Monument record LVM 053 - Lavenham

Medieval town of Lavenham.
Charter for market and fair granted in 1248/49 but subsequent fairs and markets had been granted for different reasons, ie, Whit Sunday. Church erected between 1480 and 1530.
No real evidence of Lavenham as much of a town before medieval period. Majority of buildings date to between eleventh and sixteenth century. Other evidence indicating the growth of the town to that date are the granting of a market in 1248/9 that was probably due to the prosperity being brought to the town by the wool trade . This is backed up by the fact that the church was erected by John de Vere (Earl of Oxford) and a family of clothiers called Springer. These main streets in Lavenham contain a great deal of timber framed buildings, dating mainly from 1200-1600, also probably built due to the money from the wool trade (S1).
Area of town includes church (LVM 009), market cross (004), Guildhall (005), site of Lavenham Hall (007), C16th brick-lined culvert under Water Street (051), pot scatter (038), glazed floor tiles (003), Late medieval post-hole building (036) and various features (043) and pit (050).
HBSMR mapping after Hodskinson's and 19th century OS maps, Listed Buildings and the distribution of known archaeological sites.