2024 International Reunion - Long Melford, England
From Monday, 24 June - Sunday, 30 June 2024, the Friends of Long Melford Building Trust arranged many interesting events for The Clopton Family Association.
Clopton Family Reunion - Long Melford
Based at the Bull Hotel, Long Melford
Built in 1450, the historic timbered Bull Hotel has been welcoming visitors since 1570.
Monday, June 24 - Sunday, June 30, 2024 (Limit of 85 people)
Reduced pricing for children (under 16 as of June 29, 2020)
- You must be a current CFA member to attend. If you are not a member but would like to attend, you may pay dues online on this website or contact our Secretary-Treasurer at membership@cloptonfamily.net for more information.
- Transportation to England and lodging reservations in Long Melford are not included in the tour price. A list of hotels and B&Bs in Long Melford has been compiled to assist you in making lodging reservations.
- Important information and travel advice for both Long Melford and London are also available for your review.
- Breakfast each day is included in the price of many hotels & B&Bs. All other meals are the responsibility of the traveler unless otherwise stated in bold below.
A message from the Long Melford Planning Committee:
“We very much hope that you enjoy the Reunion and Tour and look forward to the next Long Melford Reunion of the CFA in 2026.”
Monday, June 24 - Arrival Day
Boarding buses at Heathrow in 2014CFA Members will be met at Baggage Claim at Heathrow Airport in the UK by a member of the Long Melford Reunion Planning Committee. After all CFA members’ flights have arrived, we will be directed to a bus for transport to Long Melford. We recommend you exchange US currency for British currency at the airport, if needed. Upon arrival in Long Melford, you will be taken to The Bull Hotel for registration. Then, you will be directed or taken to your specific place of accommodation while in Long Melford. 6:30 PM: Buffet Dinner at The Bull Hotel. Dress is smart casual.
Tuesday, June 25 - Cambridge
Cambridge UniversityBreakfast at your hotel or B&B. Depart from the Bull Hotel on chartered bus for Cambridge, where Cambridge University (alma mater of many of our ancestors) is located. Visit Fitzwilliam Museum or other Cambridge tourist attractions of your choice, such as King's College Chapel, punting along the Cam River where you can see the backs of the colleges and the back of King’s College Chapel, or shopping. Before moving on, there will be time for lunch (on our own) at the renowned Brown's Restaurant or one of the many local cafes. The afternoon is reserved for a visit to the Cambridge American Cemetery at Maddingley (honoring American heroes who died in the UK during WWII). Return to Long Melford by bus for dinner (on our own) at local pubs/eateries.
Wednesday, June 26 - A Day in Long Melford
Holy Trinity ChurchBreakfast at your hotel or B&B. Guided tour and talk at Long Melford's cathedral-like Holy Trinity Church, featuring the Clopton Chantry Chapel, Sir William Clopton's tomb, and one of the best displays of Medieval stained-glass artwork in England. A lunchtime concert at Holy Trinity. The afternoon is free, which visitors may use to explore the Long Melford Heritage Centre (across from The Bull Hotel) and/or visit local pubs, antique stores, other shops, and tea rooms. Enjoy a real "English Barbecue" for dinner at Scutchers Restaurant.
Thursday, June 27 - Hadleigh, Groton, St. Bartholomew's Church, Castling's Hall
St. Bartholomew's Church, GrotonBreakfast at your hotel or B&B. Assemble at the Bull Hotel for departure by chartered bus for Part 1 of the Clopton Rose Ceremony with the Mayor of Hadleigh, Suffolk. Take a short ride to lay flowers on the Clopton Grave at St. Bartholomew's Church, Groton, Suffolk, and visit Castlings Hall in Groton for a cold lunch. Return to Long Melford. Dine (on our own) at local pubs/eateries.
Friday, June 28 - Sutton Hoo in Woodbridge
"Shoulder-clasps from Sutton Hoo, British Museum" by RobRoyAus is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Breakfast at your hotel or B&B before boarding a chartered bus to Sutton Hoo, the site of two 6th and 7th Century cemeteries archeologists have excavated since 1938. The film "The Dig" highlights the discovery here of an undisturbed ship burial containing many artifacts of incredible beauty, including bejeweled precious metal and enamel Anglo-Saxon artifacts. Smithsonian Magazine tells us, "This site contains the "richest medieval burial ever found in Europe."1 After lunch (on your own) in the area, return to Long Melford. Dine (on our own) at Long Melford pubs/eateries.
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1 McDowell, 2021. "The True History Behind Netflix's 'The Dig' and Sutton Hoo," Smithsonian Magazine. Accessed 14 Jul 2024 <https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-history-behind-netflixs-dig-and-sutton-hoo-180976923/>
Saturday, June 29 - Day in Long Melford
Kentwell HallBreakfast at your hotel or B&B. Attend morning CFA business meeting at the Bull Hotel to vote for officers. Lunch (on our own). Afternoon visit the Tudor-era Kentwell Hall, residence for two centuries of the Cloptons and now home of the Phillips family. Attend farewell evening gathering and meal at the Bull Hotel. Dress is smart casual.
Sunday, June 30 - Rose Ceremony at Holy Trinity Church and Depart Long Melford
Rent of 1 Red Rose PaidBreakfast at your hotel or B&B. Attend 10:30 morning service at Holy Trinity Church where the Clopton Rose Ceremony, part 2, will take place during the service. Enjoy lunch (on our own) at local pubs/eateries. Say a fond farewell to close family, distant cousins, and friends in Long Melford. Board coaches for return to Heathrow Airport in London.
If you are returning to the US, depart after lunch from the Bull Hotel by chartered bus to London's Heathrow Airport. Since flights to the US leave very early in the morning, the coach will not arrive at the airport in time for you to fly to the US on Sunday. Therefore, you should make a reservation at an airport hotel for Sunday night, 30 June (please make your hotel reservation prior to leaving the US), and a return flight reservation to the US for Monday morning, 1 July. Some hotels have shuttles that will pick you up and return you to the airport.
Related Websites
The Bull Hotel in Long Melford:
www.greenekinginns.co.uk/hotels/bull-hotel-sudbury
Cambridge — Cambridge University, Fitzwilliam Museum, King's College Chapel, Punting along the Cam River, Shopping in Cambridge, and Cambridge American Cemetery:
www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186225-Activities-Cambridge_Cambridgeshire_England.html
www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/cambridge-american-cemetery
Long Melford — Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford Heritage Centre, Scrutchers Restaurant and other pubs & eateries, Kentwell Hall, and Melford Hall:
wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/suffolk/suffolk_two/long_melford/index.html
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/melford-hall
Groton — St. Bartholomew's Church, Castling's Hall:
www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/groton.htm
Hadleigh — Rose Ceremony:
www.findagrave.com/memorial/16606778/william-clopton
For more information, please contact:
- CFA Secretary/Treasurer Pat Clopton-Wheeler at 325-773-2714 or pacw2@sbcglobal.net
- CFA Vice-President Judy Timmons at 803-782-6880 or judyhtimmons@yahoo.com
