Group and school visits to Sutton Hoo

Visitors looking out from the viewing platform at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk — Visitors looking out from the viewing platform at Sutton Hoo | © National Trust Images/Phil Morley

Sutton Hoo welcomes groups of all sizes. Whether you want to visit as part of a club or society, with friends or family, or as a school or college, we can accommodate you. Find out everything you need to know, from how to book your visit to the benefits you might receive.

Benefits for groups

If you visit Sutton Hoo as a group, you’ll be entitled to some or all of the following benefits:

Complimentary admission for a group leader who wants to undertake a familiarisation visit (read more below).
Complimentary admission for one group leader on the day of your group visit.
Discounted admission for groups of 15 people or more.
Allocated arrival time.
Free coach parking.

Free familiarisation visits for group leaders

If you're planning a group visit you can request our free Travel Trade Pass and you and a friend or colleague will gain free entry to over 300 of our places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 12 months. There’s nothing quite like seeing or experiencing somewhere for yourself to help you plan a successful visit. To receive your pass, call 0344 800 2329 or email us at NTTravelTrade@capita.co.uk.

Who is eligible for free entry?

Registered tourist board guides (on production of a valid badge), coach drivers and tour leaders escorting groups of 15 or more. National Trust members also receive free entry, so it is at your discretion whether to refund the entrance fee to members if you have included it in your package – this is not refunded by the National Trust.

Members must bring their current membership cards with them to avoid paying the full group rate. If any of your group would like to join the National Trust please direct them to our Membership page or call 0344 800 1895.

Group tours of Sutton Hoo

Whether your group would like a structured tour or the chance to explore independently, we'll help you find the right option.

Guided Royal Burial Ground tour

Drink in the haunting beauty of this Anglo-Saxon site with a tour that takes you out and onto Mound One, where the famous ship burial was discovered. Accompanied by one of Sutton Hoo's experienced volunteer guides, you’ll travel back in time, learning about the history of this beautiful landscape.

Discover the warrior leader that was laid to rest at Sutton Hoo over 1,000 years ago, surrounded by his golden treasures. Hear about the extraordinary 1930s excavations that took place as Britain was on the brink of a war, along with the people involved.

Please allow 75 minutes for this tour. Outdoor clothing and suitable footwear are recommended, as the ground can be uneven in places.

Self-guided tours

Prefer to do things at your own pace? We can arrange for your group to enjoy a self-guided tour in between the tours we run for visitors.

Get in touch about bringing a group to Sutton Hoo

If you’re thinking about bringing a group to Sutton Hoo, please get in touch so that we can help to organise your visit. Be sure to let us know if your group has any accessibility requirements – we'll be happy to discuss these with you.

You can contact us by calling 01394 389700 or by emailing suttonhoogroups@nationaltrust.org.uk

Visitors trying on Anglo-Saxon clothing in the High Hall at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk — Trying out Anglo-Saxon clothing at Sutton Hoo | © National Trust Images / Phil Morley

Sutton Hoo for schools

We strongly encourage school visits to Sutton Hoo. Organised activities for school pupils are mainly self-led, with support from National Trust Children and Young People volunteers.

We cater for all age groups, from Early Years and Key Stage 1, right through to Key Stage 4. We also welcome home education groups, international education groups, universities, further education colleges and adult learning groups.

Remote learning programme

We can offer video conference calls for schools that are too far away to visit. We'll send you a short video to watch in the classroom that introduces Sutton Hoo and the Anglo-Saxons. We’ll then arrange a time to video-call the classroom. Our education volunteers will be able to show the children some of our replica treasures, as well as answer any questions they have.

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we can currently offer this service for free.

Collection loans box

We have three collection loan boxes available to hire, which are full of Anglo-Saxon replicas, including the helmet and belt buckle. The boxes also include resources for teachers and you can borrow them for up to three weeks at a time. You can arrange for them to be collected from Sutton Hoo, delivered to a local school or sent via courier to a more remote school. The cost of hiring a loan box is £60.

Special educational needs visits

The High Hall and several of the footpaths across the Sutton Hoo site are wheelchair accessible. In addition, the Children and Young People Team will be delighted to organise specific activities, such as costume or handling sessions, to suit the needs of your pupils.

Get in touch about bringing a school group to Sutton Hoo

To book your visit to Sutton Hoo, please call 01394 389726 or email suttonhooCYP@nationaltrust.org.uk.

For more information about school visits and resources, download our self-led group visit pack.

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

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