The Suffolk village of Long Melford has an ancient history, with human occupation stretching back to the Stone Age and Roman Britain. With six generations of my direct ancestors having lived in Long Melford, it was a must visit location on my first holiday to England, and on another holiday as well. There was lots to see!

Members of the Steed family lived in the village, once a market town, from the 1630s. Centred around the wide, two-and-a-half-mile long main street, while some things have changed, much remains as it has been for years.

The lush countryside is never far from sight, and appealing, colourful buildings are painted in shades of white, pink, yellow, and grey. A gently sloping walk passes timber and brick houses of varied architectural styles, including Tudor and Georgian. Their doors open directly onto the street, where foot traffic has remained a constant, though car noise has replaced the bustle of horses.

Contributing to vibrant village activity are art galleries, antique stores, a library, heritage centre, alms houses, and archaeological digs. There are also several excellent walks in and around Long Melford. One of several long-standing pubs is The Swan, whose landlord in the early 1800s was Joshua Steed, brother of my 4x great-grandfather, George. Its neat, grey façade is modernised with large bay windows, yet still reminiscent of early days, and I stopped there to soak up the atmosphere. There’s also a street called Steeds Meadow.

At the north end of the village, heading towards Bury St Edmunds, are Melford Green, and the tall, landmark tower of Holy Trinity Church. Built in the 1400s, and surrounded by an extensive graveyard, the church’s unique, medieval stained-glass windows, which survived Reformation iconoclasts, take pride of place. Also prominent since the 15^th century are two large manor houses: Melford Hall, now run by the National Trust, and the moated Kentwell Hall.

With all this history at its heart, Long Melford’s future is strongly linked to its past and local organisations, like the Long Melford Heritage Centre and Long Melford Historical & Archaeological Society, are active in helping keep the town’s history alive.

Selected references

Visit Long Melford, https://visitlongmelford.co.uk/, accessed 15 December 2023.

Kentwell Hall, https://www.kentwell.co.uk/, accessed 15 December 2023.

Melford Hall, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/melford-hall, accessed 15 December 2023.

Long Melford Swan, https://longmelfordswan.co.uk/, accessed 15 December 2023.

Holy Trinity Church Long Melford, https://www.longmelfordchurch.com/, accessed 15 December 2023.

Long Melford Historical & Archaeological Society, https://www.lmhas.co.uk/, accessed 15 December 2023.

Long Melford Heritage Centre, https://melfordheritage.org.uk/, accessed 15 December 2023.

The Archaeologist, ‘Long Melford archaeologists unearth 2,000-year-old do skull during excavation of rare iron age building site’, https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/long-melford-archaeologists-unearth-2000-year-old-dog-skull-during-excavation-of-rare-iron-age-building-site, accessed 24 February 2024.