Visitor Information
- Roots Café
- Rougham Estate Shop: Lifestyle & Garden
- Pick your own Sunflowers
- Workshops
- Walks from Blackthorpe Barn
Open every day, including Bank Holidays
9am – 4pm
Plenty of free parking
Wheelchair accessible with parking and toilets
Reservations only for groups of 6 or more on weekdays
Toilets (2 with baby-changing facilities)
Cards and cash accepted
Open every day
Find out more and buy Rougham Estate gift vouchers by clicking here. (Opens in new tab)
Address:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
What3Words: newly.sofas.debating
Public Transport – Bus:
The only bus route serving Blackthorpe Barn is the 377 Bury St Edmunds – Bradfield St George, operated by Mulleys Motorways on Mondays to Saturdays.
Get off at the “Blackthorpe, White House” stop.
Visit Suffolk On Board for times of services.
Public Transport – Rail:
Use Thurston Station, on the Cambridge – Bury St Edmunds – Ipswich line.
There is a 40 minute walk to reach the Barn from the station.
Wheelchairs are welcome everywhere at Blackthorpe Barn, with accessible parking close to the entrance and accessible toilets available.
View the ground plan of Blackthorpe Barn to see the locations
The interior is wheelchair-friendly with no steps and around the Barn the ground is wheelchair-friendly and mostly level.
Please be aware that this is a rural setting; the ground further away from the Barn can be bumpy and at times muddy, depending on the weather.
There is plenty of free parking available, both around the Barn and the car parks slightly further down the avenue.
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.
From approximately May to September, the entrance to the Café and Shop changes to go through the arch, with parking in the “Christmas Tree” area, rather than entering by the meadow and sunken garden. This is because the Barn is used for private events during these months. Signs will show you where to go.
Open every day, including Bank Holidays
10am – 4pm
The Rougham Estate Lifestyle and Garden Shop is open from January to mid-October, turning into the Christmas Shop from mid-October to December.
Plenty of free parking
Wheelchair accessible with parking and toilets
Toilets (2 with baby-changing facilities)
Card and cash payments
Find out more and buy Rougham Estate gift vouchers by clicking here. (Opens in new tab)
Address:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
What3Words: newly.sofas.debating
Public Transport – Bus:
The only bus route serving Blackthorpe Barn is the 377 Bury St Edmunds – Bradfield St George, operated by Mulleys Motorways on Mondays to Saturdays.
Get off at the “Blackthorpe, White House” stop.
Visit Suffolk On Board for times of services.
Public Transport – Rail:
Use Thurston Station, on the Cambridge – Bury St Edmunds – Ipswich line.
There is a 40 minute walk to reach the Barn from the station.
Wheelchairs are welcome everywhere at Blackthorpe Barn, with accessible parking close to the entrance and accessible toilets available.
View the ground plan of Blackthorpe Barn to see the locations
The interior is wheelchair-friendly with no steps and around the Barn the ground is wheelchair-friendly and mostly level.
Please be aware that this is a rural setting; the ground further away from the Barn can be bumpy and at times muddy, depending on the weather.
There is plenty of free parking available, both around the Barn and the car parks slightly further down the avenue.
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.
During the summer months, from May to September, the entrance to the Café and Shop changes to go through the arch, with parking in the “Christmas Tree” area, rather than entering by the meadow and sunken garden. This is because the Barn is used for private events during these months. New signage will show you where to go.
2026 Opening Dates:
Opening from Monday 27th July
Open daily
The sunflowers are generally open for about 2-3 weeks, depending on the flowers and the weather.
Opening Times
Open every day 9am – 5pm
From 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Last admission: 4:30pm
Free entrance, no booking needed, apart from the SEN-friendly hours.
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9–10am are reserved for ticketed SEN-friendly visits only. Book your free ticket here.
Cards and Cash accepted
Food available
Picnics welcome
Toilets available, including accessible toilets
The sunflower field has wide pathways through the sunflowers and wheelchair-friendly picnic benches. However, please note this is a large field and the ground is uneven after this prolonged sunny weather but will become muddy if it has recently rained.
In general the sunflower field is open to the public with no booking needed.
However, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am – 10am there are SEN-friendly sessions which need to be booked in advance. Only ticket-holders will be allowed entrance at these times.
From 10am onwards on these days the field will revert to open entrance for anyone without any booking needed.
There is a little dog-walk through the sunflowers where dogs are welcome.
However, dogs are not allowed into the main sunflower maze due to having had to clean up too much mess in previous years.
While we love dogs, please make sure that you keep your dog under control at all times and on a short lead.
Please ensure that your dog does not disturb other people’s enjoyment of the location or block any passageways.
Baby-changing facility
For your SatNav, use the nearby postcode: IP30 9HX
The field is south of the A14, Junction 45 roundabout.
At the T-junction, by the white house, turn right.
At the next left, turn down Elderstub Lane, with the entrance on your right.
Detailed instructions below or see the diagram on the sunflower page or just follow the signs from the A14, J45 roundabout.
What3Words: others.flaunting.anchorman
From the Junction 45 / A14 Eastbound Carriageway:
- turn left (first exit) on the roundabout at the end of the A14 slip road
- go under the A14 bridge
- at the T junction turn right, by the white house and entrance to Blackthorpe Barn
- follow this lane for about half a mile until you reach Elderstub Lane on the left
- turn left down Elderstub Lane and the entrance is about 150yds on the right
From the Junction 45 / A14 Westbound Carriageway:
- turn right at the end of the A14 slip road
- at the T junction turn right, by the white house and entrance to Blackthorpe Barn
- follow this lane for about half a mile until you reach Elderstub Lane on the left
- turn left down Elderstub Lane and the entrance is about 150yds on the right
The sunflower field is accessible for wheelchairs, although the field is just that – a field. It has wide pathways through the sunflowers and wheelchair-friendly picnic benches.
However, please note this is a large field and the ground is uneven after prolonged sunny weather but will become muddy if it has recently rained.
Accessible parking is available close to the entrance; there are wood chippings on the ground at the entrance to the sunflower maze.
Toilets are available near to the entrance, including an accessible toilet.
The paths through the sunflowers are wide enough for a wheelchair. They may be a little stubbly when the field is first opened, but the more people who walk along the paths, the flatter they become.
There is plenty of free parking available in the field adjacent to the sunflower area.
Accessible parking is available near to the entrance.
Open when workshops are being held
Address:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
What3Words: newly.sofas.debating
What3Words for the Meadow Room: hands.dunk.drums
View a ground plan of Blackthorpe Barn, including the Meadow Room
The Meadow Room can be found behind the old thatched Barn and behind Roots Café.
Public Transport – Bus:
The only bus route serving Blackthorpe Barn is the 377 Bury St Edmunds – Bradfield St George, operated by Mulleys Motorways on Mondays to Saturdays.
Get off at the “Blackthorpe, White House” stop.
Visit Suffolk On Board for times of services.
Public Transport – Rail:
Use Thurston Station, on the Cambridge – Bury St Edmunds – Ipswich line.
There is a 40 minute walk to reach the Barn from the station.
Wheelchairs are welcome everywhere at Blackthorpe Barn including the Meadow Room, with accessible parking available.
The path to the Meadow Room has gravel on it – please let us know if you need assistance.
If you have special requirements for attending the workshop, please let us know beforehand.
Please be aware that this is a rural setting; the ground can be bumpy and at times muddy, depending on the weather.
There is plenty of free parking available.
When you arrive for your workshop, park in the carparks around Blackthorpe Barn.
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.
If your workshop finishes after the time that the café closes, the gates will remain open until the workshop has ended.
The walks are open all the time
Please note that the car parks and facilities are only open when the café and/or the shop are open. The car parks are locked outside these times.
Don’t get locked in.
See notes below
Walks are free
Address:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
What3Words: newly.sofas.debating
Public Transport – Bus:
The only bus route serving Blackthorpe Barn is the 377 Bury St Edmunds – Bradfield St George, operated by Mulleys Motorways on Mondays to Saturdays.
Get off at the “Blackthorpe, White House” stop.
Visit Suffolk On Board for times of services.
Public Transport – Rail:
Use Thurston Station, on the Cambridge – Bury St Edmunds – Ipswich line.
There is a 40 minute walk to reach the Barn from the station.
Rougham Estate walks have been designed to be used by able bodied walkers; they are often on uneven terrain, with stiles and tracks through woods. Increasing levels of physical impairment will make these walks increasingly inaccessible.
For those using self-propelled wheelchairs unexpected blockages such as fallen trees and branches can rapidly render a route impassible. The Rougham Estate does its best to keep routes clear but cannot guarantee that any path is fully accessible at any time.
Please see the individual walks for more detail, where you can find a map and detailed description of each walk, as well as photographs of waypoints and a video of the full walk, to help you further assess the terrain.
There is plenty of free parking available at Blackthorpe Barn.
Don’t get locked in! The car parks close when the Roots Café and Shop close and the entrance gates are locked after this time.
