The Ancient House, also known as Sparrowe’s House, is a Grade I listed building dating from the 15th century located in the Buttermarket. In 1980 the building was acquired by Ipswich Borough Council.
Arguably Ipswich’s most famous landmark, The Ancient House stands on the corner of Butter Market (the street, rather than the nearby shopping/leisure centre) and St Stephens Lane.
The earliest reference to the Ancient House can be found in the 15th (some say the 14th) century, when it was owned by the knight, Sir Richard of Martlesham.
In the 16th century the house was owned by a string of local merchants, including George Copping, a draper and fishmonger, who acquired the property in 1567. It was Copping who commissioned the panelling of the ground floor room at the front of the house. He also built the ‘long gallery’.
The Sparrowe (spellings vary) family became the owners of the house in 1603 and continued ownership of it for the next 300 years. It became known as ‘Sparrow’s House’. Robert Sparowe, a grocer, added the elaborate pargeting to the front and side of the house between 1660 and 1670. One legend tells of King Charles II hiding from his enemies in the Attic Room after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 (Charles II’s colourful royal arms are part of the pargeting).
The building was a printers, bookshop and home of Lakeland before this closed. It is now looked after by Ipswich Borough Council as a protected heritage building, who allow use of the space for short-term periods and the Ipswich Society to open it for Heritage Open Days every year.
Please check with business for opening hours
Brought to you by Ipswich Central, the Business Improvement District (BID) for the town centre and waterfront thanks to Ipswich Borough Council and Towns Deal funding.
The copyright of all content on this site, including images, belongs to Locus Management Solutions Ltd. Company registered in England.
Registration No: 5339846. Registered Office: The Master’s House, 19 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 1AQ.