The fate of a handful of Suffolk towns was changed forever in the 15th and 16th century by the wool trade, and Lavenham, Long Melford, Hadleigh, Clare and Sudbury produced woollen cloth that was in great demand across Europe and parts of northern Russia.

As the towns grew richer, beautiful churches and half-timbered merchants’ houses were built, giving the towns their distinctive beauty that you can still see today on the Suffolk Threads Trails.