BUNGAY
If you can possibly drag yourselves away from our beautiful coastline, bird sanctuaries, galleries, gift shops and great food, then it is worth exploring some of our lovely towns and villages.  In the north of our county, on my doorstep, you will find the attractive and thriving market town of Bungay. 

Bungay is situated in a loop of the beautiful river Waveney and is officially recognised as a Conservation Area by English Heritage. The ruins of Bigod’s Castle can be found hiding away behind the main thoroughfare.  The Visitors Centre, officially opened in July 2000, provides a new entrance to the Castle and improved facilities for visitors. These include a courtyard cafe area, tourist information, heritage area and a model of medieval Bungay produced by The Bungay Society.

Here on the high ground, virtually surrounded by the Waveney and a site of earlier fortifications, Hugh Bigod, as feudal lord, built a massive Norman keep in 1165. From this site the truculent Hugh terrorised the local Saxons and at times illegally occupied the castles at Norwich and Orford. In 1174 he supported Henry 11's rebellious sons in armed insurrection, which ended in surrender of the Castle to the King's forces and the payment of 1,000 Marks for his disloyalty. Hugh Bigod was killed in Syria on a crusade in 1178, at last fighting for his King.

A second castle was built by Roger Bigod in 1394, which protected the town with curtain walls and provided the famous twin towers of the gate house which remain today. Bungay's famous Buttercross was rebuilt after the Great Fire of Bungay in 1688. It is situated in the Market Place and provides a prominent starting point for walkers enjoying the Town Trail. In earlier times the Buttercross was also used as a prison with a dungeon beneath. This was replaced in Georgian times by an iron cage.

Bungay’s Fisher Theatre was originally built by a comedy troupe in 1828, having been used as a laundry, cinema and textile warehouse the Bungay Arts and Theatre Council purchased the building in 2001 for restoration and to provide a community art facility.  The restoration of the Fisher Theatre was completed this year and we are already enjoying performances by the Fisher Youth Theatre Group, the pantomime this year is Aladdin!

If you tire of browsing our lovely specialist and antique shops, the town can boast of good coffee shops, fine restaurants and bars to refresh you – I can recommend the Fleece for a warm welcome, wholesome food and not to mention good old Suffolk Cider!

FLIXTON
Once in the Bungay area, another venue well worth a visit is the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton, just outside Bungay, which is recognised as East Anglia’s Aviation Heritage Centre.  This Museum is maintained and run by volunteers and celebrated it’s 30th Anniversary in 2002. My family and spent a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon amongst the collection of aircraft and memorabilia.  There are themed collections incorporating the 446th USAAF Bombardment Group, RAF Bomber Command and the Royal Observer Corp and Air Sea Rescue & Coastal Command. 

The collection at Flixton includes aircraft that have been purchased outright by the Museum, which is impressive as they don’t charge admission; instead it relies on the contributions of the public when they visit.  It is a measure of the success and appeal of the Museum that the public has always been generous enough to keep it going from year to year. 

Other sources of income include appeals and fundraising initiatives, open days and special events, corporate donations, and grants from Local Government and Europe.  However, it must be recognized that without the time and effort, so freely and unstintingly given by members of the museum in the running and maintaining of the Museum, they couldn’t have achieved what they have.  There are also aircraft on loan, remnants of aircraft shot down in the county during the war and a host of memorabilia for you to look at.  If you need refreshment you can sample beverages in the NAFFI or you can browse the brick-a-brack or try your hand at Morse Code. For more details of the Museum and opening hours please look at the link.

http://www.aviationmuseum.net/about_us.htm

There are so many places to visit in Suffolk and we are thoroughly enjoying living here and exploring the county and revisiting favourites.  Even though I work in Southwold I still bring family and friends here.  We have enjoyed so much of this beautiful county, from bargin hunting in Yoxford, shopping in Southwold, Aldeburgh and Snape, wine tasting at the Shawsgate Vineyard in Framlingham, playing golf at various venues, we are trying to master the Halesworth course at the moment, or simply taking our German Shepherd Max to his favourite place, Dunwich.  Wherever you go I’m sure you will receive a warm welcome!

http://www.eastanglianwines.co.uk/shawsgate.htm

Lorraine White

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