Sutton Hoo - Part One

We finally got to see Sutton Hoo,  Anglo Saxon Royal burial ground, after years of wanting to visit.  It was a lovely day, sunny and dry which was good as there are lots of walks around the site.  

After parking the car we decided to have coffee before looking around following the maps we had been given at the visitor welcome point.  I also bought the guide book above.

 

We decided to walk to the burial mounds first.  It was here in 1939 on the eve of war that the remains of an ancient ship were found.  The excavation happened because the owner of the site  Edith Pretty recruited a local self taught archaeologist, Basil Brown, to investigate the various mounds on her property.  The finds of both ship and grave goods came as a complete surprise to both of them. 

Of course there is far more to this fascinating story which you learn as you go round the site.  Basil Brown was joined by William Spooner, gamekeeper, John Jacobs, gardener and Bert Fuller, labourer before staff from Ipswich Museum got involved and then archaeologists from further afield.

The burial mounds can be seen from the viewing tower and there are guided tours around the site so you can see more closely from ground level.

From the burial ground we walked through the wooded area and across the rabbit fields towards Tranmer House which was the home of Edith Pretty.

 

Apparently you can rent a holiday appartment in the house through the National Trust.  That would prove interesting.

The sitting room with window overlooking the burial mounds in the distance.

In one of the rooms there were films and photos from the excavations that have taken place over the years.

The ship in situ when it was found.

 

From the house we decided to try out the new King's River walk down to the River Deben.  It was from this river that the boat, probably containing the body of a person of status locally, would have been dragged towards its burial place.

Many people think that the body was that of Raedwald, King of East Anglia who died around  625AD/CE.

I'll be back with more of that walk and the views across the River Deben towards Woodbridge where we will visit and find the building of a replica of the Sutton Hoo ship in The Long Shed.

 

 

I'm having problems with blogger at the moment and I know one or two of you are too.  I can't leave comments on some of your blogs however I try also there are one or two blogs I'd like to add to my sidebar which I can't seem to do.  I hope things are put right soon.  Meanwhile I will keep trying.