4 Freston Tower

SUFFOLK

WHAT BETTER WAY TO IMPRESS QUEEN BESS than to create a spectacular six-storey folly? Rumour has it that when Suffolk merchant and mercer Thomas Gooding caught wind of Elizabeth I’s summer sojourn to Ipswich in 1579, he built Freston Tower to showcase his wealth and wherewithal. This imposing red-brick steeple has 26 mullioned windows and a rooftop where you can look out across the Orwell Estuary and acres of oak, cedar, sweet chestnut and beech trees. Book a stay and play Queen (or King) for the day (landmarktrust.org.uk).