Sutton Hoo
Tranmer House Sutton Hoo Woodbridge IP12 3DJ
Just outside Woodbridge, this is is one of the most important Anglo-Saxon archeological sites in the UK, now impressively administered by the National Trust. It's a series of burial mounds basically, one of which is believed to be the last resting-place of Redwald, king of East Anglia, who died in 625, and was buried with a 40-oar Viking ship and a trove of jewelled ornaments and weapons. You can visit the site itself, a short walk from the entrance, where there's a viewing platform to see them better – though they are, ultimately, no more than a series of grassy hummocks. The main exhibition hall runs a short film on a loop that tells the story of the excavations and the Anglo-Saxons in general and has displays of finds, although most of the king's treasure is in the British Museum (including the famous helmet you see on all the Sutton Hoo posters); there's also a visitor centre with a ticket office, shop and café. Oh, and = also host an annual beer festival here every August bank holiday – something King Redwald himself would no doubt have enjoyed.
