Sudbury sits in the heart of Suffolk's wool country, surrounded by small medieval towns and villages that are among the best-preserved in England. Lavenham — 10 kilometres north, its timber-framed streets almost entirely intact — is the most famous and deserves a half-day at minimum. Long Melford, even closer, has a magnificent Perpendicular church and two stately homes. Flatford Mill, 15 kilometres southeast on the Suffolk-Essex border, is where Constable painted The Hay Wain.