Ipswich

The Municipal Borough of Ipswich was created in 1835 by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. It was the form of local government for the ancient borough of Ipswich until the Local Government Act 1888 replaced it with the County Borough of Ipswich in 1889. Both originated from the ancient borough of Ipswich. The local authority was Ipswich Corporation. Following the passage of the Reform Act 1832, the government set up a Royal Commission in July 1833 to investigate how local councils worked. In 1974 it was replaced by the non-metropolitan district of Ipswich and Ipswich Borough Council became the local authority, with county council duties fulfilled by Suffolk County Council. Following the Local Government Act 1888, the county of Suffolk outside of Ipswich was split into East Suffolk and West Suffolk for administrative purposes and the term administrative county was introduced. There was a level of continuity as Ipswich was still run by the Ipswich Corporation, independently from East Suffolk (which surrounded it), although the county council was based in Ipswich at East Suffolk County Hall. In 1974 following the Local Government Act 1972 and Ipswich became a non-metropolitan district with borough status in the administrative county of Suffolk with the same boundaries as the county borough.

St Mary-le-Tower is the civic church of Ipswich and a Grade II* listed building. It was in the churchyard of St Mary that the town charter of Ipswich was written in 1200.

Ipswich Castle was a medieval castle, now vanished, in the town of Ipswich, Suffolk, England.

Sailmakers shopping centre (formerly known as Tower Ramparts) is a small multi-story shopping centre located in Ipswich, England. It was opened to the public in November 1986. It is currently owned and operated by LaSalle Investment Management, who purchased the centre in 2011.

The Great White Horse Hotel is a historic inn in the town centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. A hotel has existed on the site since 1518. Previously the site – located on the corner of Tavern Street and Northgate Street – had been used as a tavern in medieval times. It is a 16th or 17th century timber framed building refronted in the early 19th century. It featured in Charles Dicken's Pickwick Papers. On 19 December 1951 it became a Grade II* listed building. It is on the Heritage at Risk Register and is priority A. It is in the Central Conservation Area. The Great White Horse Hotel has hosted George II, Lord Nelson and the Beatles.

Crown Pools is a swimming venue in Ipswich that opened in 1984.

St Lawrence Church is a Grade II* listed church in Ipswich, Suffolk, that is now used as a community centre. The 15th-century church has the oldest ring of five church bells in the world.

The Cock and Pye is public house in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is located in Upper Brook Street. It was included in the 1689 list of pubs in Ipswich, where it was stated to be in St Margarets Parish, Ipswich. The pub was formerly a large coaching inn, but by the late nineteenth century, was much smaller. As the name might suggest, the pub was setting for frequent cockfights and traditionally had a distinctive pub sign featuring a large pie upon which a cock was perched. When Cock fighting was banned in 1835 with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835, a Mr Birch, the proprietor at the time endeavoured to sell the premises.

The Ancient House, also known as Sparrowe's House, is a Grade I listed building dating from the 15th century located in the Buttermarket area of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. In 1980 the building was acquired by Ipswich Borough Council. The building sports detailed pargeting, and also elaborate wood carvings around the front of the house. Four panels of pargeting show a Tudor impression of the world. The continents Africa, America, Asia and Europe are shown—notably lacking Australia, which had not been discovered at the time. Africa is represented by a naked man holding a spear, Asia by a horse and a mosque-like building, Europe by a woman with a horse and a church-like building, and America by a man with a dog at his feet. The building features the Ipswich window.The front of the building as it can be seen today (in a restored state), was not an original feature—it was added by Robert Sparrowe between 1660 and 1670. It bears the Royal Arms of King Charles II, and the words "Honi soit qui mal y pense". This is Old French for "Shame upon him who thinks evil of it", and is also the motto of the Order of the Garter.

Christchurch Mansion is a substantial Tudor brick mansion house built in Ipswich, Suffolk by Edmund Withypoll (also written "Withipoll") around 1548–50. The Grade I listed building is located within Christchurch Park and sits by the southern gates close to the town centre of Ipswich. The mansion belonged to various noble families throughout its history but was purchased by the Ipswich Borough Council in 1884. Since 1885, the building has been used as a museum and is today run by the municipally run Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service (CIMS)organisation. The museum's rooms are preserved as past inhabitants would have known them, complete with original items such as furniture, fine clothing and children's toys. The museum also holds a collection of paintings by renowned local artists including John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. The Mansion is free to enter and booking is not required.

The Central Area, Ipswich is one of five administrative areas in Ipswich, through which Ipswich Borough Council divides its spending and enables feedback from local residents, businesses and community groups.The area is composed of three wards, each represented by three councillors. Each ward is also a Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA). As of the 2019 Ipswich Borough Council election, the councillors are as follows: These Councillors form the Central Area Committee of which Julian Gibbs is the chair. They are joined by three Suffolk County Councillors: The area is also covered by a Neighbourhood Watch network which comprises 35 neighbourhood watch schemes.

The Cornhill in Ipswich is a historic town square in the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk. The square has been a gathering place for many centuries in the town, the earliest recorded event was the execution of the Ipswich Martyrs in the 16th century. In the present-day, the Cornhill hosts various events such as Christmas markets, live music shows, and outdoor screenings of notable broadcasts, such as the proms. The square is surrounded by grand Victorian buildings built as the town's wealth was booming from sheep wool and dock trade. The prominent Ipswich Town Hall building is located on the Cornhill.