Ipswich

Sister cities

• Arras

History

Ipswich is one of England's oldest towns, and the largest Roman villa in Suffolk (possibly an administrative complex) stood at Castle Hill (north-west Ipswich). The modern town took shape in Anglo-Saxon times (7th–8th centuries) around the Port of Ipswich. As the coastal states of north-western Europe emerged from the collapse of the Roman Empire, essential North Sea trade and communication between eastern Britain and the continent (especially to Scandinavia, and through the Rhine) passed through the former Roman ports of London (serving the kingdoms of Mercia, the East Saxons, Kent) and York (Eoforwic) (serving the Kingdom of Northumbria). Gipeswic (also in other spellings such as Gippeswich) arose as the equivalent to these, serving the Kingdom of East Anglia, its early imported wares dating to the time of King Rædwald, ruler of the East Angles (616–624). The famous ship-burial and treasure at Sutton Hoo nearby () is probably his grave. The Ipswich Museum houses replicas of the Roman Mildenhall and Sutton Hoo treasures. A gallery devoted to the town's origins includes Anglo-Saxon weapons, jewellery and other artefacts. The seventh-century town was centred near the quay. Around 700 AD, Frisian potters from the Netherlands area settled in Ipswich and set up the first large-scale potteries in England since Roman times. Their wares were traded far across England, and the industry was unique to Ipswich for 200 years. With growing prosperity, in about 720 AD a large new part of the town was laid out in the Buttermarket area. Ipswich was becoming a place of national and international importance. Parts of the ancient road plan still survive in its modern streets. After the invasion of 869, Ipswich fell under Viking rule. The earth ramparts circling the town centre were…

Most recent

• M 3.7 — 2015-05-22
  3 km SSE of Ramsgate, United Kingdom
• M 2.7 — 2008-08-08
  27 km ESE of Felixstowe, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2007-03-02
  46 km NE of Broadstairs, United Kingdom
• M 4.1 — 2007-01-23
  57 km ENE of Broadstairs, United Kingdom