Christchurch Mansion is a red brick Tudor house set amid lovely parkland
close to the centre of Ipswich. The mansion houses a museum showcasing
fine art and period furniture, as well as a modern art gallery with
changing exhibitions.
Christchurch holds large collections of art by well-known Suffolk painters
such as Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable, as well as lesser known
artists such as John Moore, Thomas Churchyard, and Alfred Munnings.
The museum displays a large number of Tudor and Stuart portraits of
Suffolk gentry, dating from 1570 to 1681. In addition, there is a display
of British porcelain and pottery, especially Lowestoft porcelain, produced
locally from 1757 to 1799 in imitation of China ware.
There is also an extensive display of furniture and other household
furnishings rescued from old timber-framed houses before they were demolished.
Included in this collection are a number of carved overmantles and painted
plasterwork remnants.
The history of Christchurch Mansion
Christchurch was originally the site of a 12th century Augustinian priory.
The priory was disbanded by Henry VIII in his Dissolution of the Monasteries,
and the estate was seized for the crown. In 1545 the estate was purchased
by the Withypoll family, and three years later Edmund Withypoll built
this house where the priory had stood.
In the 18th century the house was purchased by a London merchant of
Huguenot descent, Claude Fonnereau, and a wing was added to the north-east
corner of the mansion. The upper floor of this wing features a state
bedroom with ornate plasterwork. In 1892 the mansion was purchased by
Felix Cobbold, who gave it to the city of Ipswich, and Christchurch
has been maintained as a museum since 1896.
The Park
Christchurch Park has been open to the public since the 18th century
for a variety of events, and is now a popular place for public events
such as concerts, art fairs, and the like. The Park features an arboreta,
a bird reserve, croquet lawns, a bowling green, tennis courts and children's
play areas.
Admission
Free entry. See website (below) for times and dates.
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