The Story of ...

Ipswich’s modern police force formed in the 1830s around the same time that construction of the Wet Dock began. As in many boroughs across the country it was small, especially for a town of Ipswich’s size, growing population and regional importance. … [Read more...] about The Story of Ipswich’s Dock Police

A large yellow crane has recently appeared on the Island Site in Ipswich. Which is not the most fascinating news you have heard from us. But if you have noticed it or heard it this week, you may wonder what it is doing. Well it is a piling crane … [Read more...] about The Story of the New Cut

In the autumn of 2020, our Window Wizards will be installing our 20th Window Museum display which focuses on the development of Ipswich Wet Dock. Whilst in lockdown our volunteers have been adding the final touches and doing some more research. In … [Read more...] about The Story of John Wodderspoon and the Wet Dock

In the east of Ipswich today there is a housing estate named after one of Britain’s naval heroes. A pub only 3 miles from the estate in the village of Bucklesham is named after the 38-gun frigate he commanded on 1st June 1813 during his most famous … [Read more...] about The Story of ‘Broke of the Shannon’

There is a small plaque, part of the Ipswich Maritime Trail, on a building between Bistro on the Quay and Issacs on the Quay. It is currently the home of an architecture firm and estate agent. But 180 years ago, it was a coal warehouse for the … [Read more...] about The Story of F.A. Christie and Son

Archaeological excavations in 2012 uncovered three hundred Saxon skeletons at a grave site close to Stoke Bridge, further adding to the history of Anglo-Saxon Ipswich. Due to a lack of written sources there is little firm evidence about life in … [Read more...] about The Story of Viking Ipswich

Over the last 60 years the brewery that ran nearly every pub in Ipswich was Tolly Cobbold, conveniently locating a brewery on the banks of the River Orwell at Cliff Quay. The current brewery building (built in 1896), now stands empty after closing in … [Read more...] about The Story of Cliff Quay Brewery

Have you ever wondered about where Coprolite Street on the Waterfront gets its name from? Well one of our volunteers took it on themselves to look into the story behind this odd street name. Today the fertilizer industry in the UK is dominated by … [Read more...] about The Story of Coprolite Street