Skip to content
Sutton Hoo landscape in the misty morning
Sutton Hoo landscape in the morning | © Justin Minns
Suffolk

Sutton Hoo woodland walk

Follow in the footsteps of Anglo-Saxon ancestors on the Sutton Hoo woodland walk. This circular trail lets you explore the mounds of the ancient royal burial ground where a 7th-century ship was discovered, as well as discovering the surrounding woodland and spotting its resident wildlife.

Remember your membership card

You'll need access to Sutton Hoo to enjoy this walk so you should either bring a National Trust membership card or pay for entry. Why not make the most of the your visit by visiting the Sutton Hoo exhibition?

Total steps: 9

Total steps: 9

Start point

Sutton Hoo reception and car park, Woodbridge IP12 3DJ. Grid ref: TM289493.

Step 1

After arranging your admission, walk through the courtyard and turn left, heading south into the woods. Head through a gate and pass the Gar Seat on your right.

Step 2

Continue south on the woodland path, past some circular benches. Follow the path until you reach a gate and a sandy track. Go through the gate and turn right up the track. Watch out for any farm vehicles and please ensure you close the gate behind you.

Step 3

You are now in the royal burial ground. Follow the sandy track, keeping the burial mounds on the left. Stay left at the fork and you'll eventually reach the viewing tower. Alternative route: To see the burial mounds from every angle, cross the sandy track and head through a second gate opposite into the field. Continue along the path that borders the roped-off perimeter around the burial mounds. Follow this around to the right, through a gate and up to the viewing tower.

Step 4

From the viewing tower, head west into Top Hat Wood and then north to join the track. It's worth noting that the route through the wood changes seasonally, as one path closes during ground-nesting-bird season to help protect the nightingales that breed here.

Step 5

Turn left up the track and keep right to walk past the privately owned house, Little Sutton Hoo. Follow the road as it bears to the right and keep straight for about 200m until you reach a vehicle access track.

Step 6

Cross the track and continue along the woodland path as it heads upwards, passing through Home Wood with glimpses of the River Deben on the left. After another 200m, follow the path as it bears right through Brown's Planting.

Step 7

Continue along the path through Brown's Planting until you reach a signpost.

Step 8

At the signpost, take the marked footpath to the right heading south through the woods. Follow the path left where signposted and then, after about 10m, turn left and out into Garden Field.

Step 9

Walk along the left-hand edge of the field until you reach a gate behind the visitor centre. Head through the gate and back to the courtyard.

End point

Sutton Hoo reception and car park, Woodbridge IP12 3DJ. Grid ref: TM289493.

Trail map

Map route for Sutton Hoo Short Walk
Sutton Hoo woodland walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

You made it

Share your experience

More near here

The viewing tower at Sutton Hoo bathed in beautiful autumn sunlight
Place
Place

Sutton Hoo 

Awe-inspiring Anglo-Saxon royal burial site

Woodbridge, Suffolk

Fully open today
The sun rises behind a clump of trees beyond the Royal Burial Ground, a grass-covered mound surrounded by a field of long grass, at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
Trail
Trail

Accessible route to the Royal Burial Ground, Sutton Hoo 

Discover Sutton Hoo's Royal Burial Ground, and its varied history, on a circular half-mile trail, for personal mobility vehicles, wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 0.5 (km: 0.8)
River View Walk at Sutton Hoo
Trail
Trail

River View walk at Sutton Hoo (green walk) 

Explore the estate surrounding the Anglo-Saxon royal burial site at Sutton Hoo on the circular River View Walk, which runs through woodland and offers views across the River Deben.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 0.8 (km: 1.28)
Discover walking trails at Sutton Hoo
Trail
Trail

Pinewood Walk at Sutton Hoo (blue walk) 

Explore the estate of Sutton Hoo on the Pinewood Walk, an easy circular woodland walk that takes in views across the River Deben.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 1.12 (km: 1.79)

Get in touch

Tranmer House, Sutton Hoo, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3DJ

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

Visitor crossing water via stepping stones with their dog on an autumnal walk at Wallington

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

Visitor walking their dog at Dunwich Heath and Beach, Suffolk

Walking in Suffolk 

From strolls around famous historic sites to wanders through patchworks of purple heather, these are some of the best winter walks in Suffolk.

A group of people in a hiking group are being guided on a hike by rangers at Marsden Moor, West Yorkshire
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Find out more about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor as our exclusive walking partner.

An aerial view of an adult and baby walking a dog along a path at Baggy Point, Devon
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Sunset over the burial mounds, shrouded by mist, at Sutton Hoo
Article
Article

The Royal Burial Ground at Sutton Hoo 

Explore the atmospheric 7th-century Royal Burial Ground at Sutton Hoo and discover the history and mystery of what lay beneath the earth at this special place.

Visitors with dog enjoying an autumnal walk at Sutton Hoo
Article
Article

Visiting Sutton Hoo with your dog 

Sutton Hoo is a three pawprint rated place. With 245 acres to explore, there are lots of adventures to be had with your pooch. Here's all the information you need to make your visit a happy one.

Woman with takeaway cup at Winkworth Arboretum
Article
Article

Eating and shopping at Sutton Hoo 

Enjoy a bite to eat after you've explored the grounds, or search for your own treasure to bring home from the shop.