Monday 16th December 2019

This morning we came south from Dunwich Forest and visited NT Sutton Hoo. This giant replica of the Helmet of the Anglo Saxon King buried here in his ship in the year 620 greets visitors to the site.

The actual treasurers which were excavated here in 1939 are now in the British Museum in London however they have some convincing replicas on display here.

The King's helmet.

His shield.

This reconstruction gives you some idea of the size of ship which was hauled up from the not too nearby river and buried under an earth mound with the King's body and his treasures 1400 years ago.

Here's an old photograph of the excavation in 1939.

Here's the remains of the mound under which the ship burial was found. NT are constructing an observation tower, also seen here, to enable viewing this site from high up. There are numerous Anglo Saxon burials here  most of which were looted in antiquity.

From Sutton Hoo we moved on to visit my fried Neil and his wife Julie. Here's their house (and cat).

I got to know Neil at Southampton University in the 1970s. As well as the cat he and Julie have a dog.

Julie was also at Southampton University but I didn't get to meet her until now.

We had a very nice far eastern type meal (Neil and Julie have just got back from a trip to Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia). Here the meal is in the course of preparation.

Today we travelled 39 miles (63 kilometres). We are at N52.06942 E1.159235

Ipswich   Street View