[1] By the late 14th century, Lavenham was at the centre of the East Anglian woollen cloth trade.

[2] Its specialised production of woad-dyed broadcloth, known as Lavenham Blue,[3] had made it one of the richest towns in England.

[9] The guild established their guildhall at around that time; the design made extensive use of jettied timber framing and featured a gabled porch projecting from the centre of the building on the north-west elevation.

[1] The building was used as a social club for American troops stationed nearby[10] and also as a British Restaurant during the Second World War and, in 1946, Sir William Quilter gave it to the people of Lavenham.

[2] It became the property of the National Trust in 1951 and it was subsequently opened to the public as a local history museum.