Colour of the County

On the streets of many Suffolk wool towns are houses painted in varying shades of pink. Some are a deep, rich colour, others a very pale rose. The fashion emerged in the 14th century with the rise of the wool trade and is believed to have originated with the dyers. The colours were made by mixing various natural substances with limewash. Ox blood, elderberries and blackthorn were all used. These are now considered to be heritage colours, and only shades chosen from this selection can be used on some listed Suffolk buildings. The colour has become an emblem of the region and this era of increasing affluence.