Tranmer House — Attraction in East Suffolk

Tranmer House, originally called "Sutton Hoo House" was the home of Edith Pretty.

Pretty owned the surrounding land, which included the Anglo-Saxon burial mounds for which the area is most famous.

The House itself is an attractive, solid looking property, with exceptional views across the valley looking down towards the River Deben.

Unfortunately, no photographs remain of the interior of the house when it was occupied by Ms Pretty. There is one from a later period when the house was being presented within a catalogue for sale, which shows it decorated as a standard middle-class property of the 1930s.

The upstairs rooms are normally kept off limits, with just the downstairs open to the public. Most of these rooms have wood panelling throughout. However, these do not make the house look too dark, as there are very large windows that allow considerable light into the interior of the property.

Almost all of the contents of the house were sold off following the death of the owner, although a few items have found their way back and are on display.

However, the most notable things are the 400 plus photographs of the excation works on the burial mounds, many of which are part of the audio visual displays within the main room.

This includes a rare 5 minute cine film included within one of the constantly looping recordings, showing the excavation works, and some of the visitors who were allowed to see it underway.

It should be highlighted that the National Trust have taken great care to make the experience accessible and relevant to children; and they have numerous activities to help them understand the work and it's importance.

It is a really interesting place to visit within the whole site. It's about a 10 minute walk from the main entrance, along a mostly flat path. Unlike some other places, the National Trust does not provide a small bus; however, they do offer the use of some motorised buggies, which can be requested.

It's worth noting that there are public toilets available at the house.

All in all, a fascinating part of the Sutton...

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