Hidden among the green fields and lanes of northern Suffolk, the town of Eye is a showstopper. Its curving streets are crammed with medieval timber-framed houses, as well as Georgian and Victorian buildings in shades of mustard, rose and cream. And watching over everything are two erstwhile centres of power: Eye Castle and the Church of St Peter and St Paul.
Taking its name from the Old English word for island, the town is elevated on land above marsh and has been shaped by the motte-and-bailey castle’s huge grounds, with handsome Church Street and Castle Street curling around the elliptical bailey.
The castle itself, built between 1066 and 1071 by William Malet, wingman to William the Conqueror, can be reached via Castle Hill – if the gate is locked, you can pick up a key from pink Fen House, diagonally opposite. Check out the remaining original curtain wall of the inner bailey and climb to the Victorian-built folly keep for 360-degree views of the town.
Dominating the eastern end of Eye is the church, dating from the 14th century, with eye-catching flint-and-stone flushwork and a 31 metre-high tower. Sir Ninian Comper, Scottish gothic revival architect, designed the dazzling pinnacled font cover and partially rebuilt the jewel in the crown: a 15th-century rood screen with royal and holy figures painted in gold leaf, crimson and blue.
