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Ipswich is one of England's oldest Anglo-Saxon towns. It was founded in the late 6th or early 7th Century, where the estuary of the River Orwell meets the freshwater River Gipping. The town developed into a prosperous port and trading centre with an important pottery industry. After a period of Viking occupation, Ipswich continued to flourish and it was given its own mint on the 970s. King John granted Ipswich its first Charter in 1200, one of the first towns in England to be granted this privilege.

The Middle ages were a time of great prosperity for Ipswich and the surrounding area. For centuries Ipswich exported first wool then cloth to the continent. A reminder of the wealth generated from this trade can be seen in the many fine Tudor buildings still in existence today.

A decline in the town's fortunes in the 17th Century was brought about by the general collapse of the East Anglian wool trade. A slow revival of the coastal shipping trade in the mid-18th Century led to the development of malting, milling and shipbuilding. Economic recovery was further stimulated by the addition of agricultural engineering and brewing industries.

Ipswich today is a major regional centre, proud of its long history and looking forward to the challenges of the 21st Century.

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