The market town of Sudbury in Suffolk has long been considered an area of outstanding natural beauty. Around 2,000 BC a group of Early Bronze Age farmers settled on a hill above a loop in the River Stour on the Suffolk side, looking into Essex, and the nucleus of Sudbury was formed. The remnants of the subsequent Iron Age culture can be detected in the sharp inclines in the street pattern of the modern town and are discussed here in fascinating detail along with the other important historic developments that have shaped the present town of Sudbury. From fourteenth-century industrial expansion to the importance of the Gainsborough family in art, Sudbury has long been associated with change on both a local and national scale. This fascinating insight into Sudbury's past details the town's history from prehistoric times to the present day and includes a full-colour picture section and a walking tour of the town.