Listing to port ... medieval timber framed houses in the High Street at Lavenham, Suffolk, England, UK, include (left) no. 6, built in the 1400s or 1500s with twin gables, and (right) 7-9, The Crooked House, built circa 1395 as part of a medieval hall house, probably for a wealthy wool merchant. Its front gable leans dramatically to the left and is said to have inspired the old nursery rhyme starting: "There was a crooked man, he walked a crooked mile ....".
Lavenham, Suffolk, England, UK: the old nursery rhyme, "There was a crooked man ...", perhaps refers to someone who lived in The Crooked House, an iconic timber framed dwelling with a dramatically left-leaning gable. The full verse ... "There was a crooked man, he walked a crooked mile, he found a crooked six-pence upon a crooked stile; He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse and they all lived together in a little crooked house." ... is traditionally linked to Lavenham, although a rival source is Anglo-Scottish history and the Stuart monarchy. Here, the 'crooked man' is Scottish soldier and 'Covenanter' Sir Alexander Leslie, the 'crooked stile' an alliance between English and Scottish parliaments, and living 'together in a little crooked house' refers to England and Scotland having to put aside their differences because they shared a border. Whatever the source, the Crooked House is one of Lavenham's most picturesque properties. It was built circa 1395 as part of a medieval hall house, probably for a wealthy wool merchant, and covers three addresses: nos. 7-9 High Street. Adjoining it to the left in this square view is no. 6, built in the 1400s or 1500s with a jettied upper storey on exposed joists and twin pointed gables with bargeboards. The wool and cloth trade made Lavenham one of England's richest towns, paying more tax than either Lincoln or York. The size and grandeur of buildings such as its church and the Guildhall of Corpus Christi show its prosperity, and it has well over 300 buildings of architectural and historic importance. Ironically, this is partly because it fell on hard times after its weavers left. Residents could no longer keep up with architectural trends, and in Georgian and Victorian times, few could afford new house fronts.
Size: 2792px × 2792px
Location: Lavenham, Suffolk, England, UK.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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