The burial ground at Sutton Hoo is the site of the most significant archaeological finds ever made on British soil: the ship burials of Anglo Saxon Kings.

Livingston Eyre Associates (LEA) were involved from early on in the masterplanning process of this extensive National Trust property. LEA input included the siting of new visitor reception and exhibition facilities and increasing the legibility of routes around the site. The practice has worked closely with all members of the team, including the Trust archaeologist and countryside manager, to create a beautiful but restrained landscape in harmony with its unique setting.

Natural, locally sourced materials have been used in the more extensive parts of the site. A gravel surface allowed a car park to be introduced into an area of scattered mature trees at the site entrance.

From the car park, visitors are drawn toward a simple but attractive entrance courtyard formed by the splay of the new reception and exhibition buildings.

Beyond the visitor centre, a simple hoggin path, similar in colour to the local subsoil, winds through a copse and out in a wide arc sweeping around the burial ground and allowing new views of the mounds.