Welcome to Lavenham
The Swan is a 15th century inn that has been at the heart of Lavenham life for hundreds of years, and we love welcoming people to this gorgeous nook of Suffolk.
This is our in depth guide to the village. It covers the top things to do and what each one costs, where to eat and drink, the walks and how muddy they really get, Lavenham through the seasons, days out across the Stour valley, what to do with children and with the dog, and the practical things nobody else writes down, like which car park fills first and why there is no bus on a Sunday.
The Swan is not one building but several medieval ones joined up over the centuries, including the old Wool Hall next door, which is why no two bedrooms are quite the same shape.
Lavenham High Street. Suffolk pink was traditionally made by mixing limewash with whatever was to hand, sloe juice or ox blood among them, which is why no two houses on the street are quite the same shade.
Lavenham in 60 seconds
Lavenham is a village in south Suffolk, about 60 miles north east of London, 5 miles north east of Sudbury and 12 miles south east of Bury St Edmunds. The population is around 1,700.
It is the best preserved medieval village in England. More than 300 of its buildings are listed, most of them timber framed and built between about 1400 and 1530.
The village stood in for Godric's Hollow in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, released in 2010.
Half a day covers the village centre on foot. A full day adds the church, a walk and a long lunch. Two or three days take in Long Melford, Bury St Edmunds and the Stour valley.
Eating and drinking in Lavenham
For a village of 1,700 people, the best places to eat in Lavenham cover a surprising amount of ground. Restaurants in Lavenham run from our own AA rosette dining room and afternoon tea to proper pub lunches and a tea room or two, with Michelin starred cooking twenty five minutes down the road in Bury St Edmunds.
The new one. The Great House on the Market Place is under new management. Once famous for its French cuisine, now you'll find Greek and Turkish, in its new incarnation as Aegean Kitchen. Dinner is 6.30pm every night, lunch at weekends only, and dinner is over-tens. Booking is strongly advised
The pubs. The Greyhound on the High Street is the proper village pub, low beams, decent beer, and the one locals use. The Cock Horse Inn is a short walk out and does a good Sunday. The Angel on the Market Place, has recently been taken over by the team behind Suffolk stalwart The Bildeston Crown.
Coffee and lunch. The Guildhall tea room if you are already in there. Lavenham Blue Vintage Tea Room is also very popular. For a picnic, go to Lavenham Butchers. Baron Bigod, Suffolk Gold, and Binham Blue on the cheese board, Suffolk ham and salt beef cut to order, and their own pork pies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls and Lavenham pasties made on the premises. Take it up to the churchyard, which has benches and a pretty view over the fields behind the tower.
Worth the drive. Long Melford is ten minutes away and has a string of good places along its very long main street. Scutchers is the one to book, a long-standing Suffolk restaurant that locals have kept to themselves for years, and the Black Lion does good food in a proper inn looking out over the green.
Pea Porridge in Bury St Edmunds is the only Michelin starred restaurant in Suffolk, but Bury has a lot more to offer foodies than that: 1921, Jay Rayner's favourite Lark and Maison Bleue are all excellent alternatives. For something more relaxed, try highly rated Francela or Amigos (Mexican hat optional). The town also runs weekly food tours, which are a good way to spend a morning before lunch and the Abbey Gardens.
And then there's us.
The Gallery: two AA rosettes, seasonal menus, oak beams and chandeliers, smart casual, over-eights. Mess Call 487 is our brasserie, modern British, all ages, dogs welcome, with a fireplace and the garden through the windows, and it serves lunch from noon and dinner from six every day. Luxe Lunch there is £24.50 for two courses or £29.50 for three with a glass of wine, Monday to Friday, and it is the best value meal in the village by a distance. Afternoon tea is from £32 a head, served in The Gallery or by the fire in the lounge, Monday to Saturday from noon to 4pm and Sundays 3pm to 4pm.
Lavenham Blue Tea Rooms gets its name from the cloth the village got rich on. It feels like sitting in someone’s front room.
Our two AA rosette dinner in The Gallery makes a special occasion of any night of the week, and you don’t have to be staying with us to book a table
We have served afternoon tea at The Swan for decades. Our chefs rework it every season. It is one of those things you should not leave Lavenham without doing
Top things to do in Lavenham
Six places to start with, all of them within a ten minute walk of our front door.
A look around Lavenham
Less than 20 minutes from our front door
The shops of Lavenham
Lavenham's shopping is small, concentrated and almost entirely independent. There are no chains to speak of. You can walk every shop in the village in forty minutes, or spend a whole afternoon on it, which is what most people end up doing.
The Airmen's Bar
If you are interested in history, and the Second World War in particular, do not leave Lavenham without enjoying a drink in the Airmen’s Bar. It was the regular haunt of the American 487th Bombardment Group. They left a good deal of themselves behind: signatures covering the walls, and their badges pinned along the beams, which legend has it they put there because they didn't know if they would be coming back from their latest mission.
Open daily from 11am, dogs welcome, and you do not need to be staying here to come in. If you want to know more, including the story behind the airman who went on to write a Hollywood classic, read the history of the Airmen’s Bar.
Spa & Beauty in Lavenham
Looking to wind down and relax? Our very own Weavers' House Spa has an outdoor heated vitality pool, a steam room, a sauna and a relaxation lounge, with treatments using Temple Spa and Tribe517. Open 9am to 6.30pm, seven days.
If you are staying with us, two hours in the heat and relaxation suites is included every day. If you are not, the Spa Refresher pass is £55 a head for two hours and a refreshment. Anyone booking a treatment of 90 minutes or more gets the two hours included as well.
Local tip. Book the first slot of the day. The suites are quietest before 11am, and you come out into the village just as the shops open.
Ask our spa manager and she will send you for the Weavers’ House Hug. Two hours, face to feet, with warm oil and hot stones, and our best seller by a distance. From £183.
In July the footpaths run between fields of wheat, with skylarks rising out of them as you pass. There are streams to stop at and throw stones into, and space enough to let the dog off and watch him go.
Walks from the door
Lavenham sits in rolling arable country with footpaths in every direction. Enjoy a quintessentially Suffolk stroll around the countryside and come back to us for a delicious lunch or afternoon tea - you've earned it.
Walk | Distance | Surface | Time | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The village circuit: Market Place, Water Street, High Street, Church Street | 1 mile | Pavement, one steady hill | 30 to 45 min | Everyone |
1.5 miles [check] | Field path and woodland, uneven | 45 min | Most people, boots in winter | |
Lavenham to Brent Eleigh and back | 4 miles [check] | Field paths, flat | 2 hours | Reasonable fitness |
4.5 miles, linear | Old railway line, woodland, field path | 2 hours | Most people. See below | |
The railway walk as a return | 9 miles | As above | 4 hours | Fit walkers only |
The railway walk is the one people come for. It runs from the Guildhall along the bed of the old Lavenham to Long Melford line and finishes at Melford Hall, 4.5 miles and about two hours, rated easy. On the way you pass a railway cutting that is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the site of an 1891 derailment, a wartime pillbox and Hare Drift. Dogs are welcome under close control, on leads where signed.
Two honest warnings. The cutting section floods and stays wet, so waterproof boots from October to April, not trainers. And you'll have to cross the A134, which is fast and has no crossing, so take your time.
Lavenham through the year
We love a sunny Saturday in May as much as the next person, but Lavenham is a special place to visit all year round.
Spring. The wisteria on the High Street comes out in May, and the verges along the railway walk are at their best in the same few weeks, with bluebells through the woodland stretch. National Garden Scheme open days let you snoop round cottage gardens that are usually hidden behind a hedge, and the Whitsun Fayre is in full swing over in pretty Bury St Edmunds.
Summer. Vintage cars pootle through with the tops down most weekends, and the classic car show lands in August. Harry Potter’s birthday falls on 31 July, which usually means something going on in the village and the occasional child in a cloak. Long walks through the countryside end with a cold one in a beer garden. This is also the busiest Lavenham gets, so do the Guildhall first thing and save the shops for late afternoon.
Autumn. Our favourite season, and probably the best value. Muddy walks through fields turning copper, woodsmoke on the air, and the fires lit at The Swan for when you get back. Halloween brings fireworks and a procession of small wizards and K-pop stars round the village, and the late October Farmers’ Market is the best of the year for local produce.
Winter. Carols in the Market Place, concerts in the church, a Christmas market. If it snows, there is nowhere better. Then there's the hearty food, the fires in medieval fireplaces, and our very own outdoor spa pool, which is at its best when the air is cold enough to sting.
Sunday morning in June. The bells of St Peter and St Paul’s carry a mile out over these fields. Wander as far as you like, a roast and a cold pint will be waiting for you on your return
In the film, Godric’s Hollow was under snow. Once or twice a winter Lavenham does the effect for free, no studio required, and you can watch the whole thing from a window seat with a pot of tea.
The paths out of Lavenham cross working farmland, so the same route looks different every month of the year
Kentwell runs events all year, and they commit. Tudor Midsummer, a Dickensian Christmas, and in October, Scaresville, which is properly frightening and no place for small children. Teenagers, on the other hand, will talk about it for months.
Lavenham with children
Lavenham is not an obvious family destination, Harry Potter connection aside, but there's plenty of family friendly activities on our doorstep.
In the village. The Guildhall runs a children’s trail and family activities in the school holidays, and under-fives go free. Harry Potter spotting is the one of the most popular past times for seven to fourteen year olds. And when they have had enough of looking at old buildings, the village play area has a big field beside it to run the legs off them. Lavenham Falconry, just outside the village, flies hawks and owls and does archery and bushcraft alongside.
Ten minutes by car. Hollow Trees Farm is the best thing near here for younger children. The farm trail has something round every corner: animals to feed, tractors to pedal, tyres to swing on and slides to go down. The farm shop and cafe are genuinely good, so the adults can enjoy themselves too, overspending on delicious local produce.
A bit further. Kentwell Hall at Long Melford does living history with everyone in costume. Clare Country Park has the castle mound, the old railway station and space to let everyone loose. The National Trust's Ickworth House has woodland, a delightful playground, kids events during the holidays, and a rotunda that looks like nothing else in Suffolk. And in Bury St Edmunds, Curve Motion is the soft play answer to a wet afternoon with small children.
Food that works. The Guildhall tea room, a sausage roll or a pasty from Lavenham Butchers eaten outside, and Mess Call 487, which takes children of all ages, unlike The Gallery, which is over-eights. Pickles & Lillies on the High Street is the shop to know about if anyone needs bribing with a toy.
Six Best Days Out From Lavenham
Half the pleasure is getting there. Drive windy country lanes, past farmers’ fields, church towers and windmills. They lead to Tudor halls, grand cathedrals, rolling vineyards and award winning restaurants
Lavenham with your dog
Lavenham is an easy village to arrive in with a dog. The centre is flat, with a paved High Street lined with water bowls and footpaths lead out in every direction. Don't miss Hollibels, which sells collars, leads and accessories built to last.
For walking, the railway walk to Long Melford is the best route from the door. Dogs are welcome on it under close control and on leads where the signs ask, and it runs four and a half miles through woodland and field paths to Melford Hall. Put the lead on well before the A134, which is fast and has no crossing. The woodland walk is the shorter version of the same thing if you have less time or a smaller dog.
National Trust members should know that Melford Hall is rated two pawprints. Dogs on leads are welcome in the park, the bookshop and the outdoor tea room seating in the garden, and there is a designated indoor space in the tea room as well. Only assistance dogs can go into the house and the formal garden.
Further afield, Clare Country Park, Nowton Park at Bury St Edmunds and West Stow all make a proper morning of it. And if your dog has more energy than the rest of the family put together, the Bow Wow Adventure Playground on a working farm outside Bury is an acre of grassland inside a 1.8 metre secure fence, with stock fencing low down so even small dogs cannot slip out. You book it and have the field entirely to yourselves, seven days a week, with closing times moving through the year because it is not used after dark.
Closer to home, the churchyard is fine on a lead, and the Angel, the Greyhound and the Cock Horse all take dogs in the bar. The Guildhall is assistance dogs only indoors, though the courtyard garden may be another matter.
With us, dogs are welcome in our designated dog-friendly bedrooms, in the lounge, in the Airmen’s Bar, in Mess Call 487 and out in the garden. The charge is £25 for the first dog per night and £15 for a second, up to two to a room, which covers a deep clean on departure. Your dog gets a blanket, a bowl, treats and a welcome letter, and fresh water whenever you ask for it. Dogs cannot stay in the Priory Suite or the Dairy, and The Gallery is the one room they cannot join you in. There is more on our dog-friendly stays page.
This is roughly how the afternoon goes after four miles of Suffolk field paths. Every dog staying with us gets a blanket, a bowl and treats, and the fire in the lounge is lit from autumn onwards.
The main path at Nowton Park comes up thick with daffodils in early spring, and it is the first proper sign the winter is over. Worth the drive to Bury on its own, and the dog gets a good run out of it too.
You get the whole acre at Bow Wow to yourselves for your booking, which means no other dogs, no recall worries and no lead.
A classic car is a lovely way to arrive in Lavenham, but it is entirely optional. Whatever you turn up in, parking in the village is free, and guests staying with us have our own car park.
Getting here and parking
Lavenham is easiest by car. From London and the south it is the A12 to Colchester then the A134 north, and from the Midlands and the north the A14 to Bury St Edmunds then the A134 south. The village is signposted off the A1141 and sits on the Sudbury to Bury road, so the last ten minutes are straightforward.
There is no railway station in Lavenham. The nearest is Sudbury, on the branch line from Marks Tey, about an hour and three quarters from London Liverpool Street with one change, and the Chambers 753 bus runs on from there in roughly twenty minutes. Bury St Edmunds has the better mainline service, with the same bus coming down in about forty minutes. There is no 753 on Sundays, which strands people, so if you are arriving or leaving on a Sunday without a car, ring us and we will arrange a taxi.
Parking in the village is free, which still surprises people. There are two car parks, Church Street up by the church and the Gas Works car park on Water Street, both with electric vehicle charging, and free on-street spaces on the Market Place and the High Street. The Market Place fills first, usually by half past ten on a summer Saturday and by eleven on a Farmers’ Market Sunday, and most people then circle it rather than drive the extra two minutes to Church Street, which almost always has room. Go straight there and walk down the hill.
The village centre is flat and the pavements are reasonable, though narrow in places on Water Street and the High Street, and Church Street is a steady climb. The Guildhall has a drop-off point at the entrance, an accessible toilet and an induction loop, with the ground floor and part of the garden accessible and a full guide on AccessAble. The field paths and the railway walk are not suitable for a wheelchair.
Where to stay in Lavenham
Everything in this guide starts at our front door, and the best of it finishes here too: two AA rosettes in The Gallery, an outdoor pool at Weavers’ House Spa, and a drink by the fire in the Airmen’s Bar.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lavenham worth visiting? Yes. Lavenham is the best preserved medieval village in England, with more than 300 listed buildings, most of them timber framed and built between 1400 and 1530. It has a National Trust guildhall, the tallest village church tower in Britain, independent shops and several good restaurants. Half a day covers it on foot.
What is Lavenham famous for? Three things. Its medieval buildings, preserved because the village lost its wool wealth in the sixteenth century and nobody could afford to rebuild. Lavenham Blue, the broadcloth that made that wealth. And Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, which used the village as Godric's Hollow.
Which Harry Potter film was made in Lavenham? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, released in 2010. Lavenham played Godric's Hollow, with De Vere House on Water Street standing in for the Potters' cottage, altered with CGI. The cast did not film in the village. De Vere House is a private home, so please photograph it from the pavement only.
How long do you need in Lavenham? Half a day covers the village centre on foot, including the Guildhall. A full day adds the church, the shops and a long lunch. Two or three days let you add the railway walk to Long Melford, Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and the Stour valley villages. Most of our guests stay two nights.
Is parking free in Lavenham? Yes. There is free parking in the two village car parks, Church Street and the Gas Works car park on Water Street, both with electric vehicle charging, and free on-street parking on the Market Place and the High Street. The Market Place fills first on summer weekends. Church Street almost always has space.
How do you get to Lavenham by train? There is no station in Lavenham. Take the train to Sudbury, on the branch line from Marks Tey, about an hour and three quarters from London Liverpool Street with one change, then the Chambers 753 bus for about twenty minutes. Bury St Edmunds also works. There is no 753 service on Sundays.
How much is Lavenham Guildhall? Adults are £12.10 with Gift Aid or £11.00 without, children aged 5 to 17 are £6.10 or £5.50, and under-fives are free. Family tickets start at £16.50. National Trust members enter free. It is open 10.30am to 4pm, with a tea room, a second-hand bookshop and a courtyard dye garden.
How long is the Lavenham to Long Melford railway walk? It is 4.5 miles one way and takes about two hours, starting at Lavenham Guildhall and ending at Melford Hall. The route follows the old railway line through woodland and field paths. It floods in the cutting from October to April, so wear boots. The 753 bus brings you back, but not on Sundays.
What is the best time of year to visit Lavenham? May for the wisteria and the long light, and December for the Christmas lights, though both are busy. For the village at its best, come in late September, October or February: the streets are quiet, the pubs have fires, parking is easy, and the light on the timber is low and good.
Are dogs allowed in Lavenham? Yes. The village is dog friendly, with pavements in the centre and footpaths in every direction. The railway walk to Long Melford takes dogs under close control. Several pubs take dogs in the bar. At Lavenham Guildhall, dogs on leads are welcome in the garden and tea room. At The Swan, dogs stay in designated rooms for £25 a night.
Lavenham or Long Melford? Lavenham has the medieval street scene, the Guildhall and the better restaurants. Long Melford has the antiques shops and two great houses, Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall. They are ten minutes apart and joined by a walking route, so do not choose. Stay in Lavenham and spend a day in Long Melford.
Why is Lavenham so crooked? The buildings were framed in unseasoned oak, which twisted as it dried over the following centuries, and the jettied upper floors pulled the timbers further out of true. The Crooked House at 7 High Street, built in 1395, is the best known example. The buildings are structurally sound and have looked like this for hundreds of years.
Discover our stunning village
Explore Lavenham
Local Attractions
Lavenham
Explore the historic crooked houses and listed buildings of medieval Lavenham, our charming corner of Suffolk.
Lavenham: A Harry Potter Film Location
Our medieval village was used as a Harry Potter film location…
Lavenham Boutiques
Take home luxury spa skincare, bespoke furniture and of course fine knitwear from Lavenham’s fine boutique shops.
Lavenham Guildhall
Lavenham Guildhall; a piece of history in itself is one of our village’s finest medieval monuments.
Lavenham Art Galleries
Get a culture fix at one of our local Suffolk art galleries.
Discover Suffolk: Romance
Visit Suffolk presents a series of films showcasing our wonderful county of Suffolk.
Kentwell Hall
Experience amazing costumed re-creations of the past at Kentwell Hall.
Palace House, Newmarket
Palace House is a fantastic new National Heritage Centre in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Newmarket Racecourse
Experience the thrill of one of England’s favourite pastimes with a day at the races at Newmarket.
History of The Swan, Lavenham village and historical attractions
The hotel, the village and our wonderful part of Suffolk is steeped in history and is a must-see for those that love history as much as we do. From a walk-through video of the history of the hotel to more details about our Airmen's bar, Lavenham village and nearby historic houses, the history section of our website is a great way to plan your next stay.
The story behind our afternoon tea crockery...
Immerse yourself in 'Where there's tea, there's history', our film which details the creative and manufacturing process undertaken to create The Swan's afternoon tea crockery.
The crockery itself depicts a collection of stories from the hotel’s long-standing history. From its strong connection to the US Air Force, RAF and Army during World War II to famous visitors such as Dolly Parton and many more moments in time.
Our news
The Swan at Lavenham awarded prestigious Four AA Red Stars
The Swan at Lavenham has been awarded with one of the most significant benchmarks of excellence in the UK hospitality industry. We have been recognised with the coveted Four Red Star Award by the AA, placing us among the AA’s Inspectors’ Choice Hotels - one of only a handful of hotels given the accolade this year.