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Eight miles southeast off the A1141, KERSEY vies with Lavenham as the most photographed village in Suffolk. Another old wool town, Kersey has been bypassed by history and is now little more than one exquisite street of timber-framed houses, which dips in the middle to cross a ford that's inhabited by a family of fearless ducks. Prime real estate today, Kersey's more populous past is recalled by its large and austere parish church, visible for miles around, perched on high ground above the village. There's nowhere to stay, but there are two good pubs , the White Horse and the Bell , both of which serve good, reasonably priced bar food. Another two miles southeast, the market town of HADLEIGH is a positive metropolis compared to Kersey, but everything of interest is within a stone's throw of the Parish Church of St Mary's . The church, one block west of the elongated High Street, is mainly fifteenth century, a good-looking replacement for several earlier versions. Legend asserts that Guthrum, the Danish chieftain and arch-rival of Alfred the Great , was buried underneath the south aisle in 889, but his remains have never been definitively identified. Opposite the church, across the graveyard, is the half-timbered Guildhall (guided tours June-Sept Thurs & Sun 2-5pm; GBP1.50), every bit as immaculate as Lavenham's, with the earliest sections dating from 1438 - and offering very-English cream teas in the garden from June to September (Mon-Fri & Sun 2.30-5pm). At the back of the church, is the extravagantly ornate Deanery Tower , a fifteenth-century gatehouse whose palace was never completed. Hadleigh is easy to reach by bus with regular services from Sudbury, Lavenham, Ipswich and Colchester, though Sundays can be a bit tricky. Several Hadleigh-bound buses pass through Kersey too. Tourist information on Hadleigh is available at the library on the High Street and the town is also home to the East of England Tourist Board , just off the High Street at Toppesfield Hall (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 01473/822922). Both can help with local accommodation , though there's no real reason to tarry once you've seen the sights. For a bite to eat , Ferguson's Delicatessen, 48 High St (closed Sun), sells delicious sandwiches.
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