Sutton Hoo

This is my third visit to Sutton Hoo. I went for a specific exhibition, namely the Swords of Kingdoms: The Staffordshire Hoard at Sutton Hoo and was not disappointed. The staff and the volunteers were very good; knowledgeable, interesting and helpful. The site is welcoming and accommodating to most disabilities. The Changing Place bathroom is planned for Winter installation with operation at next season in 2023. I really like the fact that on all three visits were members of the learning disabled/learning difficulties communities, independent or with a PA/family member.

Parking very near the entrance and visitor centre with level access across hard surface. The admission desk, café and toilets are in one building, with level or gently sloping surfaces. There are plenty of outdoor eating areas, both as part of the café and for eating your own picnic. The excellent interpretation and visitor centre is right opposite and has automatic doors. Start with a 10 min film giving a brief history of the site which is shown in a small tiered viewing room but there is room for wheelchairs on the top level. There is an excellent reconstruction of the ship burial, showing replicas of the grave goods found in the burial. There is also information about the discovery of the burial mounds and how they were excavated in various stages. The actual burial mounds were some distance from the visitor centre, reached by undulating gravel paths. We did not attempt to visit that part of the site, as it would be too far for me to walk and I only have a manual wheelchair. The whole site, which is owned by National Trust, closed on 30th September 2018, for improvements and re-interp;ratation of the site, so it will be interesting to see how the site develops.