A Suffolk historian will attempt to disprove a local legend, while, in doing so, uncovering the facts of an equally compelling tale.

During a lunchtime lecture on Thursday, September 14, John Sutton will answer the question: ‘Did Charles II hide in Ipswich’s Ancient House during his epic flight after the battle of Worcester in 1651?’

According to Mr Sutton, while evidence exists to refute the idea, a more distant association can be established in the woman who played the most vital role in Charles II’s preservation – royalist heroine, Jane Lane – who almost certainly took refuge in the Ancient House when she too was on the run.

Organiser of the talk, Ipswich Arts Association promises a tale of ‘derring-do, intrigue and suspense’.

It starts at 1pm on Thursday, September 14, in Museum Street Methodist Church, Black Horse Lane, Ipswich.

Admission is free, but donations welcome. Tea and coffee is served from 12.30pm.