The largest of the wool towns, Sudbury had perfect transport links for that period, by road and river, and within a reasonable distance of the coast and London. It’s known as England’s Silk Capital, having moved on from woollen materials to lighter fabrics and silk. Even Gainsborough’s father was a weaver.

With a population now approaching 14,000, Sudbury sprung up initially as an Anglo-Saxon settlement in the 8th century, with a market added in the 11th century (today’s market still opens twice a week). The town is blessed to be set in the Stour Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Places to visit include Kentwell Hall, Gainsborough’s House, the Heritage Centre and Museum, and the imposing St Peter’s Church, which is now a cultural and community venue.

Just three miles from Sudbury is the quaint village of Long Melford. Prehistoric finds suggest the area was settled as long ago as 8300BC. The Romans constructed two roads through the area more recently, while Saxon and Bronze Age artefacts have also been uncovered.

Today, the village retains the beauty and opulence that it must have exuded during the height of the wool trade when, in 1446, 30 weavers were named as living and working there. One hundred village buildings are listed.

Visitors today admire the Holy Trinity church, one of the richest in the region noted for its decorative flint and stone masonry. Like Kentwell Hall, Melford Hall was visited by Elizabeth 1, and much of the area’s history is recounted in the Long Melford Heritage Centre.

Crooked houses with intricate detailing abound in this glorious, time-warp village, noted for its Guildhall and large 15th-century St Peter and St Paul church. Film fans might recognise the market square from the 1968 Vincent Price movie, the Witchfinder General. Thankfully, no witches are burnt in front of the Guildhall these days.

Instead, you can saunter along the main street and enjoy art galleries, independent shops, tea rooms and inns, including the well-known The Swan. Visit the Guildhall and the Little Hall Museum. If you’re visiting in November, you might be in time to experience the Lavenham Literary Festival.

You wouldn’t think a community of just 2,000 residents could have so much on their doorstep. Yet Clare, another of the five members of Suffolk’s Wool Towns Association, has seemingly everything. History and culture abound in this beautiful, picture-postcard village nestled in the Upper Stour Valley.

There are 130 listed buildings, many housing the towns dizzying array of independent stores, cafes and pubs. St Peter and St Paul Church – like its namesake in Lavenham, dominates the skyline, while The Ancient House Museum, parts of which date back to the 14th-century, provides a fascinating insight into life in the village in years gone by.

Clare is a ‘Walkers are Welcome Town’ because everything is within reach on foot. Explore the 36-acre Country Park, with its Clare Castle remains, Clare Priory and even the village’s own nine-hole golf course.

We’ve added Manningtree, although it’s actually just over the county border in Essex. Having traditionally claimed to be the smallest town in England (population 700 in 2007), the town got rich from the wool trade, with its port access to the sea. Shipping corn, timber and coal added to the town funds before the railways came along.

Visit the Wrabness Nature Reserve, or the Mistley Towers, which is all that remains of the Church of St Mary the Virgin. If the weather is bad, drop into the North House Gallery, which has a large collection and regularly stages exhibitions.