Essex and Suffolk Group visit to Woodbridge

Saturday 7th March 2026

Join us for a full day in Woodbridge combining industrial and Anglo-Saxon heritage. Get to meet expert craftspeople working to keep one of the UK's last tide mills working and those working on a replica of the famous Sutton Hoo longship.

This visit will be split into two groups at the meeting point and then make alternate visits to each site.  The Tide Mill and the Longshed are within about 300m walking distance of each other and the Boathouse Kitcehn & Bar, where will will have the included lunch and refreshments, is part way between.

Programme

10:30 Tea & coffee at Boathouse
11:00 First visits: 15 to Tide Mill & 15 to Longshed1 ½ hours visit with Q&A at the end
12:30 Lunch at Boathouse
14:00 Second visits: 15 to Tide Mill & 15 to Longshed1 ½ hours visit with Q&A at the end
15:30 Tea & coffee at Boathouse
16:00 Finish

Visit to The Longshed

In the corner of England now called Suffolk, an Anglo-Saxon king’s burial ship and treasure lay hidden underground. Dormant for over thirteen centuries in the mysterious Sutton Hoo royal burial ground, all that remained of the ship was a shadow of its former awe-inspiring glory.

Developing the Sutton Hoo story, the King’s ship will be resurrected to its full ninety-foot length in The Longshed, Woodbridge. From there it will slip once more into the King’s River to grace the waters and tides again, reconnecting our Anglo-Saxon maritime heritage with a modern-day sense of discovery.

This does not involve a visit to the Sutton Hoo where the ship was found, We will have a guided tour by one of the dedicated team of the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company as they work on reconstructing the world-famous 7th century Sutton Hoo burial ship using the original archaeological evidence, traditional tools, and authentic materials to fill a part of history that have not been covered before. 

As members of SPAB you will be able to question and understand the complexities of using green oak and how the team have worked on the wood forming timber to be used on the boat. The Longshed is fall of craftspeople that have dedicated themselves to hand-building this boat and unlocking its secrets along the way.   

The ship building team aim to answer as many unanswered questions about the ship as we can. For example, what could it have been used for... how many people will be needed to make it move... how did they communicate on board... how quickly can it be rowed and of course ‘did it ever sail?’

Visit to the Tide Mill

The Tide Mill, Woodbridge, one of only a handful in the world still producing flour on a regular basis and among the first tide mills in the country, working on the same site for over 850 years. Discover how the grain and flour move around the Mill. See the huge oak water wheel turning.  See how the power derived from tides is transferred to the main shaft and on to the milling stones using the pit wheel, wallower, great spur wheel and the stone nuts.

You will need

You will need to bring warm outdoor clothing and wear sturdy footwear.

How to get there

The morning meeting point for tea & coffee and lunch later is:

The Boathouse
Whisstocks Place
Tide Mill Way 
Woodbridge 
Suffolk 
IP12 1FP

Nearest car parks:

Deben-woodbridge car park (IP12 4AU)
The Station car park (IP12 4AU)
Hamblin Road car park (IP12 1BG)
Note there will be a charge for parking which is about £5 for 6 hours.

If you are travelling by public transport:

Woodbridge train station is the best form of transport and is very close to the site. 

Accessibility

There will be steep ladders / steps
Uneven surfaces / slippery paths
Significant periods of standing / walking
Limited toilet facilities with no disabled toilets
No on-site parking

Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email membership@spab.org.uk.

Photos and filming: We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion, including in print and online. Participants may take photos and short videos for personal use, with permission of the course leader and all other participants in frame. If you want to post on social media, please message SPAB's Comms Team (press@spab.org.uk or @spab1877) for permission. If your material is good, we might ask to share it with our followers.

All bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions.

Photo credit: Sutton Hoo ship replica. Copyright Nigel Wall