Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire.
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| Sudbury village main street |
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I am still researching my family tree, and recently I discovered that one side of the family comes from Sudbury in Derbyshire. My 4th great parents, Robert Vessey (Vasey) and Dorothy Howis (or Howie) were married there on July 2nd, 1792. I was very pleased to discover this connection with Sudbury, as I went there three years ago and had a smashing day. If anyone wants a relaxing afternoon out and likes seeing stately homes, museums and picturesque villages, Sudbury is well worth a visit.
Situated in the lower Dove Valley, the village is dominated by Sudbury Hall, which was built in the 17th Century by George Vernon. The village of Sudbury grew up around the Hall. Today about 500 people live there, and as well as the Hall, you can see the Museum of Childhood and All Saints Church, as well as a lot of old houses and buildings in the settlement itself.
If you don't have a car, you can get there by taking the Arriva 1 bus from Burton-Upon-Trent train station. This drops you outside the Vernon Arms, an old coaching inn built in 1671, and incidentally a nice place to have a spot of lunch before you go to the Hall. I recommend the ham sandwich - thick ham and real bread! You can sit outside in the beer garden and have a wee pint or two while you are waiting for the hall to open. Like most national Trust properties, you have to wait till the afternoon before they creak back the doors.
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| The Vernon Arms beer garden |
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| Their great ham sandwich |
Once you've had your lunch, it's only a short stroll down the main street to the Hall. For the National Trust page, check this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sudbury-hall-and-museum-of-childhood/
The building itself it beautiful in a chunky sort of way, but what I liked most was the view from the front - all you can see is countryside and a massive tree dominating the view. I didn't take any pictures in the hall (which must mean it is forbidden) so what it looks like inside will be a surprise for you. You can also pop into the Museum of Childhood, which is part of the same building complex. I found it a bit dreary, to be honest, but don't let me put you off.
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| Sudbury Hall |
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| View from the front of the hall |
After you have looked around inside, I recommend sitting outside the hall in the rear garden by the river. You can watch wild birds and relax in the sunshine. There isn't really much of a garden, just a bit of topiary and some bedding plants. There is also a lawn and then an expanse of wild grass down to the river. Watch out for the clumps of bird droppings hidden in the long grass! If you sit on one of the benches, you'll be fine.
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| Rear view of the hall |
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| Wild garden and river behind the hall |
Next to the hall, there is the old church of All Saints. The current building has its origins in Norman times, but most of what you see from outside dates to about 1300. It was then "beautified" by the Victorians, and as usual, they threw out all lovely old decorations and put in more sensible stuff, including a stained glass window in the nave that was a present from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. There was a very peaceful atmosphere in this church. It is most probably the place where my 4th great grandparents got married and perhaps many other generations of Vaseys came to worship. I wish I had known about the family connection when I visited. It would have made the experience even more special.
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| All Saints Church |
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| I think this is a memorial to John and Mary Vernon. |
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| All Saints Church |
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| All Saints Church |
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| Weird to think my ancestors worshiped, were christened and married etc., right here. |
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| All Saints Church |
If you still have some time after seeing the church, I recommend walking around the village itself before you get the bus back to Burton-upon-Trent. A lot of the buildings seem to be from the 17th Century and are of all shapes and sizes. I wish I could have stayed later and spent a cozy evening in the Vernon Arms, nursing a pint and another ham sandwich.
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| Village main street |
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| Bowling green |
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| The Vernon Arms |
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| One of the lovely village houses |
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| Love the shape of this house |
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| Getting on a horse would be easy outside this house |
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| The bus stop to take me back... |
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I had a great day in Sudbury. I've ordered a book about the place and I hope to find out more about my ancestors lives in the village. It would be great to revisit and be able to find buildings they had actually lived in. Until then, I feel happy to have walked around some places I am sure they were all too familiar with.
