The ancient Suffolk market town of Beccles has a history of more than a thousand years, which saw it flourish as one of the principal trading communities in the county. Situated on the River Waveney, it is often referred to as the -Gateway to the Southern Broads-.In Secret Beccles, local author Barry Darch sets out to discover the lesser-known and hidden aspects of the town-s heritage. At its heart lie two large marketplaces, the newer one (dating from the fourteenth century) still very much in use for a weekly market and for special events. A number of nearby buildings also have large cellars with interesting architectural features.Many buildings have had several changes of use; for instance, the late Anglo-Saxon St Peter-s Church became a tannery and later a restaurant. A Georgian theatre that became a corn hall now lies hidden behind a branch of Lloyds Bank. Part of the town-s hidden past rests in the names of its streets and paths, such as Shipwreck Alley and Hungate, the street of
