Sutton Hoo

Peter and I went for an 8 mile walk around the Sutton Hoo estate. In 1939 the remains of an Anglo-Saxon burial ship, from the 7th century, were discovered at Sutton Hoo. The ship contained treasures including Byzantine silver, gold buckles and a bejewelled helmet, sword and shield. All this is now in the British Museum - unusually as most of the stuff there was "acquired" from other countries. In 2002 the National Trust opened a visitor centre at Sutton Hoo, containing replicas of the items found. Today, the fee to look at the fakes is £9.10 for each adult. We didn't pay.

Instead we explored the rich farmland around the site which contains fields full of potatoes, some high quality grass for lawns, massive pig farms full of massive pigs, and a thriving crop of plastic sheeting. There were also pleasant views across the River Deben to Woodbridge. Our guidebook described these views as "superb:" hyperbole.