Introduction to the Area Histories
The earliest comprehensive account of the roads and buildings in Woodbridge is set out in a Latin document called an Extenta. It was produced in 1560 to detail the various landholdings of the manor of Woodbridge-late-Priory.
Over the period 1560 to 1840 there was a fourfold increase in population of the town. Many new houses and cottages were erected and most of them were along those parts of the roads which had been undeveloped in 1560. The map on the right shows the town in 1840. All of the pre 1560 housing was in the area shaded grey and that area developed between 1560 and 1840 is purple.
A map of the town in 1840 which shows the
area developed by 1560 and that part which
was developed between 1560 and 1840.
Most of the subsequent expansion of the built up area of the town involved putting access roads into previously undeveloped areas and then building houses along them. During this expansion the built up area of Woodbridge, and that of the adjoining parish of Melton, merged.
The new access roads are shown by the black lines on the map on the right. The area shaded grey had been developed by 1840. Most of the post 1840 expansion occurred after the Woodbridge bypass, now part of the A12, was built in 1930. The bypass became the boundary of the built up area of the town.
In this section of the Virtual Museum there are articles describing how various parts of Woodbridge and Melton have changed.
The first series of articles starts with a detailed description of Woodbridge in 1560. It is followed by accounts of how various parts of the town have changed since 1560:-
The next series of articles is about those areas of the town where there were no significant developments until after 1900:-
A map of Woodbridge and Melton showing the areas developed by 1840 and the access roads laid out for the subsequent expansion