The longest authenticated rental agreement was continued on Sunday when a Long Melford councillor accepted this year's Clopton Rose from the Hadleigh mayor.

John Nunn, the Long Melford parish council vice chairman, and Independent Babergh district councillor, accepted the payment of the rose from Gordon McLeod, and his wife carol..

The flower was then placed on the effigy of Sir William Clopton.

Back in 1436, Sir William Clopton, Lord of Toppesfield Manor donated the use of the Guildhall in Hadleigh and land to hold markets, at a rent of one mark per annum.

That was subsequently changed to a single red rose, annually, as mark of respect to honour the father of renowned War of the Roses advocate John Clopton, who built the Long Melford church.

A descendent of the Clopton family discovered in 1984 that Hadleigh had not been paying the rent and asked the town to pay up, which it duly did.

Since then Hadleigh presents a red rose annually, usually plucked from a town centre garden on the morning of the ceremony.

The service was conducted by Reverend Matthew Lawson at the Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford.

The payment of the 'red rose' as rental to the Cloptons for the use of the Guildhall (owned by Sir William Clopton) has been authenticated as the longest, continuous rental agreement in the whole of England.

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