IPSWICH, formerly GIPPESWICII, is a burgh town of England, and principal town of the county' of Suffolk. It is situated on the side of a hill, on the northern bank of the river Orwell, and is about one mile long, and 3-4ths of a mile broad, forming a portion of a circle round the bend of the river. The town is ancient, but well built ; and the principal streets are clean, and well paved and lighted. Some of the houses are adorned, both externally and inter nally, with carved and stuccoed devices. The pr'ncipal public buildings and establishments are, the town-hall, the shire-hall, a new county jail, a palace belonging to the bishop of Norwich, an auspnal, a market-place, -a custom house, and a good library. The town-hall, which was for met ly the parish church of St Mildred's, is a very ancient building ; and adjoining to it is a spacious council-chamber, with kitchens, &c. underneath. The walls, and the brick gate-way, are all that remain of \Volscy college, the site of which formerly comprised about six acres of ground. The market-place, which is large and commodious, was finished in 1811 rrem the designs of Mr Brown. It con sists of a series of boil ings, on pillars, arranged round two quadrangular courts, and cost about 10,000/.
The county gaol is an admirable building. Its boundary wall, which encloses 13 acres of ground, is 20 feet high.
The prison consists of our wings, having spacious courts, about 75 by 45 feet, and three smaller ones, about 44 feet square. These different are seen from the keeper's house in the centre of the prison, from which there is an avenue- 98 Feet long to the turnkey's lodge, upon the top of which the executions take place. The house of correction has an airy situation near the burgh gaol, and has a houn cLry wait 17 feet high, and three court yards, each 50 feet b. SO. Besides these public buildings, there is the town aid borough gaol in Matthew Street, chapels for the Uni tarians and Anabaptists, an assembly-room in Tavern Street, a custom-house on the quay, which borders the Orwell, and a handsome stone bridge, connecting the town with Stoke Hamlet.
Besides three charity schools, Ipswich has a school on Lancaster's plan, which was opened on the 8:h July 1811 with 200 boys.
There are at present twelve parish churches in Ipswich, viz. St Clement, St Helen, St Lawrence, St Margaret, St Mary at Elms, St Mary at Kay, St Mary at Stoke, St Ma ry at Tower, St Matthew, St Nicholas, St Peter, and St Stephen. The monastic establishments were once nume rous, but nothing more than their names have been pre served.