Historic and bustling market town. Stowmarket is a market town in Suffolk, England, on the busy A14 trunk road between Bury St Edmunds to the west and Ipswich to the southeast. The town is on the main railway line between London and Norwich, and lies on the River Gipping, which is joined by its tributary, the River Rat, to the south of the town.
Historic and bustling market town. It’s medieval heart lay around the parish church, and the area leading down to the River Gipping. The industrial growth of the town began in 1793, with the opening of the canal to Ipswich. Today Stowmarket is a popular shopping centre and home of the Museum of East Anglian Life.
The town takes its name from the Old English word stōw meaning “principal place”, and was granted a market charter in 1347 by Edward III. A bi-weekly market is still held there today on Thursday and Saturday.
The population of the town has increased from around 6,000 in 1981 to its current level of around 19,000, with considerable further development planned for the town and surrounding villages as part of an area action plan