Suffolk Preservation Society

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Suffolk Preservation Society

We care about Suffolk – our communities, our landscapes, our buildings.

We champion the county’s unique heritage, and we work together to protect and conserve what makes Suffolk special.

03/11/2026

Join us on Thursday 26th November , Stowmarket, for a study day exploring how historic buildings can be adapted to ensure that they remain fit for contemporary use. As our climate changes and energy costs increase, historic buildings can seem a challenging proposition for sustainability.

However, with challenge comes innovation and with new approaches, ever advancing products and more flexible planning old buildings can have new life.

Five speakers from a range of disciplines including historic buildings construction, conservation architecture, and energy efficiency and sustainability, will each explore how we can adapt historic buildings for the 21st century. The day will conclude with a panel discussion. Speakers include Alice Milligan , Craig Beech , Emmerson Critchley , Al Scott , and Joel Gustafsson of Joel Gustafsson Consulting.

The study day follows previous successful retrofit events hosted by the Suffolk Preservation Society and Simon Sturgis AA Dip RIBA, and is aimed at anyone working with and living in historic buildings.

Thursday 26th November 10am – 4.15pm
Haughley Park Barn, Haughley Park, Stowmarket, IP14 3JY
Please book your ticket in advance via our website: £45 SPS members, £55 non-members
Includes a sandwich lunch
This event is generously supported by Historic England, Haughley Park, and the Scarfe Charitable Trust.

01/11/2026

Another Sunday, another Suffolk church to admire! This week, we are showing off All Saints’ Church in Icklingham. A little different from your usual church, this medieval building is rather eye-catching with its distinctive thatched roof- and not to mention the beautiful Suffolk countryside that surrounds it!

Another great example of Suffolk’s historic architecture and heritage to appreciate this Sunday!

30/10/2026

Join Suffolk Archives - Where will they take you? at The Hold on Saturday 7th November for a fascinating free talk exploring the life and work of Nina Layard (1853-1925).

The talk will delve into her lectures, unpublished notebooks, watercolour paintings, drawings and diary entries held at the Hold.

📍The Hold, Ipswich
📅Saturday 7th November, 1pm- 2:30pm
🎟️Free event- booking required

Head over to Suffolk Archives - Where will they take you? website to find out more and secure your place!

28/10/2026

Join us on Thursday 26th November , Stowmarket, for a study day exploring how historic buildings can be adapted to ensure that they remain fit for contemporary use. As our climate changes and energy costs increase, historic buildings can seem a challenging proposition for sustainability.

However, with challenge comes innovation and with new approaches, ever advancing products and more flexible planning old buildings can have new life.

Five speakers from a range of disciplines including historic buildings construction, conservation architecture, and energy efficiency and sustainability, will each explore how we can adapt historic buildings for the 21st century. The day will conclude with a panel discussion. Speakers include Alice Milligan , Craig Beech , Emmerson Critchley , Scott , and Joel Gustafsson of Joel Gustafsson Consulting.

The study day follows previous successful retrofit events hosted by the Suffolk Preservation Society and Simon Sturgis AA Dip RIBA, and is aimed at anyone working with and living in historic buildings.

Thursday 26th November 10am – 4.15pm
Haughley Park Barn, Haughley Park, Stowmarket, IP14 3JY
Please book your ticket in advance via our website: £45 SPS members, £55 non-members
Includes a sandwich lunch
This event is generously supported by Historic England, Haughley Park, and the Scarfe Charitable Trust.

24/10/2026

We know our SPS audience appreciates a good piece of flintwork, but why does flint feature so heavily in our beautiful county’s architecture? The answer lies beneath our feet!

This durable stone has been used for centuries and is naturally abundant in the local chalk geology. Flint was readily available to builders for many years and over time, local craftspeople transformed it into the beautiful patterns and striking walls we see within Suffolk architecture today.

Next time you are out and about in Suffolk, see how many examples of traditional flintwork you can spot!

Happy Saturday everyone😀🪨

23/10/2026

Very interesting discussions for the Suffolk Preservation Society this week. Brandon Station is an important legacy of the Victorian expansion of the railways, although today it is looking very sad indeed. Shrouded in scaffolding and awaiting rescue and a sustainable purpose. The Friends of Brandon Station, , and Historic Suffolk have all been campaigning for its restoration - and at SPS we are keen to get more involved. A historic building with a fascinating history, needing a new purpose and supported by its local community. It's a thumbs-up from us. Watch this space as we think there will be much more to talk about in 2027. All images copyright Railway Heritage Trust.

Happy Friday everyone! 🙂👍🚂🛤

21/10/2026

We're not all old churches at the Suffolk Preservation Society. Shown here is Eagle House, a community project by , which has taken home the top prize at the 2026 AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards in recognition of its small-scale, high-impact transformation. Located in Hastings - so a little bit outside of our Suffolk focus - the project has transformed a dilapidated 1860s building into a youth hub, public common room and workspace.

are one of the speakers at our forthcoming study day: Restoration and Regeneration: Retrofit for the Future, which is taking pace on 26th November at Haughley Park.
Link in our bio to the Upcoming Events page for booking details.

21/10/2026

Join us on Thursday 26th November , Stowmarket, for a study day exploring how historic buildings can be adapted to ensure that they remain fit for contemporary use. As our climate changes and energy costs increase, historic buildings can seem a challenging proposition for sustainability.

However, with challenge comes innovation and with new approaches, ever advancing products and more flexible planning old buildings can have new life.

Five speakers from a range of disciplines including historic buildings construction, conservation architecture, and energy efficiency and sustainability, will each explore how we can adapt historic buildings for the 21st century. The day will conclude with a panel discussion. Speakers include Alice Milligan , Craig Beech , Emmerson Critchley , Al Scott -do , and Joel Gustafsson Gustafsson Consulting.

The study day follows previous successful retrofit events hosted by the Suffolk Preservation Society and Simon Sturgis AA Dip RIBA, and is aimed at anyone working with and living in historic buildings.

Thursday 26th November 10am – 4.15pm
Haughley Park Barn, Haughley Park, Stowmarket, IP14 3JY
Please book your ticket in advance via our website: £45 SPS members, £55 non-members
Includes a sandwich lunch
This event is generously supported by Historic England, Haughley Park, and the Scarfe Charitable Trust.

18/10/2026

I’ts once again Sunday, which means another appreciation post for our Suffolk churches. This Sunday, we are highlighting the St Nicholas church located in Little Saxham- a rather special corner of Suffolk with a fascinating history.

Its Norman round tower is a particularly pleasant reminder that preserving Suffolk’s heritage is about more than looking after the buildings itself- it’s about keeping their stories alive too! And we think St Nicholas’ church is definitely worth a closer look.

15/10/2026

APPLICATIONS CLOSE TOMORROW! There is still time to apply to our Endangered Heritage Crafts Fund, run in partnership with . If you are Suffolk-based, and are working in an endangered heritage craft - including flintwork, traditional brick-making, hurdlemaking, reverse glass sign painting, pargetting, or even millwrighting - a much needed skill in maintaining the remaining mills across the country - like this superb example at Thelnetham - we encourage you to apply. Successful applicants will receive up to £2,500 to support their work and business sustainability. The application process is simple, and if you'd like to know more please take a look at our website or contact us directly. Applications close on 16th October.

Address

Little Hall, Market Place
Suffolk
CO109QZ

Telephone

+441787247179

Website

https://www.suffolksociety.org/

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