Most informed opinion seems to suggest it was the burial site of R\u00e6dwald, the first Christian king of East Anglia who ruled in the early decades of the seventh century, interred at Sutton Hoo with a treasure trove of glittering grave goods, including the iconic helmet. But with no written evidence, no one can be absolutely sure.<\/p>\n
Savour the drama of Sutton Hoo on a 3.8-mile circular walk through Suffolk\u2019s fields and farmland, starting and ending at Sutton Hoo.<\/p>\n
![\""Sutton\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2019\/12\/GettyImages-533584394-0169797.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Sutton\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Underground ship<\/h3>\n
Basil Brown, a cloth-capped, pipe-smoking local amateur archaeologist, made the first excavations at Sutton Hoo for landowner Edith Pretty in 1938. His meticulous digging in what became known as Mound One revealed the ghostly outline of a Saxon ship burial whose golden riches (now housed in the British Museum) surpassed anything that had been found before.<\/p>\n
A \u00a34 million reinterpretation of the site has just been completed by the National Trust. Centrepieces are a new 17m-high viewing tower overlooking the 18 or so smaller burial mounds, with views to the River Deben beyond, and an enormous, 27m-long rusted steel sculpture of the ship. An exact recreation of R\u00e6dwald\u2019s clinker-built longship is also under construction at the nearby town of Woodbridge.<\/p>\n Related articles<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> 3.8 miles\/6.1km | 2.5 hours | easy-moderate<\/em><\/p>\n 1. Debden banks<\/strong><\/p>\n Follow the path at the rear of the restaurant down the valley (which is cloaked with a carpet of daffodils in spring) to a\u00a0T-junction, where you turn left past Little Haugh Farm.<\/p>\n Immediately after the farm, take the signed footpath to the right, which leads between garden plots to reach the river. Here, you turn left and follow the path along the river wall to Ferry Cliff Woods, with fine views across the Deben Estuary to Woodbridge with\u00a0its working Tide Mill.<\/p>\n 2. Water to woods<\/strong><\/p>\n At the end of Ferry Cliff, climb the steps, then turn left to follow the bridle path. At the end of the field, turn right, keeping Deben Wood on your left.<\/p>\n At the end of the wood, take the path across the field to a gap in the hedge, then turn left on to a tarmac bridleway until you reach an estate road. Follow this road north-east for about a mile until you reach the main road.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Home to Hoo<\/strong><\/p>\n Turn left here and take care following the road for about 250 yards until you reach the end of the woods, where you turn left and follow the track to the top of the field. Look out for the National Trust sign here and take a sharp right through the gate to re-enter the Sutton Hoo estate.<\/p>\n Follow the path back towards the car park, passing Edith Pretty\u2019s former home Tranmer House (now host to fascinating archaeological discovery exhibits in the ground floor rooms) and intricately carved Gar Seat, commemorating a loyal National Trust volunteer, Elizabeth Robinson.<\/p>\n![\""Hallaton\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/Hallaton-treasure_5-28125aa.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Hallaton\\"\/")
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Sutton Hoo walk<\/h2>\n
Sutton Hoo map<\/h3>\n