Situated at the head of the Orwell estuary, IPSWICH was a rich trading port in the Middle Ages, but its appearance today is mainly the result of a revival of fortunes in the Victorian era - give or take some clumsy postwar development. The two surviving reminders of old Ipswich - Christchurch Mansion and the splendid Ancient House - plus the recently renovated quayside are all reason enough to spend at least an afternoon here. Ipswich also boasts a wealth of medieval flint churches, some now locked and slowly rusting away, but others sympathetically restored. One now houses the tourist office, from where guided walks depart a couple of times a week during the season (May-Sept Tues & Thurs 2.15pm; £1.75) - perhaps the best way to see the town on a short visit.