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National Vintage Tractor Road Run 2025: Easter Sunday
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
20th Apr
08:00 - 16:00
The tractors will be at Rougham Estate
8am – 9.30am
Returning around 3.30pm – 4pm
(Times approximate)
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Vintage Tractors at Rougham Estate this Easter
Around 200 fabulous vintage tractors from around the UK will be gathering at Blackthorpe Barn this Easter for the 36th National Vintage Tractor Road Run (NVTRR) on Easter Sunday. It will be a sight not to be missed!
Join us as these magnificent machines congregate at the Barn before setting off on their nostalgic journey through Suffolk’s scenic countryside.
The tractors will be at Blackthorpe Barn from around 8am until 9.30am when they will leave to go Stowmarket and will return to the Barn at around 3.30pm.
The event is raising funds for the local Suffolk Charities:
SARS999 and
St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds.
Please donate if you can.
Timings and Route
09:30 – Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham Estate (1)
10:00 – Thurston (2)
10:15 – Pakenham (3)
10:40 – Norton (4)
11:00 – Elmswell (5)
11:15 – Wetherden (6)
11:30 – Haughley (7)
12:00-13:30 – Food Museum, Stowmarket (8)
14:00 – Harleston (9)
14:30 – Woolpit (10)
15:00 – Tostock (11)
15:15 – Beyton (12)
15:30 – Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham Estate (13)
(Times are approximate and subject to change)
If you can’t access the route map from the image above, use this google map link.
You can download a pdf of the route using this link.
The tractors will return to the Barn mid afternoon, to be seen once again before they leave.
It promises to be a wonderful event, with a charming display of beautifully restored tractors and plenty of opportunities to chat with their passionate owners. Come and soak up the nostalgic atmosphere celebrating our rich agricultural heritage.
Click this link for more information about the National Vintage Tractor Road Run event (not organised by Rougham Estate).
There is no entrance fee to come to Blackthorpe Barn, with free parking.
Roots Café will have special opening times on Easter Sunday for the tractors, open from 8am until 5pm.
The Garden Room Shop will be open as usual from 10am – 4pm.
The walks around the Estate are open at all times, but please be aware that the car parks are locked when the café is closed.
Important information
Gallery
01/03
02/03
03/03
Where to find us
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
There is plenty of free parking available.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the Café/Shop area.
Please Note: The car park closes when the Roots Café closes and the entrance gates are locked after this time.
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, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
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We are a perfect location for those slow January days…
Take time to recharge in our Suffolk setting with a stroll or simply a wander round our @roughamestateshop or time out in our Roots Cafe.
It’s what we do best.
#roughamestate #slowdays #rootscafe
Applications are now open for Rougham Estate Arts and Crafts 2026, held in Blackthorpe Barn near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
We are looking for art and craft of the highest standard, especially contemporary design. You must design and make all the work yourself and be available to be at your stall all weekend.
The event is held over 5 weekends from 14th November to 13th December.
We love to welcome new makers to the medieval thatched Barn, as well as seeing old friends again from around the country.
The first tranche of stalls will be allocated by the selection committee, usually in March.
From textiles to glasswork, ceramics, woodwork, jewellery, metalwork, art, sculpture and more, submit an application to join the talented craftspeople this coming Christmas.
Please share this post with makers who would be interested in joining us. All the information can be found from our website.
We look forward to hearing from you!
#artsandcraft #artisanmarket #handmade #craftsmanship #britishcraft artsandcraftsmovement artisanmade eastanglianartists
One of the things people often notice at Rougham is our network of hedges, stretching for nearly 30 miles.
While many hedgerows were removed by estates and farms in the 1960s and 70s, Rougham Estate largely resisted this, which is why our landscape still feels so rich and enclosed today. We also continue to plant new hedges across the estate and along field boundaries.
Caring for our hedges is essential work. They need regular management, carefully timed to avoid the bird nesting season.
Over the coming months, you may notice one or two hedges looking quite different. This is because they are being coppiced, a traditional practice where a hedge is cut back close to the ground.
It can look dramatic at first, but coppicing helps us carry out vital ditch clearance work and, in the longer term, actually benefits the hedge. Strong regrowth creates a thicker base, providing better shelter and habitats for wildlife. All work is carried out in winter, ready for healthy growth in spring.
Three years on, the hedge will be fuller, stronger and healthier than before as you can see in these pictures.
So if you notice our hedges seemingly disappear for a short time, they will be back bigger and better than before!
#roughamestate #hedgerows #coppicing #landmanagement
We are looking for a Cafe Supervisor to join our team at Roots Cafe.
Roots Café is all about great coffee, delicious homemade food, and genuine hospitality so this is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate.
You will be working closely with the Cafe Manager to help lead the cafe team.
More information can be found from roughamestate.com/welcome - link in profile.
#RoughamEstate #BlackthorpeBarn #cafevibes #recruitment #vacancy #CafeSupervisor
Have a heart warming start to the day with this weeks vegan brunch special of Coconut porridge with spiced poached pears, black cherries and pistachios.
It’ll give you the energy and warmth needed to beat the January blues.
#brunchspecial #roughamestate #rootscafe #veganuary
The winter months see the popular return of sheep to the farm here at Rougham Estate. A mix of breeding ewes and last year’s lambs, they play such an important role in our move towards more regenerative farming across the Estate.
They are here to feed off the cover crops we planted back in August.
We direct-drilled a diverse cover crop mixture (basically a mixture of superfood plants for the soil) into the previous crop’s stubble. The focus was on the sandier, lighter soil at the northern end of the Estate which is prone to nutrient loss and erosion.
The crops include fodder radish, forage rape and vetch which now provide a valuable winter soil cover, helping to protect these lighter soils from any erosion and also create a natural food source for the flock.
Each plant brings its own valuable benefits to the soil structure and biological activity in soil profile. Fodder radish, for example, sends a deep taproot down into the soil, improving structure and helping to break up compaction while encouraging biological activity below the surface. As the sheep graze, they also return valuable nutrients and organic matter back into the soil, supporting healthier land for future crops.
It’s a simple but powerful way of working with nature, keeping the land healthy and productive for years to come.
#roughamestate #regenerativefarming #sheepfarming #covercrops #soilhealth sustainablefarming britishfarming farmingwithnature
If you love the calm and charm of the Rougham Estate, why not bring a little of it home?
Our Lifestyle Shop @roughamestateshop is full of carefully chosen items that ignite the senses from scented candles, diffusers and soaps for smell, soft blankets and lighting for touch, warmth and sight. And for a true taste of Rougham, pop into our Pantry Shop, where local honey, jams, chutneys, biscuits, wine, beer and other treats let you enjoy the flavours of the Estate at home.
Together, they’re the perfect way to make your winter cosy, welcoming and unmistakably Rougham.
#RoughamEstate #LifestyleShop #BlackthorpeBarn #treat
From the start of February, you’ll see scaffolding and hoarding going up around Blackthorpe Barn as we begin one of the most important projects we’ll be undertaking this year – a full rethatching of the roof.
Around 12 highly skilled thatchers will be on site for around 40 days, carefully renewing the roof of a building that has stood at the heart of Rougham Estate for more than 500 years. The barn was originally built in the 16th century and is over 30 metres long and and was used for the threshing and storage of grain. Over time has become much more than an agricultural building. Today it’s the setting for arts & craft fairs, art exhibitions, weddings and seasonal events. It is the true symbol of the estate.
Looking after its roof using traditional thatching methods isn’t just routine maintenance, it’s a way of respecting its history and making sure it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
When we charge for exhibitions and events in the barn, it’s these funds that go back into maintenance of the building. That includes major projects like this rethatching, as well as ongoing care and upkeep so Blackthorpe Barn continues to be a welcoming place for events our visitors can enjoy.
Rethatching is a traditional craft and fascinating to watch unfold. It’s a big job, an essential one, and something we’re really proud to be investing in as part of Blackthorpe Barn’s long story.
#RoughamEstate #BlackthorpeBarn #HistoricBuildings #Thatching #TraditionalCraft Heritage CommunityEvents SustainableRestoration ArtsAndCulture HistoryMatters
Tag us @RoughamEstate
