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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

See map

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

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Dogs welcome on a short lead

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If the weather has been wet, the walk can be muddy.

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Not accessible for wheelchairs due to the terrain

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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.

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.

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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

Address: Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
What3Words: newly.sofas.debating
View Ground Plan
Parking:

Plenty of parking on site

Free to park

Disabled access available

This is a rural location and paths can be muddy

Directions:

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.

Never miss a thing

Follow us on instagram
Ok, so we didn’t take the winning award home for Sustainable Strategy, but achieving finalist against some tough competition made us really proud. 

It’s a nod to the hard work and sustainable efforts we do on the Estate, daily. 

Excellently hosted by David Whiteley, who kept the room engaged throughout with plenty of laughter along the way.

Thanks to the category sponsor @abports21 for considering our application and spending time hearing our story and also to @eadt24 for another great event. 

Well done to the winner Old Buckenham Country Park and our joint finalist Saul D Humphrey. 

#sustainableaward #cleanandgreenawards2026 #roughamestate

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Thatch update… week seven! 

We’re another week in and the weather has been really kind so the thatchers team have been able to get on with the work - and even in shorts!
 
The famous Blackthorpe Barn is getting more and more golden as the time goes on and we love the bird’s eye perspective over Rougham Estate. 

This is such a significant project which only needs doing every 30 – 35 years so if you want to visit to see the thatchers in action, we recommend you do so soon, as they are slowly coming to an end.
 
It’s also a great excuse to pop into Roots Café to try the new menu and also visit the @roughamestateshop RoughamEstateShop to see what new finds we have in stock!
 
#thatchingupdate #RoughamEstate #BlackthorpeBarn

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Following our exciting new menu changes, today is International Waffle Day!

As part of our menu, we’re serving a special signature Roots Waffle; a vanilla and maple-coated waffle with white chocolate glaze, topped with kiwi, dragonfruit, strawberries and orange-infused Rougham Estate honey.

Delicious on its own or as a pudding.
 
We’d love to hear your feedback!

#InternationalWaffleDay #RootsCafe #RoughamEstate #SignatureWaffle

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If you’re planning a special trip to our award-winning Rougham Estate Shop soon, please note due to stock take we will be closed on the 31st March from 2–4pm. 

We may need to continue until the next day (1st April), but only for the morning: 10am–12:30pm. 

We will aim to be complete as soon as possible and will be back to normal as soon as we can.

There is still plenty to do on the Estate with walks and our popular Roots Cafe. 

Thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you. 

#roughamestate #roughamestateshop

...

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As if by magic, our shop is regularly transformed by our talented team.

Just like that! 

Between their eye for detail and our wonderful new arrivals, it’s a shopping experience you won’t want to miss.

If you haven’t visited before, we are open daily from 10am to 4pm. We challenge you to leave without finding something you love!

#roughamestate #lifestyleshop #blackthorpebarn #shoppinginburystedmunds

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We are delighted to welcome back @watsons_plants over the coming months.

The green fingered experts can be found in our courtyard garden on:

Friday 3rd April – Monday 6th April
Saturday 18th April – Sunday 19th April
Saturday 2nd May – Monday 4th May

…and every other weekend going forward

Popping in to see them is the perfect excuse to getting your garden looking fabulous - with some of the best advice. 

And while you’re here, why not pop into the @roughamestateshop to pick up the added extras your garden needs to make it an extension of your home?

#gardenlove #gardeningideas #roughamestate #shoppingforyourgarden

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