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.
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
Spring is here!
We say goodbye to March, a month where we saw the clocks spring forward with longer, lighter days.
There was plenty happening here on the Estate with more to come in this beautiful month of April.
#goodbyemarch #roughamestate #whatsonatroughamestate
Come and discover the art of a traditional craft, perhaps for pure pleasure or to satisfy your creative aspirations.
Take part in our in-person workshops Rougham Estate, where learning a new craft is a perfect stress-relieving remedy.
Led by skilled and artistic professionals, each workshop offers a delightful and relaxing learning experience in our rural Suffolk setting.
You can find more on the link on our bio.
#workshops #craftworkshops #getcreative
The other day we were “beating up” some of our young Nordmann Fir on the Christmas tree plantations. And no, we’re not getting violent; in forestry, beating up means replacing dead or missing trees with new ones.
We don’t usually like to talk about Christmas in March, but here on the Estate planning and hard work for the festive season starts early. Some of our plantations are on the sandiest soils and last year’s drought had taken its toll on some of the new plants.
Keeping our trees healthy now means there won’t be any gaps in supply when they’re ready in 5 – 6 years’ time.
#RoughamEstate #ChristmasTrees #NordmannFir #ForestryLife #TreePlanting
Creativity is at the heart of everything we do at Rougham Estate and is woven into the fabric of every event here. In line with that, there is a fantastic range of hands-on workshops over the next few months and we’re adding to them regularly, throughout the year.
These workshops are perfect to attend on your own, with friend or as a group. They are relaxed and friendly, with experienced tutors teaching their skills, and are not to be missed.
Don’t miss out as spaces are limited and are selling fast.
We have a link in our bio for full details on our website.
#workshops #getcreative #learnanewskill #roughamestate
It’s Saturday! Yay!
What are your plans today?
Why not take a trip to Rougham and explore our NEW space that we’ve just opened up with even more beautiful, quality products. Here’s just a taster of what to expect.
While you’re here, pop into Roots for breakfast, brunch, lunch or something equally delicious.
We look forward to seeing you.
#roughamestate #roughamestateshop #shoppinginbury
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
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
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
Tag us @RoughamEstate
