Our Ipswich town centre office and warehouse is situated in the historic former stables of Stoke Hall one of the grandest houses in Ipswich until the main Hall was demolished in 1915. The hall and stables were built by Thomas Cartwright an Ipswich wine merchant in 1744 – 45 between Burrell Road and Belstead Road.
This is how our unit looked in 1770 you can see it next to Stoke Hall
The network of cellars on 3 levels extending in different directions under the stables was originally used as wine cellars due to the location close to Ipswich docks. During the Second World War the cellars were used as air raid shelters, there is still a war time list of local doctors to call during air raids on the wall in the upper level.
The link below is from when the BBC visited the cellars a few years ago.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/content/image_galleries/stoke_hall_vaults_gallery.shtml