Hadleigh - Historic Town & High St.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Treasure Hunt around Hadleigh's historic town and High Street, with Explorers helping recover valuable antique props buried for safe keeping after a Hollywood film was shot in town, before memorabilia hunters arrive.

The quest covers approximately 2 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll roam around the centre of this ancient market town, exploring the High Street, George Street, the church area and churchyard, riverside sections and the streets around the start and finish at Magdalen Road.

This Trail is wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible. The route does include some narrow or no pavements, small cobbles to avoid, and surfaces can be slippery when wet, so take your time where the ground gets trickier.

Take care on roads and crossings, including zebra crossings and a T-junction. There is also a bridge crossing, and you'll need to stay alert near coaches and film fans as the prop-hunting operation unfolds.

Getting There

By car: Start at Magdalen Road Long Stay pay and display car park, on Magdalen Road by the bus stop and the toilets (IP7 5EZ). This is the recommended car park and the closest option to the start point. Enter via Spooners Lane, then begin your quest just outside the car park exit, on Magdalen Road, by the bus stop and the toilets.

By public transport: Make your way to the bus stop on Magdalen Road to begin the adventure. The circular route returns to the start/finish car park once the antique props have been tracked down.

Need the Loo?

Toilets are available in the car park at the start and finish of the circular route, making this a handy spot for a comfort break before the treasure hunt begins or once the final clue has been cracked.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Explorers are welcome to join the quest. 🐾

The route roams through the town centre, with roads, crossings, narrow or missing pavements, small cobbles, a bridge crossing and riverside sections to navigate. Keep canine companions close around traffic and busier spots, and watch paws on slippery surfaces when the weather has been wet.

Food & Drink Stops

Prop recovery is hungry work, so plan your supplies wisely. Snacks and refreshments are available before Clue 05 or after Clue 12, and there is also a cafe in the leisure centre near the end of the route.

If you'd rather bring your own provisions, stock up near the start and aim for the riverside after Clue 14, which is the best picnic spot on the Trail.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Hadleigh town centre and High Street

The Trail explores the centre of this ancient market town, where Hadleigh has over 240 listed buildings, including the Grade 1 listed church. Many buildings along the High Street are believed to be older than the dates on their walls suggest, so it's worth slowing down once the treasure is safe and enjoying the historic details without interrogating every doorway for clues.

St Mary's Church and churchyard

The quest circles the churchyard clockwise as part of the route, and the church area is packed with history. Look out for the church where the Oxford Movement was conceived, along with a bell cast in 1280 that is believed to be Suffolk's oldest inscribed bell.

The timber framed Guildhall

As you follow the church circuit, you'll pass the timber framed Guildhall. It forms part of the church area that the Trail walks around, making it a natural place to pause and soak up a little more of Hadleigh's historic atmosphere before the memorabilia hunters catch up.

The thatched cottage on George Street

Film-spotting Explorers should keep an eye on George Street, where the exterior of one cottage was used as Mary's house in the film. It is said to be the only thatched cottage in Hadleigh, as thatched roofs were outlawed by the Borough Corporation in 1619.

Hadleigh Show

If your visit lines up with May, Hadleigh Show is the big local extra. Hadleigh is home to one of the oldest agricultural shows in the UK, showcasing the best of rural life. It began in 1839, and the 2025 show is the 186th.