Villages in Suffolk at that time were often organised around a church and a manor house, and the White Hart is situated a short walk away from St. Mary’s Church. The villagers worked in agriculture, either as tenants or labourers for a landowner. They had to grow enough food for their families and to pay a portion as rent or taxes. The crops would have included wheat, barley, oats, rye, and peas. Villagers also raised livestock, such as sheep, pigs, and cattle, which provided meat, milk, wool, and leather. 

In Boxford, wool was a primary raw material and sheep farming played a crucial role in the local economy. The wool was either spun and woven at home or taken to larger towns to be sold. This laid the groundwork for the development of the wool trade and the rise of larger weaving industries in the 16th and 17th centuries. The wool trade and weaving brought considerable wealth to the region. Boxford became an affluent town in which employment was found for hundreds of people. 

Much later, the Riddlesdell family went into the motor trade, founding the Riddlesdell Bros Motor Works here in Boxford, now the world’s oldest working automotive garage.