Ipswich, the largest and county town of Suffolk, takes its name from the medieval name ‘Gippeswic’. Over its more than 1,000-year history, Ipswich has acquired a mix of the unexpected, strange, weird and wonderful examples of buildings and the people associated with them. According to archaeological evidence, Ipswich is the site of a large Roman fort and the largest Roman villa in Suffolk. The old adage of looking up when going round any town is as true to Ipswich as with any town; for ‘it is up’ where many interesting gems of architecture, embellishments and ornamentations will be found. While buildings are obviously a link to the past and the people connected with them, retelling some of their stories brings history to life. Secret Ipswich goes behind the façades of the familiar to discover the lesser-known aspects of the town’s fascinating past, brought to life through revealing images of the past and the present.

Susan Gardiner is a self-employed electronic publisher. She has written local history articles for magazines in the past and written for Ipswich Town fanzines, including editing the first issue of Turnstile Blues (2012). She also writes blogs on local history (thosewhowillnotbedrowned.wordpress.co.uk) and turnstile-blues.co.uk. She lives in Stowmarket, Suffolk.