Culture of Ipswich. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Ipswich is a cozy and beautiful city with rich history. This place has many unique features and attractions. Ipswich has recently received a significant status - the cleanest city in the United Kingdom. Its streets really amaze visitors with their cleanness. The city budget spends really big sums of money annually to keep the city clean and beautiful. In addition to the clean and well-kept streets and parks this cozy city fascinates visitors with a huge choice of architectural attractions, many of which are old churches and monasteries.

St. Peter Church has remained one of the most important symbols of the city for many centuries. Surprisingly, the church has survived till our days in its original form. The church has become home to a wide range of religious artifacts and jewelry, so there’s no wonder why every day hundreds of tourists come to see them. St. Margaret Church is a no less interesting building that is also distinguished by unique architectural style and rich decoration of inner premises.

In total the city has more than ten beautiful cathedrals and churches, the most notable of which are St. Lawrence, St. Michael, St. Clement, St. Bartholomew's and St. John the Baptist churches. They were built at different times, so every church is unique. St. Bartholomew Church is an important historical object as its bell ensemble is the oldest in the world. First bells for this beautiful church were cast yet in the first half of the 15th century. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The building of the city’s town hall is another famous architectural landmark of the city. It is decorated with a high clock tower. During the Middle Ages the city hall was the highest building in the city. Currently the building has been converted into an art museum. Do not forget to include a visit to the buildings of the grain exchange and post office in your excursion program. They have witnessed important historical events, and there are many interesting stories associated with these buildings.

In Ipswich tourists will also find several beautiful family mansions, which are now converted into museums. They house priceless collections of antiques. Sparrow’s House is the most famous of them. The mansion houses a collection of antique furniture, works of art and books, and other priceless relics that once have belonged to former owners. A separate hall of the mansion is used to keep a collection of paintings. The art gallery open here is one of the largest in the city. When it comes to describing other cultural institutions of the city, tourists are recommended to visit Ipswich Transport Museum and National History Museum.