Scheduled MonumentsEnglandPrehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo

Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo

England
List entry 1006068
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1006068
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
8.01 hectares
Grid reference
TM 28822 48763
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Sutton Hoo is a prehistoric settlement and group of barrows in Suffolk, England, most celebrated for its Anglo-Saxon ship burial dating to the early sixth or seventh century. The site comprises at least eighteen burial mounds of varying dates, with the most prominent mound containing the substantial remains of a clinker-built wooden ship, within which were deposited rich grave goods of international character including metalwork, jewellery, and prestige items reflecting high-status burial practice. Earlier prehistoric activity at the site is evidenced by Neolithic and Bronze Age features, though the Anglo-Saxon barrow cemetery represents the principal period of monumental construction and ritual use. The site is situated on a ridge overlooking the River Deben and represents one of the most significant early medieval burial complexes known from Anglo-Saxon England.

Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006068. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo?

Sutton Hoo is a prehistoric settlement and group of barrows in Suffolk, England, most celebrated for its Anglo-Saxon ship burial dating to the early sixth or seventh century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006068.

Who is responsible for protecting Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo?

Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1006068.

What other scheduled monuments are near Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bowl barrow 180m ENE of Sheep Drift Farm (5.7 km), Bowl barrow 155m east of Sheep Drift Farm (5.7 km), Bowl barrow in Lancaster Drive, Martlesham Heath (6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo

Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo stands on Neogene To Quaternary Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Quaternary. The rock here is gravel, sand, silt and clay.

The wider landscape

Around Prehistoric settlement and group of barrows (including site of ship burial) at Sutton Hoo

Sutton HooArchaeological site · ~0.1 milesColchesterRoman town · ~23.2 miles