The night wasn’t as cold this time, with a temp of 4deC. Even though I have a short day I was still on the road, the A1071, before 7am to try and avoid the rush hour traffic. It didn’t work as it was still busy but not as bad as last night. My first objective was the town of Ipswich and its railway station. I reached it after 7 miles without any problems. Thankfully it wasn’t as busy as I’d expected as I bought a railway ticket for tomorrow’s journey back to Chorley. With ticket purchased I set off again this time heading for Woodbridge. On the way I took a minor road to the east to check out some wooded areas for a possible camp on the way back. I found one off to the right which looked like it had been part of an old airfield. Unfortunately it was used a lot by dog walkers and dog muck messed the paths.

Ipswich railway station

I rode on and noticed a bridleway heading through trees to the left. I had a quick look and it was much more promising. A short way on I noticed an information board in the trees and checked it out. By the board was a grave in unconsecrated ground. The early morning mist had mostly gone and when I reached Woodbridge it was warm and sunny. I rode through the town and had to ask directions to the local supermarket so I knew where to call on the way back for supplies. While there a woman had seen my bike and panniers and came up to ask if I was cycling far. We had an interesting short chat about her son who was currently cycling round the world intending to do it in less than 100 days. I told her of Mark Beaumont’s book I’d read when he took the record down to 180 days, around 100 miles a day. I learned an interesting tip about her son’s overnight stops. He often used graveyards as he doesn’t get bothered there.

Keep Suffolk Clean

My next objective was my expedition’s final call, the ship burial of Sutton Hoo.
The main part of the site is a 7th-century cemetery. It contained an undisturbed ship burial including many Anglo-Saxon artifacts
I soon rode to the site entrance and stopped to admire the wooden carving of the image of the mask from the ship burial. I rode along the access drive and reached a deserted reception area and exhibition hall. I seemed to have the place to myself as it was only 9:45 and it doesn’t open till 10:30. Some staff were present and one came out to chat. I was given a map so I could have a look at the burial site on my own. The warm sun made it very pleasant, part cycling and part walking along. A raised platform and associated information board gave a good impression of how things may have been. By the time I’d returned to the exhibition hall it had opened and I was able to buy my ticket and go inside. The official website said that people arriving by bicycle get a reduction. When I asked what it was they said the ‘green’ ticket had been discontinued but as I’d cycled a long way they gave me a voucher for a cup of tea! The exhibition and reconstructed artefacts were amazing but the actual finds reside in the British Museum.

Entrance to the Sutton Hoo site

Above the exhibition hall

Copy of the helmet from the ship burial

For decades I’d been captivated by the iconic photos of the 1939 excavations where the outline of the ship and its remaining rivets could be seen.
The landowner was the widowed Mrs Edith Pretty (1883-1942) and she enlisted Basil Brown (1888 - 1977) a farmer, archaeologist, amateur astronomer and author to carry out the excavations.

Mrs Edith Pretty (1883-1942)
the landowner who instigated the 1939 excavations

Basil Brown (1888 - 1977)
the Archaeologist who ran the excavations

Drawing of a detail from the helmet

Tranmer House former home of Mrs Edith Pretty

Tranmer House interior

Tranmer House interior

Tranmer House phone, the number is
Woodbridge 33

The ship burial site being excavated in 1939
One of the most iconic archaeological photographs
of all time (in my humble opinion)

The ship burial site being excavated in 1939
One of the most iconic archaeological photographs
of all time (in my humble opinion)

Copy of the gold brooch from the ship burial

Basil Brown's workshop in Tranmer House

I left my final objective and headed back through the sunny streets of Woodbridge to find my final camp in the woods.

Returning through Woodbridge
in the afternoon sunshine