The Historic Wool Towns

The Stour Valley is a nationally significant area for cloth and wool heritage, with its quintessentially English medieval market towns and villages steeped in rich heritage and culture. Classic examples can be seen in Clare, Hadleigh, Lavenham, Long Melford and Sudbury.

These Wool Towns are some of the best-preserved historic towns and prettiest villages in the region, and exploring them can feel like stepping back in time to the 15th century, when the wool trade was at its peak, and the Wool Towns were among the richest places in the country.

This film will inspire you to visit and explore these picturesque places.

Wool Towns of the Stour Valley Visitor Guide


The Stour Valley is a nationally significant area for cloth heritage, with its quintessentially English medieval market towns and villages steeped in rich heritage and culture.

Discover the picturesque and historic Wool Towns with this guide.