). The Examination re-convenes at about the same time as this 

Newsletter is published, so watch this space. 

John Norman, Vice-Chairman 


Some Shorts

Suffolk One, the new sixth form centre on London Road but just outside the Borough, was awarded 

'Best Educational building' in the 2011 East Anglia Building Excellence Awards. It features solar 

water heating and a ground heat recovery system. 

St Mary at the Elms Church is being lovingly restored after the fire which broke out in its early 

Tudor tower in July of last year. Scaffolding fills the interior space so that the wooden beams and 

plaster of the roof can be restored. Church services continue to be held in this, one of the most 

homely of our twelve medieval churches. 

Giles Circus should be a leafy new public space. But the five semi-mature trees planted last year 

show results of the drought. The tree nearest to Butter Market is thriving because that's the way the 

drainage flows. The others are under-nourished. More loving care needed? 

Azerbaijan won the European Song Contest. Will its Olympic team, based in and practising in 

Ipswich, break out into song as they explore and enjoy our town centre? 

Suffolk Youth Theatre was one of the region's truly outstanding cultural assets with its productions 

at the New Wolsey Theatre directed by Michael Platt. Metamorphosis, put on earlier than usual and 

at Dance East, was its last full-scale production because of withdrawal of funding. Sadly, the shape 

of things to come? 

Ipswich Town Centre Walking Map should be a great help to visitors - and useful to locals as 

well? It emphasises the north-south axis to show the proximity of the Waterfront to the town centre. 

Rightly, it includes the Museum and the Mansion, but being on a large scale has to exclude Portman 

Road and DCS/Suffolk New College. Copies at the TIC and some shops. 

A 'vintage market' was held on the Waterfront on Sunday, 15 May; it proved a popular attraction 

(photo below). Such events help to assure the public that this is a developing and changing part of 

the town. Look out for publicity about the ambitious Maritime Festival on 21-22 August, organised 

by IBC and with many participants. 


Planning Matters

Rights of Way around the Wet Dock 

In the April issue I was able to report in haste the summary of the Inspector's decisions as the paper 

only came through the letter box on the very last day of the last deadline. Thus whilst it is true that 

the Inspector confirmed a Right of Way along the north side of the Wet Dock, it is as a Restricted 

Byway and not as a Byway Open to All Traffic (a BOAT). The effect of this, which was not sought 

by anyone, is to prevent all mechanically propelled vehicles from using it as a through route. 

47 Key Street and Slade Street 

Trevor Home's fine mixed development, probably the best plans we have seen for the Waterfront, 

are not commercially viable in the present economic climate. The current proposals for a mixed 

development for 405 students, a student venue, medical centre, crêche, retail, launderette and other 

ancillary accommodation will have a good chance of coming to fruition with the support of the 

University and the site owners' desire to get some income from the site. The Jewish cemetery and 

the Tudor Barn will be enhanced by an improved public space with through pedestrian passage from 

the Fore Street end to the Custom House. Considerable work needs to be done to the plans of the 

new building at the north and south end of the F ore Street elevation. There is also considerable 

objection in allowing the 14 storey student block.. Many feel that this height is too much a block 

back from the Wet Dock. However, economics will prevail, I fear, at this time and permission 

granted. 


Fison House, 159 Princes Street 

Fison's 1958 headquarters, designed by Birkin Haward, has his signature use of pre-cast concrete V 

and H forms as pillars and beams. Only three of the proposed four sides were built and thus it was 

not deemed to be Listable by English Heritage and the 20th Century Society. In its present state it 

has not been possible to let it as offices. The owners have therefore proposed that it should be clad, 

a new floor added and a towerlet built as an entrance feature. Despite the objections of many 

architects, Birkin Haward's sons, the 20th Century Society, our Society and the Conservation 

Officer, the alterations have been granted permission, largely on economic grounds. We continue in 

our objection to the alteration as a programme of restoration; the possible addition of the fourth side 

would have achieved the same desirable economic aim without the loss to view of an important 

mid-20th century building. 

Music Building for Ipswich School, Holly Road 

This proposal for a 204 seat recital room, rehearsal spaces and practice rooms with entrance foyer 

and catering facilities has been designed by a specialist architect to sit on the multi-purpose sports 

courts at the top of Holly Road behind Warrington Road. We do have some reservations about the 

external design which is unprepossessing, the increased traffic to evening events and the possibility 

of noise, together with the increase in density of buildings in what is currently a lung space. 

However, there are many positive things to be said about the development and, on balance, we felt 

it should not be objected to. 

Reservoir site, Park Road 

Once again the original fine plans have proved uneconomical to sell, so a fresh approach is to 

demolish the reservoir, long disused, and build five detached 4-storey houses, modem in appearance 

but in the characteristic late Victorian style. Their height will be disguised by the topography of the 

site; and the ground floor, garage and utility will be largely hidden by the remnants of the existing 

bund. This, assuming completion, would be a useful addition to this area of north Ipswich. 

Car park, Russell Road 

This application for a temporary car park for 117 spaces on an already concreted piece of land 

between IBC's Grafton House and West End Road was refused. This is an important decision as it 

reflects a recent policy change by the Borough in regards to temporary car parks in the town centre. 

It is now felt that their recent proliferation to 2000 spaces (50% of the total available) has increased 

traffic congestion and reduced the use of the Park and Ride schemes to the extent that the Bury 

Road scheme has been withdrawn owing to the excessive subsidy required by Suffolk County 

Council. Further, it may now be more profitable to use a site as a car park than develop it. The 

Society, which formally objected to the scheme, strongly supports this new policy. 

161 Woodbridge Road 

The owner has already breached the front Victorian brick wall and in the process done such damage 

to the root system of one preserved beech tree that it will have to be felled. Fortunately the other 

tree will survive and, amazingly, he does not need permission to knock his wall down and create a 

parking area at the front. But he does need planning permission for a dropped kerb and this has been 

refused. He has perfectly adequate parking at the back with access from Lacey Street. 

Examination in Public of Ipswich Borough Council's Core Strategy 

The Inquiry has started and now stopped again. The aim is to determine whether the plans are 

sound, not if you agree or disagree. The main contention is, in the cancellation of Regional Plans 

and Targets for Houses and Jobs, should the number of houses be built whatever, or should we wait 

for the jobs to come. This will run throughout the summer. 

The Society will be in attendance and putting forward its published views. 

Mike Cook 


Annual General Meeting

The Society's AGM was held on Wednesday, 20 Apri1 2011 at University Campus Suffolk overseen 

by our President, the Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Jane Chambers, and our Chairman, Jack 

Chapman. The minutes of the 2010 AGM, the Chairman's Report and the Society's accounts were 

all approved. Retiring members of the Executive Committee, viz. John Norman (Vice-Chairman), 

Mike Cook, Tom Gondris, Nei1 Salmon and Teresa Wiggin were all re-elected en bloc and Graham 

Smith was newly elected replacing Su Marsden who did not stand for re-election. Full details of the 

Committee are on the back page. 


The appointment of two extra Vice-Presidents, Bob Allen and Chris Wiltshire, was recommended 

by the Executive and warmly endorsed by the members. Both Bob and Chris have been Chairmen 

of the Society and have presided over the Awards evenings. 


Suffolk Preservation Society

Following the brief AGM, the Director of the Suffolk Preservation Society, Simon Cairns, gave a 

very varied and well illustrated talk about the role of the SPS. He explained their long relationship 

with our Society because we have so many interests in common, as reflected in the SPS motto, 

'Respecting the Past and Shaping the Future’. 


Representing a county-wide organisation, Mr Cairns naturally reminded us of the rich variety of our 

large county with its 31 'landscape character areas', its villages and small towns, its coast (and 

coastal erosion). The aims of 'Suffolk Going for Growth' presents challenges to the SPS, some of 

them "alarming" -like new pylons (his bugbear!), wind turbines and possible large increases in 

housing, which even in the scaled down form now still amounts to 8000 more in the next fifteen 

years. Conserving the built environment will be even harder with cuts to councils' funds and to 

English Heritage, the demise of CABE, and fewer grants. 


He explained how SPS could help in its work of responding to planning applications (as our Society 

does in Ipswich), providing design advice, promoting awareness of the special qualities of our 

county and arranging conferences and awards for excellence. In his view the greatest threat is 

complacency regarding the county's vulnerable landscape and the under-estimation of Suffolk's 

buildings - he thinks that some buildings officially Listed elsewhere could be quite ordinary here - 

and this applies also to the under-appreciation of our larger historic towns, certainly including 

Ipswich. 


Mr Cairns had many complimentary comments to make about Ipswich but amused us first by 

describing the unfortunate impressions that a first time visiting motorist might have when driving 

into the town from the A14/A140. "Where is this town centre - here at Barrack Corner? Crown 

Street? Ah, here's High Street -this must be it? No, the next sign indicates Woodbridge. Have I 

missed it?" On the other hand, for the observant pedestrian, Ipswich is marvellous - a very walkable 

town centre ("not strung out like Norwich!") with a depth of urban heritage and quite different from 

Bury. And although a lot must have been lost in the 1960s, he thinks much of the new is very good. 


People in Suffolk who don't love Ipswich have views "not based on reality". SPS has arranged 

successful visits to Ipswich, fully booked and repeated. One of his final thoughts concerned the 

stalling of new developments, which he thinks may be no bad thing since too much was going on, 

too quickly. But he concluded that Ipswich has the right mix of old and new and will go on re-

inventing itself. 


Engaging with Young People

The Ipswich Society is keen to engage with young people and as a new member of the Executive 

Committee I have been asked to assist in that initiative. The project is in its early stages and a 

strategy has yet to be proposed and agreed. 


However to make a start I made contact with Suffolk New College and found myself presenting the 

work of the Society to a group of students undertaking their studies on the BTEC Extended 

Diploma in Business. 


Following the presentation the course tutor, Ian Howlett, kindly agreed to link one of the study units 

with an area of interest to the Society - the future promotion of the town of Ipswich. The students 

have identified a number of projects ranging from a new shopping centre to improvements to the 

night-time venues. 


An opportunity presented itself for two students, Amy Carpenter and P J Banjo (photo below), to 

join me at a workshop with the Ipswich Central Town Centre Forum exploring future initiatives for 

the Ipswich Central team to adopt and take forward. Both students took a full and active part in the 

workshop making valuable contributions on behalf of young people. Carole Jones, an Ipswich 

Borough Councillor on our table at the workshop, said, "Having the students on our table was a real 

asset, Graham," and I entirely endorse that comment. They were a credit to themselves and Suffolk 

New College. 


I am hoping this success will lead to a long term relationship between the Society and Suffolk New 

College. Certainly I have found that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience within the 

Society that can be of value to young people interested in the past, present and future of Ipswich. 

I would be pleased to hear from any school, college or other organisation that would like to discuss 

opportunities for the Society to engage with young people. 

Graham Smith 


'Big Society' and Localism

'Community Engagement and the Big Society' was the theme of a conference in Durham last 

September on which I reported in the January Newsletter. Soon afterwards one of the keynote 

speakers, Prof Phil Redmond, very publicly withdrew from a flagship Big Society project in 


Liverpool on the grounds that funding cuts had made delivery impossible. The Prime Minister has 

since re-launched the Big Society for the third time in May after the Cabinet Office minister 

responsible admitted that "We may have failed to articulate it clearly ... " So how difficult a concept 

can it be, and where is the Big Society now? Can it still be a meaningful proposition without 

substantial funding? 


I therefore took the opportunity to represent our Society at a seminar on Big Society and Localism 

held in Ely in May, to learn from those who are already actively involved. Views were mixed but 

the conclusions were similar: anyone delivering services to the public, whether through local 

authorities, charities or whatever, has to engage with this agenda. There is no other. But what it 

really means and how (or whether) it will work is not yet clear. 


Tony Burton, Director of Civic Voice, remained enthusiastic that newly-devolved powers to 

produce Local Plans and Lists of Assets would bring greater influence over planning decisions to 

local communities and Civic Societies such as ours, provided we engage with the Localism agenda; 

but much remains to be clarified over the coming year. On the other hand, Neil Stott is Chief 

Executive of Keystone Development Trust, which delivers social good while running businesses to 

pay for it, and while he agrees that Big Society is an attractive concept and Localism is an agenda 

with which Development Trusts have no choice but to engage, he doesn't yet see how they will add 

anything new to what the Trusts are already doing. Indeed it is precisely the poorer communities in 

need of public services who lack volunteers sufficiently rich in time and money to fill the void left 

by public spending cuts and the suspension of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). But if the 

community does not engage, this will simply leave businesses to fill the void, raising the spectre of 

privatisation by the back door, cherry-picking the juicy bits and leaving the rest to wither. 


This brings us to the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which are joint bodies brought 

forward by local authorities but led by local businesses, which take the place of RDAs but without 

the substantial funding enjoyed by their predecessors. Alex Plant is the interim Strategic Director 

for a LEP covering Cambridge and Peterborough. He admitted that the loss of funding had led the 

relevant media to dismiss LEPs as 'talking shops' and 'toothless tigers'. Rather, Alex described the 

role of LE Ps as the re-balancing of the economy at local rather than regional level, between local 

authorities, businesses and the Third Sector, and setting local priorities for transport and 

infrastructure, economic development, employment and skills, housing, and so on. But to address 

these requirements without RDAs and the Regional Spatial Strategies will be challenging, 

particularly for matters which transcend local boundaries. 


The picture which emerges from these different perspectives is that the Government spending cuts 

are driving a re-balancing of the economy, to be focused at local level through the LEPs and the 

Third Sector, but with outstanding uncertainties about how (or perhaps whether) the gaps left by the 

cuts will be filled. At its most basic, if the Government's spending cuts leave important services at 

risk, then the wherewithal to provide them will have to come from elsewhere, and that is perhaps 

what defines the Big Society. But defining the Big Society as whatever fills the void left by the 

retreating State does not define a solution, but is simply re-stating the problem. Little wonder that 

there are difficulties in articulation and comprehension. Then again, if we aren't part of the solution, 

are we part of the problem?.......... .. .in place of 'Passing the Buck' and NIMBYism? 


From the foregoing standpoint, a way of gaining further insight into the Big Society might be to 

consider issues local to Ipswich and Suffolk, many of which were enumerated by Simon Cairns, 


Director of Suffolk Preservation Society in his presentation at our Society's AGM (which is reported 

more fully in this Newsletter). Both Simon and our own Chairman, Jack Chapman, made clear that 

both societies have interests in promoting respect for the past while shaping the future, and this 

involves drawing some difficult balances. The Suffolk countryside is distinctly subtle and hence 

susceptible to any development of any scale; but our economy is predicated on growth, which 

means more people demanding more houses, more jobs and more infrastructure. This chimes with 

the Ely seminar. 


In the next ten years, much of our energy infrastructure will need to be replaced. In addition to the 

relentless growth in our demand for energy, many power stations fuelled by nuclear, coal and gas 

will reach the end of their operational life and will need to be replaced. And climate change will 

demand greater use of renewables such as wind and wave power, and more nuclear. There are 

already controversial proposals for wind turbine installations both on- and off-shore, not to mention 

incinerators for generating energy from waste as landfill becomes landfull! Interestingly, 

incinerators appear not to be part of the Localism agenda, since Kings Lynn appears destined to 

have one in spite of local protests, and Great Blakenham may well go the same way. Likewise 

nuclear power stations. But what of wind turbines, and more pylons carrying more power from 

Sizewell? The Government's answer to the latter appears to be to invite proposals for more 

aesthetically pleasing pylon designs. Many would prefer the cables to be buried, but would 

excavation in swathes as wide as a dual carriageway be any less detrimental to the countryside, 

quite apart from the expense? Who would welcome even higher energy bills? 


But doesn't this point to the real problem, that no one is prepared to take responsibility for the 

consequences of the choices we make? For years we have asked successive governments for more 

and better services but lower taxes. And we expect them to solve the conundrum. They in turn have 

perhaps offered the Big Society as the 'solution' -"if you want it, you provide it and pay for it, 

because the public purse is empty." Likewise we want more energy, but we don't want the 

countryside spoilt by pylons of turbines. So who will take responsibility when the lights go out? 

Just as we want greater mobility and travel opportunities, but no more roads or airport runways. But 

who takes the blame for the resulting congestion and the fragility of our transport network when 

arteries become blocked? 


In other words, preservation can quickly turn into stagnation unless a proper balance is drawn in 

shaping the future. Simon Cairns urged that the greatest threat to the Suffolk landscape is 

complacency. The Ely seminar warns that if communities do not engage in Localism then business 

interests may well dictate the future. Any gardener knows that nature is good at creating wilderness, 

but cultivation requires intervention to control pests and diseases in order to produce a valuable 

harvest. Light-touch regulation seemed to create wealth, but this was illusory. The 'help yourselves' 

bonus culture enjoyed by the financial services industry has given way to the 'help yourselves' 

agenda of the Big Society. In paying for that mistake perhaps we will re-discover what elected 

governments are really for, and take more collective responsibility for the consequences of our 

choices rather than passing the buck, whether to the Government, to our neighbours, or to the next 

generation. 


Or perhaps our idea of democracy itself will need to move on. 

Mike Brain 


Wet Dock Crossing

Just before the local elections in May, The Ipswich Society was invited to appear on BBC Look 

East alongside one of our local MPs, Ben Gummer. Ben was commenting on the inclusion of the 

Wet Dock crossing in the Local Transport Plan: 


"A long term aspiration for Ipswich is a new Wet Dock crossing alongside future development (of 

the Island Site). This project would be largely funded by developers (of the Island Site)." 

As is typical in media appearances, we were unable to convey the full range of points from our 

considered argument as to why this new road in unlikely to be built and its inclusion in the Local 

Transport Plan is political point scoring rather than practical or sensible. 


It is believed by a considerable number of people (which increases when the dock gyratory roads 

grind to a halt) that a bridge over the lock will solve a hefty proportion of Ipswich's traffic problems 

- it won't. If a typical west-bound motorist's journey is down Bishop's Hill into Fore Street and 

eventually out of the gyratory on to Grafton Way and West End Road, then the Wet Dock crossing 

alternative would be driving south to Ship Launch Road, over the new bridge and back along 

Vernon Street to Stoke Bridge - almost three times as far. Not the natural choice in the daily 

commute. 


Ipswich Waterfront is now home to some 500 marina berths with additional space for visiting 

yachts. These boats are currently able to come and go at any state of the tide and would not take 

kindly to a (height) restriction imposed by a new bridge. However, there are two alternatives. Build 

it higher with extended approach ramps or construct an opening bridge, one that is closed to traffic 

when a yacht passes - not a good idea in the rush hour. 


Under the rules by which the Government decides which schemes, from across the nation, get 

priority of funding there are other Suffolk proposals much higher up the list than the Wet Dock 

crossing. 


* A11 dualling, Barton Mills to Thetford (recently confirmed as desirable). 

* Beccles Southern Relief Road. 

* Copdock roundabout improvements. (This scheme is under way. paid for by the Port of 

Felixstowe but is limited to installing traffic lights.) 

* A 12 Four villages Improvement. (The subject of the EADT campaign.) 

* Lowestoft Northern Spine Road (phase 5). 

* Ipswich - Fit for the 21st Century (funding now promised by Dept of Transport). 

*

Overall transport improvements must be geared to increasing cycling and walking and reducing 

dependency on the private car, which is the basis for the Ipswich 21st Century scheme. So sorry, 

Ben, but a Wet Dock crossing is not on, even long term. 

John Norman, Vice-Chairman 


New Bridge at Ipswich Station

The new £2.4m footbridge with its two lifts finally opened in early June - very welcome and not 

before time! There has also been speculation about creating two new 'island' platforms on the site of 

the adjacent Freightliner re-fuelling yard. But Network Rail says "It is not a top priority at present.” 


Adam Gordon (1934-2011)

Adam became a key member of The Ipswich Society soon after it was founded. In the early 1960s 

there was no planning department in the Borough Council ('planning' was an aspect of the Borough 

Engineer's Department) and in many towns like Ipswich scant respect was shown towards buildings 

or whole streets deemed no longer fit for purpose. So it's not surprising that intelligent young 

architects like Adam Gordon and Peter Barefoot were distressed by what was happening and allied 

themselves with the civic-minded society which they helped to promote. 


Adam's regular contributions to the Society's Newsletter under the title ‘Streetscene' soon became 

one of the first articles that members eagerly read. He had an architect's eye for significant changes 

that were taking place in Ipswich but always wrote like an observant layman walking the streets. 

Adam also made his office available for producing the Newsletters which in those days could mean 

assembling Roneo sheets, sometimes scattered all over the office in Silent Street! 


The Society in the 1960s and 70s also undertook some hands-on improvement projects such as the 

installation of the sarsen stones and river bank tidying near Stoke Bridge and the tree planting 

alongside Ranelagh Road near the railway station. Adam was one of the principal labourers. (Photo 

below shows Adam, with hammer, preparing to plant a tree. Another photo on page 19 indicates 

how such trees have matured.) 


A number of buildings he designed or helped to design are part of his legacy to Ipswich. They 

include the Post Office sorting centre in Commercial Road/Princes Street, the extension to Cranfield 

Court on Tuddenham Road/Valley Road, and what is now the Ivry Street Medical Practice, which 

was originally designed as the Oncology Department for Anglesea Road Hospital. He became self-

employed in 1986 and particularly enjoyed working for a number of private clients. 


Adam's versatility, keen intelligence, determination and quietly spoken smiling manner will be 

remembered and appreciated by The Ipswich Society, to which he contributed so much. 


Puzzling over the Mansion

I have recently begun a short course at the Suffolk Record Office about five Suffolk estates, taught 

by the excellent Dr Margaret Thomas. (As a complete ignoramus about this kind of stuff I apologise 

for any inaccuracies that might follow, which are all my own work.) The first session was about 


Christchurch, here in Ipswich, and Margaret showed us maps, engravings and photos detailing the 

development of the house, park and estate over the centuries. 


This spurred us on to visit the Mansion for the first time in ages. En route we looked at the site of 

the extensive formal water gardens which used to run from (roughly) the War Memorial down to 

Bethesda Baptist Chapel and realised this may be why this area often seems so soggy. 

Margaret had explained the dates of the different windows on the front elevation, so we understood 

the motley look. So far, so good; but from then on, things got less explicable - especially why they 

didn't remove previous fittings when they made alterations as it ruins the effect they were trying to 

achieve? 


For example, the strange window mullions on the first floor of the hall were on an outside wall 

before they built the corridor behind them, and the bottom half of a filled- in window opposite must 

date from when the ceiling was put in (the previous design being open to the rafters). And when 

they built the corridor, why didn't they line it up with the floors of the wings it connected so you 

don't have to go up and down steps? 


But the weirdest thing was the grand staircase. Knowing it was a later insertion explained the odd 

angle of the archway leading to it from the hall, but it was built to give access to a suite of rooms 

above, which according to the fashion of the time had been built the full width of the wing with no 

corridor - a series of connecting doors in line with each other on the east side made a 'virtual 

corridor' if they were all open. Logically the staircase should end in a landing on the east with two 

of these doors leading off it, but they took the stairs to the other side and had to insert a whole new 

row of doors along the western length of the wing. And then they left the original doors in situ - two 

of which now opened on to thin air several feet above the turn of the stairs. Was the staircase a 

bargain that came from somewhere else? And I really don't understand the double doors in the 

panelling that open on either side above the stairs; was this to make the rooms look larger? 


So then we started going round and noticing the oddities. The pretty door on to the gallery above 

the hall has an amazing number of bolts, given that it doesn't open on to the outside of the house. 

And if the bedrooms were in the west wing then they were directly above the kitchens and sculleries 

which must have been really noisy at 5.30 in the morning with all those buckets and clogs on the 

stone stairs. 


A little courtyard on the east side has its knocker and letterbox on the courtyard side. And why 

should such a small(ish) house need three doors giving on to the entrance court? One of these has a 

pretty oval window above it let into a wall that appears to be more than a foot and a half thick in a 

house allegedly not made of stone. There were strangely curving walls in odd places and two rooms 

appeared to be adjoining - but the party wall would have to be more than two feet thick if they do. 

I wanted to ask Margaret all about it but she pre-empted me by saying how puzzling it all was and 

what a pity it was that the Mansion had never been properly recorded. And that all the date plaques 

had been moved - one of the few things we had assumed we could rely on. Oh well. 


I'm sure we'll be going back many more times, noticing more strange things on each visit. And I'm 

sure many members are groaning and tutting at my woeful ignorance and are eager to enlighten me 

- please do. I'd love to know. 

Kay McElhinney 


Building a Gable Warmer

Part 2 of the article Four Times Better in Issue 183. 


Having decided to proceed with a pilot project to construct a 'gable warmer', my first thoughts were 

to investigate what permissions might be needed. Such cladding works on an elevation not facing 

the highway are generally 'permitted development' in planning terms. Obviously the nature of the 

cladding will have a visual impact and consideration should be given to your neighbours and 

anyone passing by who may have to look at it. 


With Listed buildings and within Conservation Areas the rules are generally tighter and consents 

will be needed. These works will also require clearance under Building Regulations to ensure both 

the adequate performance of the insulation and fire protection where the house adjoins a 

neighbour's property, the latter not being needed where a gable is some distance from the property 

boundary. 


I have recently constructed my gable warmer using mainly 4"x2" and 3"x2" timbers, infilled with 4" 

of Thermal fleece wool insulation, covered with a breathable membrane and then a cladding of fire 

retardant treated feather-edged timber boarding, a traditional Suffolk building material. I chose to 

stain mine a brick red colour and line up the joints with the brick courses, so that at a glance it looks 

much as it always did. 


I have now had two winters with the insulation in place and have enjoyed a marked rise in comfort 

levels inside the house especially through the colder spells, which used to be miserable times each 

year. Comparison of my energy bills before and after the gable warmer was constructed bears out 

my calculations. I have achieved a 15% average reduction in my energy bills, nearly matching the 

predictions, which might have been achieved had I completed the timber cladding and not had two 

colder than normal winters to contend with. 


Such a gable warmer is the biggest and most efficient energy saving measure that can be applied to 

an end terrace (or semi-detached) house, especially as a gable usually has no windows and therefore 

requires no special detailing other than at the edges. There remain several choices of insulation 

material and cladding finish that should suit a variety of situations and finances available. 


A short walk around most neighbourhoods will reveal many older houses that are either end of 

terrace or semi-detached to which such a gable warmer could be applied. If promoted (or even 

encouraged with grant aid) this idea could provide a significant reduction in this country's energy 

footprint. 

Patrick Taylor, Conservation Architect 


Waterfront Attractions Part 2 of Waterfront Developments in Issue 183.


I listed in the last Newsletter a number of waterfront redevelopment schemes that were adding value 

to their location because of a Visitor Attraction - Swansea with the National Waterfront Museum 

and Salford with the Lowry and Imperial War Museum. But before holding these up as examples of 

urban regeneration it is worth bearing in mind that even in these towns the residential flats are 

suffering from poor sales in much the same way as all new housing developments. However, 

because of the vibrant community at ground level the occupancy rate of the soaring tower blocks is 

less noticeable. This is not the case in Liverpool Leeds or in Hartlepool where unfinished towers 

blight the skyline. 


So did Ipswich get it wrong? Did we build, or start to build, too many flats? Clearly the developers 

didn't think so or they wouldn't have speculated substantial sums without an expected return. To 

understand why we have so many unfinished or unoccupied units it is necessary to think back to the 

(relative) boom of the first half of the noughties. 


Demand was high, in particular from three groups of potential purchasers. Professional people were 

claiming good salaries and it was worth commuting if they lived within a reasonable distance from 

the station. Secondly, with the high incidence of divorce, one of the partners needed a smaller pad 

away from the family home. Thirdly, the number of students enrolling for university was rising 

rapidly. They needed accommodation and although the majority didn't take the high rent Waterfront 

apartments, they did take the bottom end of the market pushing others further up the housing ladder. 

Ipswich also attracted a fair number of retirees, probably because of the adjacent marina and the 

safe sailing offered by the Orwell and the Walton backwaters. Neither Leeds nor Liverpool has quite 

the same attractions. 


It is easy to suggest that what we actually need now is family houses with gardens, but the 

individual developers don't have the choice. If they own a piece of Waterfront they will want to 

develop it and get the return on their investment. In Ipswich there is a dire shortage of green space 

on which to build family homes; hence the reason the developers are falling over themselves to 

persuade the Inspector that developing the Northern Fringe is essential. 


There are two further points to this story. One is that the developers still think that the Waterfront is 

a good place to build and two schemes are about to get under way; one is 'Over Stoke' on the site of 

Grahams, the plumbers' merchants in Great Whip Street (Stoke Quay frontage), which is a 

predominantly sheltered housing scheme but with 2½ storey family houses in an extension to 

Bulstrode Street (into the middle of the site). The second scheme is the old BOCM offices and car 

parks in between Salthouse Street, Slade Street and Fore Street (surrounding the Jewish cemetery) - 

a scheme of mainly student accommodation (because it's not on the Waterfront?). The second point 

is that the two successful schemes I opened this article with. in Swansea and Salford, are anchored 

by retail developments. Perhaps Tesco will provide the impetus to re-start Regatta Quay and 

complete the fitting out of The Mill. Perhaps? 

John Norman 


Questions About High Streets

The Prime Minister says that high streets should be "the very heart of every community." 

Mary Portas ('Queen of Shops') has been asked by the Government to suggest ideas to re-invigorate 

town centre shopping. Where to start? Rents? Car parking? Suitable space for modern retailing? 


(All difficult?) Limits on out-of-town supermarkets and especially their free car parking. 

(Impossible?) Scope for readers' letters? 

The Prime Minister says that high streets should be "the very heart of every community." 

Mary Portas ('Queen of Shops') has been asked by the Government to suggest ideas to re-invigorate 

town centre shopping. Where to start? Rents? Car parking? Suitable space for modern retailing? 

(All difficult?) Limits on out-of-town supermarkets and especially their free car parking. 

(Impossible?) Scope for readers' letters? 


Letters to the Editor

Clutter in Arras Square from John Brown 

When I came to live in Ipswich - some fifty years ago - and joined the Society, I found a mixture of 

dirty industrial town and equally grubby market/County town. The town centre did have a few good 

quality shops and an excellent theatre; otherwise I think it might be fairly described as 'a bit of a 

dump'. The improvement since then has been phenomenal. I have reservations, of course, but 

pedestrian-friendly streets and paving; trees and open spaces with seating and sculpture; buildings 

painted and in reasonable repair; improvements to the docks and riverside; signage and excellent 

tourist information; all contribute to a pleasant town centre. Congratulations to the Society, the 

Borough and County Officers and all the other bodies and individuals who have wrought such a 

change. 


Reservations? Well, there must always be some niggles. One which has annoyed me for some time 

is Arras Square and the way cars, vans and rubbish bins spoil the general look of this attractive 

space. I no longer encourage visitors to sit and enjoy the scene. I have approached the parking 

authorities but they say they have no jurisdiction as the Square itself-other than the original St 

Stephen's Lane width - is privately owned. Can anyone suggest how we might shame the property 

owners into taking pride in their own spaces? 


The value of Double-Glazing from Ken Wilson 

Patrick Taylor's interesting article on domestic heat conservation casts doubt on the economy of 

double-glazing. I cannot fault his calculations but the value of this very popular installation lies 

surely in the reduction of that uncomfortable flow of cold air that descends steadily from a single-

glazed window (despite the curtains). The improvement in living conditions delivered by a second 

layer of glass is ample reward. 

I await part 2 of his article with interest. 


The Value of a Gable Warmer from Ann Petherick 

Apropos of Patrick Taylor's article in the last Newsletter, I too am the owner of an end of terrace 

Victorian house in Ipswich. In 2005, as part of a programme of full modernisation, we applied 

external cladding not only to the gable wall but around the rear extension. As the house has been let 

since then I have not been able to obtain evidence of reduced fuel costs but I will see what I can 

find out. I also wonder whether it might be possible to demonstrate a knock-on effect to the rest of 

the terrace by the end property being kept so much warmer? 


What is an Ipswichian? from Bernard Brown (Auckland, New Zealand) 

Perhaps the Editor and Mr Tucker could come up with a definition of 'Ipswichian'. [April 

Newsletter page 17.] I have never lived in Ipswich for more than a few days at a time with 

grandparents and aunties and friends, but 

* I attended Ipswich v Aston Villa at Portman Road in 1938 (FA Cup re-play) 

* My parents were devout Ipswichians, by any definition. 

* Almost invariably I identify cropped photographs of buildings, etc in the Newsletter. 

* I have Ipswich Town's results phoned through to me on Sunday mornings from N.Wales! 

* I am a member of The Ipswich Society and I love Ipswich. 


Down and Out by the Orwell

Even in our busy lives we can't help noticing the homeless people in Ipswich. We see them and 

acknowledge their presence whilst walking past, but never consider the reality of their situation. 

Here in our home town of Ipswich we harbour our very own soup kitchen. 


It's run daily every evening at 8 pm on Tower Street. It isn't known to many of us but the churches 

in our area have a day each when they run the soup kitchen. 


I work with the Salvation Army on a Wednesday at the soup kitchen. We are on a rota of seven 

groups and each group takes it in turn to go. The groups are of six people and you do your turn 

every seven weeks. We fill the mini-bus with donated sleeping bags, tents, clothes. toiletries and 

such things, and then soup, chips, tea and coffee and sandwiches. We prepare the food beforehand at 

'headquarters' and then set out to give out food to the homeless. 


Working at the soup kitchen has really opened my eyes to the world of the homeless. You don't 

recognise these people; they look like regular folk in large coats! None of them wants to be in the 

situation they're in and I get a real sense from most of them of wanting to change. Everyone using 

the soup kitchen is sincerely grateful for what we do, which makes every moment worthwhile. The 

unfortunate case of a man being kicked out by his wife with nowhere to go is just one of many 

stories I have heard. So we would give him a sleeping bag, socks and hot tea and send him on his 

way. And at least we know he's warm. 


There isn't a lot I can personally do for every homeless person in Ipswich apart from making sure 

I'm there on my assigned Wednesday with my chips or soup. So naturally I was appalled to hear that 

certain places have banned soup kitchens in the hope that the homeless will move on to another 

town as they deem themselves too posh to help the needy. The people with the money to make a 

difference to these people's lives, won't do so. I appreciate the view that some adopt that the 

homeless are homeless because of themselves. In some cases, like the ones trying to combat 

addictions, this is true but they don't deserve to starve. But this isn't the case of many I have met at 

the soup kitchen. Many drink to drown the pain of their situation, which I agree isn't the best way of 

spending the little money they have, but the daily pain some people experience tells me there are 

much worse things to turn to than alcohol. There are the few that I have met who never turn up 

intoxicated but who have found themselves in a dire situation and are just pleased for us reliably 

being there. There are others facing time in the cells for defending themselves against racism, who 

just have had bad luck at being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 


The world seems to be against the homeless and often bad situations get worse by prejudices. To 

me, people who are victims of prejudices are the ones who need the most help as the world seems to 

be against them in a racially unbalanced society. Soup kitchens do so much good for people in need, 

even if it's just for a chat or to see the nurse who is also there on a Wednesday. Therefore banning 

soup kitchens will only take away a reliable source of food which isn't financially supported by the 

Government and isn't hurting anyone not involved. It is unnecessary to ban them. It is a worthwhile 

charity and, in my opinion, shows a great deal about the town it's in. 

Francesca Smith 


News & Comment

Commemorating Ipswich's greatest son 

The Wolsey statue will have been installed during Ipswich Charter Day, 29 June. Sited at the 

junction of Silent Street and St Peter's Street it will be close to the long-lost mansion where he 

intended to retire as Provost of his Cardinal College. So it is appropriate that he is cast as a 

benevolent teacher. Although famous throughout Europe as Chancellor and Cardinal to Henry VIII, 

he was also an advocate of humane education: "Pleasure is to mingle with study, that the boy may 

think learning rather an amusement than a toil. Tender youth is to suffer neither severe thrashings 

nor sour and threatening looks, nor any kind of tyranny, for by such usage the fire of genius is either 

extinguished or in great measure damped.” 


The James Hehir Building 

Officially opened on 30 March, this is the second major building for the University and it sits on 

Orwell Quay. It comprises laboratories, lecture theatres and social areas. Its appropriate name 

commemorates IBC's late Chief Executive, long an advocate of a university here. 

New children's hospice for Suffolk and Essex 


The Treehouse at St Augustine's Gardens and close to Felixstowe Road has recently opened. In 

addition to its bedrooms there are specialist facilities such as a hydrotherapy pool and a music 

studio. It has been located sympathetically in this small area of woodland. The architects were 

Barefoot & Gilles and the builders Barnes Construction, both local firms. 


Boxes full of boxes: the growth of containerisation and the Port of Felixstowe 

In the 1960s over 50% of the British workforce were employed in manufacturing, a figure that is 

now less then 15% (and in Ipswich considerably lower still). Why? It is so much cheaper to import 

manufactured goods from the Far East, where labour is cheaper, and ship them into Felixstowe. In 

the 1960s over 30% of the cost of imported goods was transportation. Today the cost of using 

containers is 1% of the retail cost of the goods. 


Touring the Olympic Sites

This was the perfect day out for a society like ours. All the fascinating issues of area regeneration, 

architecture, housing, landscaping, transport and history were brought vividly to our attention in 

addition to the obvious sporting interests. 

For the last two or three years we've been able to see from the train passing through Stratford 

station the gradual progress, but it's been hard to appreciate it accurately. The vast steel frame near 

the station I'd assumed was the multi-storey car park, until it became 'Westfield Stratford City' 

shopping centre - it's not only 'exit through the gift shop' but 'entrance' too! And from the train it's 

hard to see the velodrome, basketball arena and other venues. 


So it was a pleasure that our coach took us round the far side for a closer look at these and the 

Olympic village itself which will house competitors in single rooms and then be converted into 

flats, including some with three or four bedrooms, for permanent homes. Add in a large academy 

and a polyclinic and it will create the legacy of a small town. (Our guide, Carol, thought the 

emphasis on 'legacy' was the salient factor in London's successful bid for the games.) While here, 

we also heard that this huge polluted area, which had included West Ham's hundred year old council 

tip, had been cleaned in 'soil hospitals' so that 93% of the spoil could be re-used on site. Thirty-nine 

electricity pylons have had to be removed as well! 


We then drove past the completed velodrome (the most handsome of the structures at present) and 

the media centre for 20,000 journalists and its multi-storey car park, the only car park on site, 

because spectators will arrive by public transport. (Stratford is already a great hub for mainline 

trains, the Underground and buses.) Then to the large viewing platform quite close to the main 

stadium. Some of us would have liked to be even closer but the whole area is still a building site 

and will look very different in a year's time when grassed over and with its 2,000 mature trees 

planted. The stadium is simple and functional. Our guide. probably a proud Eastender, was 

indignant that a certain North London football club had wanted to take it over, rather than the local 

boys, West Ham - this is after all the Borough of Newham! 


The aquatics centre was something of a shock. What had been an elegant swooping building seen 

from the train is now flanked on both sides by steep raked seating. But that is temporary extra 

seating which will be removed after the Games, so that ever after we'll be able to admire Zaha 

Hadid's unique structure. 


After lunch at the Railway Tavern, where they are entertaining a coach party every day now, the 

coach took us along West Ham's multi-cultural Green Street, past the Excel Centre which will house 

seven Olympic sports, and down to the Thames. We crossed on the Woolwich Ferry, an unexpected 

if short voyage! Touring around Woolwich many of us were amazed at the vast area of historic 

military buildings. The Olympic shooting will take place at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Tea at 

Woolwich Arsenal (23 Listed buildings here!) was welcome - and surprising when young soldiers in 

uniform removed the trays. Nearby is the Woolwich Heritage Museum close to a building allegedly 

by Hawksmoor - and well worth a visit. 


Our guide was brilliant, our organiser Barbara Barker deserves much credit for coping with us - and 

with the 100+ original applicants. Those who will be lucky to go in October are in for a great treat. 

Neil Salmon 


Tourist Guides Visit Ipswich

Biennial Conference for East Anglian Tourist Guides 

The Ipswich Tourist Guides' Association hosted this prestigious meeting of Guides from Norfolk, 

Suffolk, Essex, St Albans and Bedford on 2Apri120ll. The venue was the roof garden of the Willis 

Building and the theme of the conference was 'Reflections on the Past, Present and Future'. The 

Mayor, Councillor Jane Chambers, welcomed the Guides. 


Our keynote speaker was Dr John Blatchly who reflected on 'Thomas Wolsey, Ipswich's Greatest 

Man'. Jo Leah, our guest speaker from Ipswich Building Society, spoke of the present and future in 

terms of 'Identifying New Markets from a Business Perspective'. Between them they provided 

fascinating insights into Ipswich. In the afternoon, a choice of three guided walks was available and 

Ipswich looked its best in glorious spring sunshine (and temperatures reaching 20°C!) From the 

feedback it is clear that our town made a favourable impression on our visitors. Many expressed 

delight and surprise at what we have to offer. Clearly, Ipswich has much to be proud of and we feel 

privileged to be able to show off our heritage on occasions such as this. 

Diana Lewis 


A New Book

'Petitions from Suffolk, Before and During the Civil Wars & Interregnum' is the clearly named 

title of a variety of documents selected by Frank Grace, local historian, former lecturer at Suffolk 

College and Ipswich Society member. There are petitions addressed to King Charles I, to 

Parliament, to Cromwell, to Fairfax, etc. They illustrate the importance of religion and the fears 

created by the political crisis and the consequences of war. Each of these documents is introduced 

with a contextual commentary. Copies can be obtained from Frank Grace, 5 Oban Street, Ipswich 

IP1 3PG, price £7 + £1.50 p&p. 


A Blue Plaque

Dedicating the Society's Blue Plaque to the memory of a great man, 8 April 

The previous Newsletter described Felix Thornley Cobbold (1841-1909) as "the town's greatest 

benefactor". It is appropriate that the Plaque should be on the Reg Driver Centre in Christchurch 

Park because there wouldn't be either Park or Mansion without Cobbold's gift. The photo shows L 

to R: Pat Grimwade and Tom Gondris (of our Society), Richard Wilson, (Chairman of The Friends 

of Christchurch Park), Anthony Cobbold (Keeper of the Cobbold Family Trust) and Jack Chapman, 

(Ipswich Society Chairman). 


Roads at a Price

As a nation we spend more than £100 billion per annum on road travel- a sum greater than the 

amount we spend on food, drink or clothing. Thus the building and maintenance of roads should be 

regarded as an activity that helps economic growth as valuable as any other nationwide investment. 

We make the assumption that roads are free at the point of use but this belittles their true value and 

fails to differentiate between different roads and the different times these roads are used. We pay for 

roads, indirectly, through road tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) and the taxes on fuel and insurance 

premiums, and occasionally through other forms of taxation. Those taxes take no account of the 

time of day or the type of road we are driving on. Expenditure does not have a major influence on 

behaviour. The recent hike in the cost of fuel saw a reduction in the number of journeys made but 

this figure is already creeping back to the 2010 ayerage and morning rush hour congestion is just as 

bad as it was before the January VAT increase. 


Congestion is a major problem that is proving difficult to solve, yet it affects the quality of life for a 

substantial proportion of the working population. It is also an unnecessary hindrance to economic 

growth. 


The use of roads is rationed by queues (because of the inefficiency of the road to carry the demand 

in traffic) and because we cannot build more roads we therefore need to reduce demand. Budget 

airlines solved a similar problem by varying the cost of travel entirely dependent on demand. 

Popular times of travel and popular destinations are charged at a higher rate than flights that would 

otherwise be less than full. Thus they have been able to spread the demand to suit aircraft and flight 

crew availability. 


Should we do the same with roads? We have the technology: we could fit a sat nav tracking system 

in every car and charge for the use of the road, at different rates dependent on the likely congestion 

predicted. Quiet roads in rural Suffolk would be free. Joining the queue on the docks gyratory 

system would attract a premium. Ideally, as the queues reduce, the road charge also goes down until 

the balance of freely flowing traffic is reached. Road charging would replace road tax and the duty 

on fuel; thus the cost of motoring is directly related to road use. Charging would be similar to that 

of mobile phones and credit cards; you simply receive a monthly statement of road use and pay by 

direct debit. 


Importantly, road charging must be a cost neutral replacement for existing taxes, but it could have 

one further significant advantage. There could be reduced charges for disadvantaged individuals 

dependent upon their circumstances so that they are not priced off the road. This could include 

residents of rural backwaters without public transport, essential workers on their way to work and 

people currently in receipt of a mobility allowance. Investment in roads (and to a certain extent 

railways) is however a political decision rather than an economic one. 

John Norman 


Where You Paid Tolls

At the start of his lecture on Suffolk Toll-houses on 9 March, Patrick Taylor said he hoped we 

wouldn't be disappointed. Houses which looked the right age, some of them octagonal and close to 

the road, often weren't the real thing, even if called 'toll-houses'. Whereas real toll-houses could be 

humdrum houses or bungalows (though with side windows for the keeper to look up and down the 

road) and could easily remain anonymous. However, we weren't disappointed because it is an 

unusual historical subject. 

Roads which had been the responsibility of each parish to maintain were often in poor shape, so 

private companies forming trusts were authorised by specific Acts of Parliament to erect turnpike 

gates and collect tolls for their stretch of road. Starting in 1663, they became common in the 18th 

and early 19th centuries, but with the coming of the railways business declined and most tolls were 

abolished between 1870 and 1890. 


The surviving toll-houses fascinate Patrick partly because of their local distinctiveness. As a 

Cornishman living in Suffolk he has written books on both counties' toll-houses, noting their 

strikingly different building materials and styles. His well illustrated talk showed us first some of 

the 'imposters'. For example the Round House at Walton on the way to Felixstowe is hexagonal and 

close to the road - but there was no turnpike road here. It was often a case of this shape of house 

becoming quite popular and in come instances being used as attractive lodges for rather grander 

houses. There are also 'toll-houses' at Lavenham and Bury where market tolls were collected, not 

turnpike road tolls. 


The most striking 'traditionally' shaped toll-houses in Suffolk are at Sicklesmere (on the Sudbury-

Bury road) and Botesdale (Scole-Bury road), the former two-storey and the latter single-storey. 

Much more typical though are the long bungalow toll-house at Copdock and the two-storey house at 

Claydon, both with their tell-tale side windows. 


Toll-houses were usually a few miles out of towns so as not to deter visitors from the near-

hinterland from coming to town for business. Patrick didn't dwell on the public's attitude to the cost 

and inconvenience of tolls but he did say that thatched roof toll-houses were not common - they 

could be easily torched! 


His book, The Toll-houses of Suffolk, Polystar Press, is published at 277 Cavendish Street, Ipswich, 

IP3 8BQ (polystar@ntlworld.com) and covers all this material and much more.

Issue 184 July 2011

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