South of the Border - Beccles and Geldeston Hall

Members of the Beccles Society will be guiding us through the little known treasures of their remarkable town.  Did you know that Beccles was once a seaport? The remains of the cliff are on the edge of the town, with a wonderful view across the marshes.  Later it was a busy industrial centre with numerous short lanes, called ‘scores’, connecting warehouses to the river.

Our tour starts in the old manufacturing area of Northgate and progresses past many lovely Georgian houses, some of them once home to notable people including the Vicomte de Chateaubriand and the writer Adrian Bell.  Our guides will tell us about the history as well as new developments and civic concerns.
We will see the Old Market with its renovated shops, the church of St Michael with it’s separate tower (which you can ascend), Ballygate Street and the New Market area, and finish with a visit to Leman House (once the Grammar School) now housing the Beccles Museum.

There are many pubs and cafes for lunch, including the restored Cinema, and some lovely shops to browse.
After Lunch we visit Geldeston Hall, a privately owned Georgian country house just a mile or so outside Beccles along the Waveney.  The owners will show us the restoration work and we will have tea before returning home.