The New Murrey and Blue blog

The Mid Anglia branch of the Richard III society met at Woodbridge railway station and drove to the National Trust’s Sutton Hoo.

Sutton Hoo, made famous this year by the release of Netflix’s “The Dig”, starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, is the site of the Royal burial ground of East Anglia’s 6th, 7th and 8th century rulers, the Wuffingas, from whom Richard III and today’s monarchy are descended.

Local archeologist Basil Brown, a man who was defamed for decades by the “professionals” of the British Museum who failed to note the importance of the site, undertook the first excavation in 1938. His methodical recording has been reassessed by modern historians as being more effective than previously thought.

That original excavation uncovered the most amazing finds, revealing the largest boat burial outside of Scandinavia, one of the most important burials in Europe. The discovery changed our understanding of the period of British history once thought to be the “Dark Ages”.

We walked the site, where you can observe the original burial mounds; one of the other mounds originally included another ship burial, but this was believed to be robbed out in the nineteenth century. A mixture of acrophobia and sore knees meant that none of us tried climbing the “viewing platform” built in Top Hat Wood, which boasts remarkable views across the River Deben to Woodbridge, and gives a completely different view of the Royal burial ground.

After a good lunch in the ubiquitous on-site cafe – which Stephen is keen I point out included a Cornish pasty in the shape of a ship burial mound – we toured the exhibition hall. Built in 2001 and opened by poet Seamus Heaney in 2002, the exhibition hall construction revealed further burials, and the “Bromeswell Bucket”. This vessel was decorated with Syrian or Nubian freezes, and engraved in Greek.

Most of the more valuable and famous finds – including all of those from Mound 1 – were donated to the British Museum by Mrs Edith Pretty, who commissioned that first 1938 excavation. While they have been on loan to the exhibition hall, now the majority of the exhibits on site are replicas of those uncovered on site. However, the interpretation of the various finds delivers a fascinating story of King Raedwald, who the National Trust insist was the inhabitant of the most important mound (the British Museum won’t go beyond “an East Anglian King”).

The fascinating site completely changed historian’s understanding of the post Roman period in British history, revealing a complex culture with a reach across Europe, with art, crafts and trade revealing a very high status.

A very interesting day, with thanks to Stephen for organising. I’m certainly looking forward to the visit to Orford Castle in 2022.