Starting on February 18, 2026, visitors to Sutton Hoo in Suffolk can watch and take part in traditional Anglo-Saxon clothing crafts during a new series of interactive events hosted by the National Trust to show how people lived in the 7th century.
Expert National Trust historic costume volunteers will demonstrate skills such as spinning and weaving until October 31, 2026. They use natural materials like wool, flax, and linen to recreate high-status garments based on archaeological fragments found in the ship burial at Mound 1.
A specific series of costume-making workshops will also take place every Wednesday from February 25, 2026, to March 25, 2026. Local families and school groups can use authentic techniques and organic dyes—including woad, madder, and weld—to help make clothing that will be used for interpretive displays across the site.
The National Trust describes the initiative as a shift toward “experiential archaeology,” allowing the public to engage with the tactile history of the Anglo-Saxon period. Organisers hope the new programme, highlighted in recent strategic outreach goals, will encourage more local residents to visit the historic grounds throughout the year.
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