The urban development of Ipswich overspills the borough boundaries significantly, with 85% of the town’s population living within the borough at the time of the 2001 Census, when it was the third-largest settlement in the United Kingdom’s East of England region, and the 49th largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
The modern name is derived from the medieval name “Gippeswick”, probably taken from the River Gipping which is the non-tidal section of the River Orwell. As of 2011, the town of Ipswich was found to have a population of 138,718, while the Ipswich urban area is estimated to have a population of approximately 155,000.
Ipswich is home to many artists and has a number of galleries, the most prominent of which are at Christchurch Mansion, the Town Hall, in Ancient House and the Artists’ Gallery in Electric House. The visual arts are further supported with many sculptures at easily accessible sites. The Borough Council promotes the creation of new public works of art and has been known to make this a condition of planning permission. The town also has two museums – Ipswich Museum and the Ipswich Transport Museum. In addition to the Christchurch Mansion and Ancient House, Ipswich in the 21st century has some important cultural buildings including the New Wolsey Theatre and the Regent Theatre.
There are several medieval Ipswich churches but the grandest is St Mary le Tower, rebuilt by the Victorians. Holy Trinity Church by Ipswich Waterfront is one of the few churches in the country which was built during the reign of William IV and whilst the outside looks plain, the interior is quite spectacular. The world’s oldest circle of church bells is housed in St Lawrence Church.
Modern buildings include the new Suffolk County Hall in the area known as Ipswich Village close to Ipswich Town’s Portman Road stadium.
[caption id="attachment_215901" align="aligncenter" width="479"] Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher by Ernst Gebauer, around 1815[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Fürst von Wahlstatt (16 December 1742 – 12 September 1819), Graf (count), later elevated to Fürst (sovereign prince) von Wahlstatt, was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal). He earned his greatest recognition after leading his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. ...
