Ahead of my arrival to the small town, I was aware paying to park was bound to be an inevitability, and my walk from the car to the pay and display machine in the long stay car park was filled with uncertainty about the price I would have to fork out for the privilege of parking there.
The friendliness of the town was one of the best I’ve seen. (Image: Newsquest)
However, to my surprise, and indeed delight, a two hour stay would set me back just £1.20, and as I would come to realise, bar a trip to the pub or a restaurant, two hours would plenty of time to take in the town.
As I walked through the alley next to the Co-op taking me out onto the high street, I was instantly surprised.
The town seemed full of character, lots of quaint shops, cafes and restaurants, with swathes of people enjoying the Suffolk sun.
The George in Hadleigh has been the centre of attention recently. (Image: Newsquest)
I stopped off outside every town’s customary Gregg’s to chat to a couple about the now notorious parking pandemonium.
It gave me a better understanding of the situation, as regular visitor Malcolm told me: “This is how town centres die, it’s the same all over. I get it’s not much, but when it started as being free, now all everyone sees is it going up and up and it won’t stop here.”
As my trip would soon reveal to me, I agreed with Malcom’s wife, who coined Hadleigh, “a lovely little town.”
Hadleigh has a lot to offer for locals. (Image: Newsquest)
Once I put the parking debacle behind me, I moved on to check out some of the local businesses, stopping off for a lovely couple of pit stops in The Idler Books, Plum Green and Sweet Memories of Hadleigh.
Plum Green is a tasteful gift shop in the heart of Hadleigh. (Image: Newsquest)
One of the biggest compliments I can pay the town is how friendly the people were. All the shops stopped me for a short chat and all passers by greeted you with a smile – which is rare to come by these days.
I’ve spent some time in multiple mid Suffolk towns in the last month, but the architecture and buildings in Hadleigh are the best I’ve come across.
From the dainty store fronts to the White Lion Hotel and its grand neighbour, walking down the main street of Hadleigh is a feast for the eyes.
The architecture surprised me, from the church to The White Lion Hotel. (Image: Newsquest)
My goal on this trip was to recognise people’s concerns that, while albeit the parking charges are cheap, are they costly enough to put people off visiting the town.
Well, my conclusion is it certainly shouldn’t.
In comparison to the pricey parking points in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds for example, I think £1.20 is very reasonable, and should not deter anyone from seeing what Hadleigh has to offer – because it was more than I expected.
