The small Suffolk town of Eye sits near the Norfolk border some five miles south of Diss, bypassed by the main Norwich-Ipswich road as it was to its economic cost by the mainline railway in the mid-19th century. In the long run it may be Eye benefited in terms of character through being left in peace. Eye was in its pomp nearly a millennium ago, its strategic importance as an island (Eye means island) in the fens emphasized by the Normans rushing to erect a motte and bailey castle here by 1071, just five years after Hastings. The town’s fortunes rose further with the building of a Benedictine priory shortly afterwards. Norman construction influences the place to this day, seen in curving Castle Street and Church Street following the line of the bailey. The building that cannot be missed from whatever direction Eye is approached is the wonderful church of St Peter and St Paul, whose slim tower soars to 101 feet, dominating the skyline. The church is mainly 14th and 15th century, but boasts a 13th century door recycled from a previous building. There is still a keep in Eye, but it’s a folly built in 1844. Also Victorian is the Town Hall, an interesting (for which read odd) flint and brick construction put up in 1857 by one of that era’s “rogue architects” EB Lamb. Easier to appreciate is the 16th century timber-framed Guildhall, now a private residence. These days the population is around 2,000, a decline from when Eye was an important medieval market town, and even later days when this was a lace-making and flax processing town. There are some nice old buildings, including the Georgian Linden House in Lambseth St with its blue and red bricks, though the dominant feature of Eye’s architecture is flint. Look out for charming East Anglian “crinkle-crankle” garden walls (easier to envisage by their alternative name “serpentine”), for example at Chandos Lodge, once home of choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton.
Attraction
Eye Castle
Thornham Walks
Thornham Walled Garden
Classes
Dentist
Doctor
Estate Agent
Holiday Park
Inn
Bull Auberge
Four Horseshoes
The White Horse Inn
Market
Pub and Bar
Queens Head
Six Bells
White Hart Inn
Restaurant
Brome Grange Hotel
Thornham Hall & Restaurant
Self-Catering
Athelington Hall
Lamb Cottage
Orchard Cottage
Solicitor
Venue
Brome Grange Hotel
Thornham Coach House
Yaxley Hall
Sports Clubs
Eye & District CC (Cricket)
Stradbrooke CC (Cricket)
Shops
Fleurs Artisan
E G H Maynard
Daganya Farm
Activities
Clint Farm Riding Stables(Riding)
Places to Stay near Eye
Cornwallis Country Hotel and Restaurant (The) (1.61 miles)
Few and far between are opportunities to experience something very special. If you appreciate an informal yet refined hospitality combined with a beautifully understated elegance, then you'll find The Cornwallis ... More
Brome Grange Hotel (1.72 miles)
Bull Auberge (1.81 miles)
The Auberge is a superb family run hotel and restaurant in the centre of East Anglia. It is conveniently situated for visits to Cambridge, Newmarket, Norwich, Ipswich, the Norfolk Broads ... More | visit website
The White Horse Inn (2.89 miles)
Thornham Hall (2.92 miles)
Welcome to Thornham Hall. We offer exclusive overnight accommodation and weekend breaks. We are also a delightful venue for wedding parties, conferences and private parties. The 20th century Thornham Hall ... More
Orchard Cottage (2.93 miles)
Click here to book this cottage with Hoseasons
A perfect rural idyll, this lovely, recently built and very comfortable cottage lies peacefully on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Set in its own garden, it overlooks horses, sheep ... More
Scole Inn (3.07 miles)
The Horseshoes (3.22 miles)
Food served all day every day
Senior Citizens special lunch every Wednesday.
Bed & Breakfast En-Suite Rooms.Beer Garden.Disabled toilet & access.
Real Ales, Keg Beers.
The Horseshoes is a privately owned free ... More | visit website
The Red House (3.29 miles)
Standing among the 19th Century farm buildings of the Thornham Estate, the Red House has belonged to the Henniker family since 1764.
It offers two pretty and comfortable double bedrooms with ... More
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