Arts and Crafts Fair
Come and buy directly from some of the best designer-makers in the UK at Blackthorpe Barn, listed in the “10 Christmas crafts fairs to get you in the festive spirit” by the Crafts Council UK.
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
14th – 15th Nov
10:00 – 16:00
21st – 22nd Nov
10:00 – 16:00
28th – 29th Nov
10:00 – 16:00
5th – 6th Dec
10:00 – 16:00
12th – 13th Dec
10:00 – 16:00
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Entrance from the main car park, opposite the walkway to the overflow car parks.
MapPricing:
Day tickets:
Advance (Online) £2.50
On the door £3.00
Age 15 and under free
Season ticket (entry for all 10 days):
Advance (Online) £10
On the door £12
Age 15 and under free
Quality craftsmanship in a charming medieval barn
** The 2026 Application Form is now available.
This event is an amazing five weekends celebrating some of the best artisan crafts from across the country. The festive, unspoilt 16th century Barn is filled with talented, independent makers selling their own handcrafted work directly to visitors.
We are proud to have been showcasing art and craft as part of Christmas on Rougham Estate for over 30 years, starting in 1991.
Each designer-maker is carefully selected to ensure quality and to provide the ultimate eclectic mix of pieces to enjoy.
This year there are many new makers alongside some popular regulars, each with intriguing pieces for sale. The mix of makers changes each weekend, so there is always something new to see each time you visit.
The Art and Craft Fair is only open at the weekends to allow the makers time during the week to practise their craft and make their wares.
The modest entrance price, compared to similar craft shows, distributes the costs of maintaining the ancient barn and hosting the event here, directly benefiting the makers by ensuring reasonable stall-holder fees. Children aged 15 and under are admitted free of charge.
Only assistance dogs are allowed in the Arts and Crafts Fair.
Here are some clips from Arts&Crafts in 2024:
Tickets bought on the door cost more than tickets bought online
MEET THE MAKERS
Every independent designer-maker is thoughtfully selected, ensuring both the quality of their work and a wide range of pieces crafted for your enjoyment. All the makers will be personally present, ready to meet visitors and engage in conversations about the inspiration behind their wonderful creations.
Discover an array of crafts ranging from weaving, ceramics, glassware and metalwork, wood creations, natural beauty products, leather items, jewellery, books, foods, baskets and much more. These beautiful items for home and garden are perfect for gifting or perfect for keeping yourself.
Makers’ Grid 2025
- See which makers are coming to Arts and Crafts at Blackthorpe Barn this year by using the grid below. Makers are still being added as the application process proceeds.
- Sort the makers by the Week that they are at the Barn, or by Craft, or search by Name in the Search box, by using the controls at the top of the grid.
- Find out more about Featured Makers, marked with the tag “Featured”, by clicking on their name or picture.
Makers’ Grid for 2025
Art and Weaving by Katie Green
Aulwynd Bindery
Baadninish Weaving
BeeInspired
Birdfeeder Tree
Carol Page
Carola Smedjebacka Design
Caroline Hyde-Brown
Ceramics Buy Anja
Claire Folkes Ceramics
Claire Pirie Ceramics
Claire Porter Ceramics
Clare McEwan Illustration
Cleo and Bel
Corinne Pearson-Evans
Cyndi Speer Fine Artist
Danielle Hopkinson
Dee Ayles Jewellery
Dominic Upson Pottery
Donna Goymer Art
Elsie & Tom
Erica Just
Feather and Hare
Fleurs du Coeur
Gallery
Rougham Estate really understand Art & Crafts”
– JH
We bought a season ticket and attended each and every arts and crafts weekend. Well worth the money and a fantastic event. Thank you to everyone for all the hard work.”
– KM
Where to find us
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Plenty of free parking on site.
Please keep to the 20mph speed limit.
Disabled access available
This is a rural location and paths can be muddy.
The car parks close when 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.
The Barn is down the avenue, on the right.
What others say
2026 ARTS & CRAFTS APPLICATION
If you want to apply for the 2026 Arts&Crafts at Rougham Estate, held in Blackthorpe Barn, please fill in the online application form.
NEVER MISS A THING
Follow us on Instagram
As we come to the end of our thatching today, we have last week’s progress videos to share with you. While things may look as though they’ve slowed down, it’s quite the opposite, we’re now into the finer finishing details.
The thatch has taken on a beautiful golden colour and the roof is now fully watertight. We’re so pleased with how everything is coming together and can’t wait to share the final video with you in the next few days once the scaffolding is down.
#thatching #heritagecraft #traditionalbuild #restorationproject
If you’ve been thinking “I need a day to reset…” this is it.
A full day at Rougham Estate this coming Sunday is the perfect opportunity to slow down, breathe, and properly switch off.
Woodland walk in the spring sunshine, yoga, sauna + cold plunge, sound bath… and a nourishing lunch to finish the day off.
A few spaces are still available but not many. So if you would like to join us book now via the website ☺️
#reset #wellbeingday #roughamestate
If you have been watching the rethatch with interest and are wanting to see it in action – then don’t wait any longer. The thatching is set to finish on Tuesday next week!
As we’ve been on our thatching journey, we’ve been asked plenty of questions and we’ve discovered even more along the way. It’s been a real learning curve for everyone on the Estate and George has been right at the heart of it answering as many questions as he can.
You can watch the full video on our website in The Rougham Post (link in bio), but here’s a little taster of some of the questions we’ve been asked.
#RoughamEstate #ThatchingJourney #TraditionalCrafts #HistoricBuildings
Chefs… still working nights?
There’s another way.
At Roots Café, we’re looking for a Chef de Partie to join a kitchen built around daytime hours, proper food and a place that lets you breathe.
Set in the Suffolk countryside, this is hospitality with a different rhythm.
No late nights.
Seasonal, creative cooking.
A team that genuinely cares.
If you’re ready for a change – or know someone who is – this could be the one.
👉 Apply via the link in our bio
👉 Or tag a chef who needs this
#chefdepartie #chefjobsuk #suffolkjobs #burystedmunds #worklifebalance❤️
After a week of chocolate, half-term chaos, and at least 47 “I need a minute” moments… this is your sign.
@the_roaming_sauna_ is back this weekend – wood-fired, tucked into the meadow and ready to sort you out.
Hot sauna.
Cold plunge.
Repeat until you feel like a new human.
No emails.
No noise.
Just heat, cold and a bit of Suffolk calm.
Go on… you’ve earned it.
📅 ⏰
10th Apr 18:00 – 21:00
11th Apr 09:00 – 19:00
12th Apr 11:00 – 16:00
17th Apr 18:00 – 21:00
18th Apr 11:00 – 20:00
👉 Limited spaces – don’t hang about
Book direct with The Roaming Sauna @the_roaming_sauna_
#RoughamEstate #saunalife #reset #roamingsauna
This is going to be a banger…
Forget the Great British Bake Off, make room for the Great Rougham Sausage Vote.
Our chefs, alongside Thurston Butchers have been busy dreaming up some seriously creative flavours for a brand new exclusive Rougham sausage and now it’s down to you to finish the creativity off.
Vote for your favourite flavour in the poll on stories, or comment below and the winning sausage gets made into a limited edition weekly special, right here at the café.
We’re heading to @thurstonbutchers next week to bring the winning sausage to life, so your vote actually matters!
The contenders are:
1. Nduja & Burrata
2. Bloody Mary
3. Smoked Cheddar & Apple
4. Spiced Lamb & Mint
5. Chipotle & Brie
6. Fajita
7. Apple & Cranberry
So, what’s your favourite?
Poll closes Thursday 16th April – so vote and rope in your mates, and may the best banger win.
#poll #sausageflavours #roughamestate #rootscafe
We’ve had lots of interest in our upcoming Cherry Blossom workshop that we can taste the Prosecco!
For those who haven’t heard the news, The Canvas Club is our brand-new social painting experience hosted at our popular Roots Café on April 24th.
We are pairing professional art guidance from Day Design with the cosy, rustic atmosphere of Blackthorpe Barn for a night of acrylic painting, grazing, and sipping.
Every guest gets their own masterpiece to take home, fueled by a glass of bubbly and a curated selection of tapas.
If you’ve been thinking about trying something new or just need a creative night out, we’d love to see you there.
Seats are filling up, so head to the link in our bio to make sure you’re part of our very first session!
#proseccoevening #tapasnight #roughamestate
We’ve featured our new adults’ menu, but we also have a new children’s menu.
There’s plenty on the list to satisfy all types of little eaters.
So if you fancy a day out this week, you can rely on Roots Café to be a safe destination for all the family. We also welcome well-behaved dogs.
Have a walk around our beautiful Estate first, perhaps?
#Rootscafe #roughamestate #kidsmenu #newdishes
Tag us @RoughamEstate
