- This event has passed.
Rougham Hall Guided Walks
Key details
When:
No dates currently available.
When any dates become available, they will be shown here.
Where:
The walk starts in the courtyard at Blackthorpe Barn:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Sat Nav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Tickets
Per Person £10
Each person attending needs a ticket
The only way to visit the Hall ruins
**There are currently no scheduled dates for guided walks to the hall.
Any new dates will be shown on this page, with the option to buy tickets.
Until any new dates are planned, there is currently no way of visiting the old hall.
Rougham Hall now stands as a ruin after it was bombed in 1940 and it is NOT open to the public at all, except as part of these guided walks. Anyone found trespassing at the hall site will have their details taken and be required to leave immediately.
However, every so often George Agnew, great grandson of George William Agnew who bought the Rougham Estate in 1904, expertly guides a group of visitors to walk around this part of the beautiful Estate.
Pausing at key points along the way, George shares stories of the fascinating local history as well as his Agnew family history. The walk takes in Rougham Hall Park and includes a visit to see the hall ruins themselves.
The only way to visit the hall ruins are as part of an organised group guided by George Agnew and any dates for such a walk will be shown on this webpage. The walk lasts approximately two and a half hours and starts and finishes at Blackthorpe Barn.
The hall is on private land and is not open to the public at any other time or for any other reason, such as photography. We kindly request that you respect this.
All profit from the walks goes to The Rougham Estate Trust.
➡️ Find out more about the history of the Hall here.
➡️ BBC Suffolk: The Ruins of Rougham
Important information
If the weather has been wet, the walk can be muddy.
The terrain is not suitable for buggies and the walk continues at pace, with stops for talks, so it is not suitable for small children.
Gallery
01/01
How it Works
01
Park in one of the Blackthorpe Barn car parks
There is free parking around the Barn
02
Come to the courtyard at Blackthorpe Barn. George will meet the group here.
The courtyard is beside Roots Café. For more information, see the Ground Plan.
Please arrive in good time for the start of the walk.
03
Let George know your name and the number in your group.
04
The walk takes in woodland areas which can be muddy.
05
George will stop at various locations to tell the history of the Estate.
06
You will be able to view the ruins of Rougham Hall.
The ruins themselves cannot be entered due to structural instability, but they will be viewed from the outside.
07
The walk will then return to Blackthorpe Barn.
Back at the Barn, you can have a bite to eat or a drink at Roots Café, if you would like (not included in the ticket price).
08
The walk goes ahead in all weathers.
If the weather is very bad, so that the walk can’t go ahead, we will try to contact you by email or the phone number you gave us.
09
Facilities are at Blackthorpe Barn
Please use the facilities at Blackthorpe Barn, at the start and end of the walk.
There are no facilities or places to sit down on the walk itself.
10
Not suitable for everyone
- The walk itself is not strenuous as such, but due to the nature of this walk and where it goes, it may not be suitable for everyone.
- The walk continues at pace, with stops where George explains some of the history of the area.
- There are no places to sit down.
- The ground underfoot is uneven in places and can be muddy.
- It is intended for adults and is not adapted for children.
- The walk itself takes around 2.5 hours.
Things to Bring
- Bring sturdy shoes or wellies, especially if it’s been raining recently
- Bring a water bottle
- Bring a raincoat if it looks like rain; the walk will go ahead in all weathers, unless it is really bad
- Anything you bring with you will need to be carried for the duration of the walk
- Keep dogs on a short lead
- There are no facilities on the walk itself
Please Note
Rougham Hall is NOT open to the public except as part of guided walks with George Agnew. Anyone found trespassing at the hall site will have their details taken and be required to leave immediately.
Blackthorpe Barn
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Plenty of parking on site
Free to park
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, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
Blackthorpe Barn’s black and white signs direct visitors from local roads.
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The first tranche of stalls will be allocated by the selection committee, usually in March.
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Please share this post with makers who would be interested in joining us. All the information can be found from our website.
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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.
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More information can be found from roughamestate.com/welcome - link in profile.
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