Monday 4 March 2013

A busy day

On Saturday we had a big day trip. After breakfast we hopped in the car and drove to Framlingham Castle, a massive curtain wall building with 2 ditches and a mere protecting it. The mere would reflect the castle and make it look mighty and imposing.

Inside we learned lots of things about its history. It was built by the dukes of Norfolk in the 12th century. Later in 1215 the owner of the castle grouped up with other members of parliament and helped make the Magna Carta. Because of this King John laid seige to the castle. He won the fight.

Much later in Tudor times, the Howard family owned the castle. They added the ornamental chimneys, most of which didn't even work, to make it look less military and more like it was built for comfort. Also, Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn came from that family. When Edward VI died, Queen Mary and her supporters hid out there until she discovered she was Queen. She rode to London from Framlingham castle to get coronated. 

In Victorian times, a wealthy man bought the castle and made it into a poorhouse.

The castle was great! We walked on the battlements and up and down the ditches.











Sutton Hoo

Next we visited Sutton Hoo, and ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site full of barrows (burial mounds). Firstly we saw the actual mounds. Thet were not very prominent, in fact they looked like ordinary hills. They were thought to be that until recently!

In the early 1930s, Edith Pretty the wealthy owner of that land asked an archaeologist called Basil Brown to dig up the hills because a friend had said she saw ghosts there. They weren't expecting to find much but what they found might be one of the greatest Anglo Saxon sites found! There were skeletons and gold, swords and a horse. The most famous finds were a kings bronze and silver helmet and a massive burial ship.  Also at Sutton Hoo was a museum with some of the finds in it, Edith Pretty's house and a gift shop. It was great!

 In front of the biggest barrow.
 Basil Brown's hut
Rebecca dressed up as an Anglo Saxon warrior!

1 comment:

  1. Hi Jake, what a wonderful day. I love the castle. It has a wonderful history. I'd love to know more about the siege of Framlingham by King John in the spring of 1216. The walls were new and supposed to be impregnable but the castle was taken almost immediately it was attacked.
    I'm also glad you got to Sutton Hoo, which looks great. As does the ferocious Anglo Saxon warrior. Love Grandad

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