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ArtWorks Exhibition 2026
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
12th - 27th Sep
10:00 - 16:00
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Free Entry
Artworks are for sale and are priced individually
26th Year of Artworks Exhibitions
With its reputation for high standards of fresh and contemporary work, Artworks (known as ArtworksEast online) seeks to interest and inspire in a wide range of media created by 28 of East Anglia’s leading artists and has been doing so for over 25 years now.
A highlight of the East Anglian art scene, this is a great opportunity to see contemporary 2D and 3D work by 30 of East Anglia’s established and popular artists. All the exhibits are new to Artworks each year and are for sale.
A great favourite of the exhibition is the Mini Artworks Prize Draw; thirty mini artworks created by the Artworks artists will be on display during the main exhibition and the proceeds benefit their Schools Programme and a chosen East Anglian charity.
Meet the Artist
There are also daily opportunities during September to Meet The Artist at the exhibition, where one or more artists will be demonstrating how they create their work.
Saturday 12th September – Julia Groves, Gail Loftus
Sunday 13th September – Billie Buck, Doug Patterson
Monday 14th September – Valerie Armstrong
Tuesday 15th September – Terry Bryan
Wednesday 16th September – Hazel Bradshaw
Thursday 17th September – Stephen Kirin
Friday 18th September – Sue Caddy
Saturday 19th September – Gillian Crossley-Holland, Liz Waugh McManus
Sunday 20th September – Angela Hall, Christine McKechnie
Monday 21st September – Eileen Revett
Tuesday 22nd September – Elisabeth Rutt
Wednesday 23rd September – Judith Glover
Thursday 24th September – Sarah Abercrombie
Friday 25th September – Valerie Armstrong
Saturday 26th September – Cathy D’Arcy, Judith Glover
Sunday 27th September – Lucy Perry, Doug Patterson
Find out more detail about these artists from this page on the ArtworksEast website.
You can sign-up for tickets to be invited to the Private Viewing for this show by going to the ArtworksEast website.
The setting for this wonderful exhibition is the spectacular thatched, late medieval Blackthorpe Barn, part of the Rougham Estate.
Important information
There is plenty of free parking at Blackthorpe Barn.
Accessible parking is near the café/shop.
More parking is available slightly further down the avenue.
Please be aware that this is a rural location and paths can be muddy depending on the weather conditions.
Gallery
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26th Anniversary
This September Artworks will be celebrating its 26th annual exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham Estate near Bury St Edmunds.
The initial idea for Artworks was the inspiration of friends Katie Millard and Graham Portlock. They stood together in the beautiful 15th Century thatched barn, looked around and decided as one it was the perfect setting for an art exhibition. Then they set to, phoned artist friends and colleagues and the first exhibition was soon underway proving such a success that there was a resounding vote to exhibit the next year and so it has continued.
Over the years Artworks has also established strong ties with local schools, providing free workshops and inviting school visits which are often as surprising to the artists as to the children.
As has been the practice for 26 years, all the work exhibited is new to Artworks and ranges from colourful abstract art to exquisite botanical illustrations, dramatic landscape paintings to insightful portraiture, robust ceramics to delicate figurative work, elegant bronze sculptures to surreal constructions.
At the exhibition there will be opportunities to meet the artists and take part in the popular ‘Mini Artworks Prize draw’ which raises money for this year’s charity.
“We still have original members in the group and none of us ever dreamt, when we took part in the first exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn in 1999, that we would still be going strong years later. It’s a very exciting time and shows that people in East Anglia have a real interest and appreciation for high quality art from professional artists.
As a group, we have always encouraged the addition of new guest artists and this approach has worked well over the years. It means in addition to the new work of familiar artists there are always surprises.”
Gillian Crossley-Holland, Chair and one of the founder members of Artworks
Where to find us
Plenty of free parking on site
Please keep to the 20mph limit
Disabled access available
This is a rural location and paths can be muddy
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction.
The Barn is down the avenue, on the right.
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Just 3 weeks to go until our Arts & Crafts Fair returns to Blackthorpe Barn!
This year is extra special as we celebrate the 35th year of the fair, welcoming a wonderful selection of independent designer-makers from across the country for five weekends of beautiful handmade crafts.
Discover ceramics, jewellery, textiles, glassware, woodwork, baskets and so much more. Every maker is carefully selected, and you’ll have the chance to meet them in person and buy directly from the people who create their work.
Planning to visit more than once? Our season ticket offers fantastic value at just £10 online, giving you entry for all 10 days of the fair. Day tickets are £2.50 online, and children aged 15 and under go free.
Join us from Saturday 14 November, open 10am–4pm each day, across five weekends through to 13 December.
Find all the details, explore the makers and book your tickets on our website.
We can’t wait to welcome you!
#RoughamEstate #BlackthorpeBarn #ArtsAndCrafts
Not one, not two, but three!
On Thursday evening, Simon and Matt from our farming team collected three awards at the 2026 Suffolk Farm Business Competition at the Suffolk Agricultural Association Awards.
We were delighted to receive:
Third prize for Roots Café in Class 1: Best Farm Shop and Café.
Third prize for Rougham Estate Farms in Class 5: Farms of 50 hectares and over.
The Special Award for Best Farm Diversification, recognising the wider business at Rougham Estate.
These awards recognise the breadth of what we do here at Rougham against some very tough competition in the county - from our farming operations to the visitor experiences and businesses that sit alongside them.
We were also thrilled to see Rougham Primary School win the Schools Show Garden Competition who we proudly support by providing essential supplies, including compost, tools and wheelbarrows, helping pupils get hands-on with gardening and learn more about the natural world.
All in all, a very proud night and a fantastic team who deserve the recognition 🙌
#RoughamEstate #SuffolkFarming #RoughamPrimarySchool
SUNDAY UPDATE: Open at the usual time of 9am on Sunday 25th 👍😃
It’s still windy so be careful on the bale pyramids and there is some standing water on nearby roads. Otherwise, open as usual and looking forward to seeing you here!
_ _ _
The storms have started… so we have adjusted our opening times for this weekend and any last minute changes will be put up on our website, and on our stories.
We’ll be opening as usual at 9am on Saturday 24th October and we’ll stay open until mid-afternoon. The decision of exactly when to close will depend on when the weather starts to deteriorate.
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the Pumpkins by Torchlight and Silent Disco, which is a real shame, but we were unable to re-schedule the event and the weather looks too bad to even think about holding it on Saturday. Everyone who bought headset tickets has been refunded, but it may take a number of business days before your payment shows back on your original form of payment.
With the rain we’ve had recently, bring wellies and wrap up warmly, probably with a waterproof.
There are still plenty of pumpkins in the patch thinking “Pick me! Pick me!!”
And we still have a fantastic line-up of food and drink for you here:
Roots&Co - venison burgers, beef burgers, crumble, drinks including a bar - cider, lager, wine.
@badboiburritos - toasted burritos
@itsotisbreading - sourdough toasties (Saturday only)
@tikka_tonic - New Delhi style street food
@pigs_in - all your pork favourites
@thecreperieshack - sweet & savoury crepes
@geegeebakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@fullthrottlecoffeeco - coffees
@kiernanscoffee - tasty treats and warming drinks deep in the patch
Free entry, free parking, no booking needed.
A bit of weather won’t put a damper on things… come on down, enjoy some great food, find your pumpkins, and make the most of this changeable autumn weather!!
#roughampumpkins #roughamestate #burystedmunds #suffolkdaysout
It’s been a week since we welcomed subscribers from our newsletter mailing list and Suffolk Magazine to an exclusive preview of our Christmas Shop, giving them the chance to explore and shop before we officially opened to everyone on Monday.
The shop is now in full festive flow, open daily 9:30am-5pm, and it’s lovely to hear how much customers are enjoying this year’s displays and discovering new favourites.
Our preview event was about more than getting an early look at Christmas. Guests had the opportunity to meet the team and enjoy creative demonstrations and tutorials, picking up inspiration and ideas for making Christmas extra special at home.
Would you like to be among the first to shop next year?
Sign up to the Rougham Estate newsletter using the subscription form in the footer of any page on our website. You’ll be among the first to hear our latest news and have the chance to join us for future exclusive events.
#RoughamEstate #SuffolkMagazine #ChristmasAtRougham
From what happens in your dreams to what happens in a fermentation jar, there’s plenty to get curious about at Rougham Estate over the next few weeks…
We have two very different events coming up at Blackthorpe Barn, and there’s still time to join us:
Wake up to your dreams
Why do we dream, and what might our dreams tell us? On Saturday 7 November, psychotherapist Gilly Crow will lead an engaging session exploring the fascinating world of dreams and what they might reveal about us.
9.15am–12pm | £15 per person
On Saturday 31 October, join chef Rowen Halstead to explore the art of fermentation using seasonal ingredients. You’ll learn new techniques and make spiced pumpkin sauerkraut and orchard fruit kombucha chutney to take home.
Already been to one of our fermentation workshops? Doesn’t matter, each session explores different seasonal ingredients and techniques, so this is a fresh opportunity to learn something new.
11am–12.30pm | £38 per person
Both events take place in the Meadow Room at Blackthorpe Barn, with refreshments included.
Spaces are limited, so if either has caught your interest, now’s the time to book.
Find out more and reserve your place via the Rougham Estate website - or link in our bio
#RoughamEstate #SuffolkWorkshops #FermentationWorkshop #WakeUpToYourDreams SuffolkEvents BlackthorpeBarn AutumnAtRougham
2026 is a significant year for us here at Rougham Estate, with three special milestones to celebrate.
On 18 October, we celebrated three years of Roots Café.
And as we reopen the doors to our Christmas shop at Blackthorpe Barn for another festive season, we’re also marking its 25th anniversary.
But perhaps most astonishingly, when the Arts & Crafts Fair opens its doors on 14 November, we’ll be celebrating its 35th year!
Three milestones, each with its own story, and all part of what makes Rougham Estate such a special place to visit. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. We look forward to welcoming you this season.
#RoughamEstate #BlackthorpeBarn #Anniversaries
EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO THE WEATHER
Headset tickets will be refunded.
It was so good, we’re doing it again!
Pumpkins by Torchlight and the famous Silent Disco was a total blast last Saturday evening and we sold out of headsets.
For this weekend (Saturday 24th Oct) we’ve managed to get hold of some more, so we still have headset tickets left!
There are those who had such a good time last Saturday, they’ve booked again for this weekend.
Come along and join in the fun, scout through the pumpkins by torchlight, grab some great food, toast s’mores, climb on the big bales, all while having a great boogie.
Not forgetting face painting by @faceitfaceart
🎃Free entry, free parking, no booking needed to come along. Open 6pm-9pm.
🕺If you want to join the silent disco, book your headset on our website: £6 per headset.
Booking essential.
We run a waiting list on the night, but can’t guarantee you’ll get one.
🎃3 channels of music, one child-friendly
🎃Dogs on a short lead welcome in the play area and small doggy patch, but not in the main patch
🎃A great line-up of food trucks serving all day and in the evening (see next images)
🎃Find us at IP30 9HX
🎃All the details on our website (and under the next pictures)
Fabulous food on Saturday evening from:
Roots&Co - venison burgers, beef burgers, crumble, drinks including a bar - cider, lager, wine.
@whatthe_peck - Suffolk-reared fried chicken
And…
@badboiburritos - toasted burritos
@itsotisbreading - sourdough toasties
@tikka_tonic - New Delhi style street food
And…
@thecreperieshack - sweet & savoury crepes
@geegeebakes - cheesecakes, milkshakes & coffees
@fullthrottlecoffeeco - coffees
This is the last Pumpkins by Torchlight for 2026 - don’t miss it!
We’ll be open daily 24-31 October, 9am-5pm over half term. Free entry, no booking needed.
Quieter, ticketed SEN sessions on 27th and 29th, 9am-10am. Tickets available from our website.
See you soon 👋
#roughampumpkins #roughamestate #pumpkinsbytorchlight #burystedmunds
Our new seasonal menu has arrived at Roots Café, bringing a fresh selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch options to enjoy.
The menu includes a fresh corner with granola, overnight oats and fruit bowls, alongside our traditional fry-ups and a wider choice of brunch dishes.
There are eggs and hollandaise with your choice of topping, avocado on sourdough, pulled chicken croissants and mushrooms on toast.
For lunch, the new menu features a range of ciabattas, from roasted courgette with red pepper hummus to pulled pork with sage and onion stuffing, as well as roasted pumpkin with whipped feta and chicken with brie and cranberry.
Salad of the week has also been replaced with something warmer- a soup, perfect for the cooler months.
And for those with a sweet tooth, there are two new seasonal desserts: pumpkin loaf cake with ginger mascarpone and spiced apple swirl with butterscotch sauce. We also have fresh pastries from the Friendly Loaf each day.
Whether you’re stopping by for breakfast, meeting friends for lunch or warming up after a walk around the Estate, there’s plenty to enjoy at Roots Café this autumn and winter.
Open daily until 5pm now (4pm on Sundays), making a perfect pit stop after Christmas shopping at our Rougham Estate Christmas Shop.
#rootscafe #roughamestate #newmenu #burystedmunds
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