e most amazing find was a preserved Anglo-Saxon longship in w
hich weapons, armour and gold had been buried with its owner, thought to King Raedwald, who died in 625 AD. There were a number of other finds around the same area, some of the burials possibly the victims of execution. It must have been an amazing time for those archeologists to find such a hoard - the richest burial site in England! A detailed description is here.The site is contained in a large and attractive estate: nice countryside on three sides, and lots of trees on the slopes down to the river Debden on the other, with the town of Woodbridge in the distance. The burial mounds (or barrows) are all located in one large field (one mound has b
een restored 
to its original size, and it is very big) and there are pleasant woodland walks to the west. The visitor centre comprises of a large museum that elaborates on the burial grounds and the era they were created, and it contains some wonderful displays and artefacts. What a shame the famous original mask of Raedwald wasn't there on show. This is in the British Museum in London. The visitors centre at Sutton Hoo has a replica, which is still wonderful to behold. In another building there is the usual gift shop/restaurant combo - excellent facilities. We bought a few bits and pieces from the shop, including some stunning postcards of the site in winter. (And some yummy cakes and flapjacks).
<----Carla sitting in a boat-throne! After this, we headed up the A12 to Blythburgh to visit the famous church, that is rumoured to hold the "pawprints" of the devil's dog on the North door. You can certainly see burn marks on the door
that could look vaguely like animal scratches, but that is debatable! Anyway, the village is quite pretty in an English countryside way, and the church, known as the "cathedral of the marshes" is a very impressive building and in a nice location looking over the river Blyth (which nearby meets the North Sea at Southwold.)
The day was beautiful - sunny with a blue sky, with a light breeze that kept us cool. It was nice to have our little packed lunch by the church in the pretty and quiet spot. We noticed a BBC Radio van packed by the church, and inside the building there were lights and recording equipment around a piano, so I guess a recital was on that evening.
It was just a short trip up the road to my parents' where we stayed for the weekend. It was fun to have a couple of walks at the seafront, and finally Carla saw Gorleston-on-Sea beach busy with tourists!
