VISIT FRAMLINGHAM TOWN TRAIL
CHOOSE YOUR START POINT
Visit Framlingham Go-As-You-Please Town Trail
An online, interactive, fun and flexible way to explore the heritage market town of Framlingham at your own pace, with over 30 info points – each one a potential start point and opportunity to tailor your route every step of the way.
Join the dots to connect the buildings you see around Framlingham today with stories from the town’s fascinating past. Head down ‘secret’ paths and alleyways. Discover the tales tucked away behind façades. Spot where Fram’s famous folk lived, were laid to rest… or maybe just liked to hang out for a coffee. Learn of their legacies, back then – and now.
How Long is the Online Trail?
That’s totally down to you!
The interactive trail allows you to go as you please: to pick and choose where you start and where you head to next at every stop point.
Use the directions and mapping outlined within each point to enjoy the full route of 30 stop points (+/- 1.4 miles / 2.25 kms).
Prefer to scale things back to explore just one particular part of Framlingham? Or simply dip in and out as you wish?
You choose… Just go as you please.
Framlingham by Numbers
Prefer something a bit more old school?
Download the Framlingham Town Trail which sets out 27 numbered points in a set, figure of 8 point-by-point trail. You’ll also find printed copies available in locations around the town.
Total Set Trail: 1.4 miles/2.25 kms
Set Trail Shorter Options: 0.9- 1.1 miles/1.5-1.75 kms
Click the button below to download a leaflet of the numbered trail.
Points of Interest
I Spy ABC (DEF) of Framlingham
There’s so much more to Framlingham than its castle. Discover the town’s rich past on a year-round trail that showcases stories, trading tales and castle connections across the centuries, together with a surprising collection of tips, tricks and awesome viewpoints.
Look out for the following symbols – you’ll find at least one on most of the trail points information pages – and make your walk into a real discovery trail with lots of special and often fun things to keep a beady eye out for.
The gentle, go-as-you-please family-friendly online trail is ideal for combining with a castle visit, picnic, pub lunch, coffee or ice-cream stop, or some time out grazing the great variety of goodies on offer at Framlingham’s independent shops.
Architecture
Timber-framed. Turreted. Local redbrick-built. Flint-faced. Listed. Leaning. Medieval masterpieces. Regency curves. Georgian symmetry. Queen Anne conundrums. Victorian shop fronts. False façades. Bright modern murals…
What will you discover?
Birds & beasts
Keep a beady eye out and turn time in Fram into a mini wildlife adventure. Spot ducks on more than just the Mere (but maybe egrets, grebes, barn owls and even an otter there too), and a budding menagerie on the shop fronts of Market Hill. Fly by St Michael’s Church for woodwoses, golden lions, blue boars, plus a whole Noah’s Ark on Henry FitzRoy’s tomb.
Crowns
Framlingham is an all-round jewel with abundant royal connections. Valley-tops are crowned with a castle and princely memorial college. A son of Henry VIII is buried here. Mary Tudor became Queen at the castle and Edward VI held his first court there. Look out for signs of Edmund, George, Victoria and Albert, the families of royal wives and American forefathers.
Detectorists (The)
Fans of this award-winning 2014+ TV series starring Mckenzie Crook and Toby Jones will just love discovering the film locations here in Framlingham (aka “Danebury”). Find Lance’s Flat (Double Street), Maggie’s shop (Market Hill), or the pub where the ’Dirt Sharks’ muscled in (by the castle). Alas, Danebury Metal Detecting Club’s meet-up venue is no more, replaced in 2002 by the Castle Community Rooms.
Ed (Sheeran)
This former Framlingham choirboy turned songwriting superstar grew up here, married his school sweetheart and lives nearby. He has been known to nip in the chippy, supermarket shop for snacks, order a Framlingham curry after an O2 gig and drink with Taylor Swift in The Station Hotel! Philanthropic Ed also supports and inspires the community’s young musicians. Remember “Castle on the Hill”?
Framlingham Benefactors
To this day, almshouses and legacies support the community from both one-time Framlingham Castle owner, Sir Robert Hitcham (d. 1636) and enterprising wheelwright, Thomas Mills (d. 1703).
Green spaces & viewpoints
The Castle’s bailey or meadow, Fen Meadow, Pageant Field – Framlingham has many places to picnic, play or just find a pew with a view to sit and stay a while. Walk up Pig’s Meadow for a closer view of Framlingham College and fab mere/castle vistas or find a moment of calm in the cemetery’s wildlife sanctuary.
Framlingham Car Parks – Closest Trail Points
Public Car Parks:
- Market Hill Parking IP13 9BB – Trail Point: Market Hill
- The Elms Car Park (off New Road) IP13 9DR – Trail Point: Framlingham Mural at 221B
- Fore Street Car Park (St Clare’s Church) IP13 9DY- Trail Point: Queen’s Head Alley
Customer Car Parks:
- Framlingham Castle Car Park IP13 9BP – Trail Point: Framlingham Castle Pond
- Co-op Car Park IP13 9AN – Trail Point: Old Pump Riverside
- Framlingham Library Car Park IP13 9AJ – Trail Point: The Old Courthouse
- Castle Community Rooms Car Park IP13 9BQ – Trail Point: St Michael’s Church
