BLACKTHORPE BARN
Explore Rougham Estate’s charming thatched barn location; home to Roots Café, the Garden Room shop, arts events and the start of many wonderful countryside walks.
The Blackthorpe Barn was built around 1550, probably by John Drury who had just acquired the Manor of Rougham through the dissolution of the great Benedictine Abbey at Bury St. Edmunds in 1539.
It is timber framed with a vast, striking thatched roof measuring over 30 metres long and was used for the threshing and storage of grain, continuing as a grain store until 1985. These days the threshing barn and surrounding buildings are a relaxing destination and stunning venue.
Roots Café and the shop are open all year and other events take place seasonally, such as the festive Craft Fair at Christmas, workshops, art exhibitions and weddings in the summer months. Follow us on social channels (see footer) to get the latest news.
Visit BLACKTHORPE BARN
ARTS & CRAFTS AT THE BARN
From craft workshops to art exhibitions and the well-known Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair, talented makers and artisans from around the country visit Blackthorpe Barn at various times throughout the year to teach, sell and exhibit. Come and be inspired, learn a new skill or find a unique piece that has been carefully designed and crafted.
Christmas at Blackthorpe Barn
Blackthorpe Barn is famous for hosting the amazing Christmas Festival over decades now and this year is no exception!
In mid-October the amazing Country Christmas Shop opens its doors again, packed from floor to ceiling with every decoration you can imagine, as well as gifts and inspiration, to take you right through the period with joy and ease.
The renowned Arts and Crafts Fair is held in the medieval barn for 5 weekends, gathering together some of the most talented craftspeople from around the country and making your Christmas shopping a breeze.
Our very own freshly-cut Rougham Estate Christmas trees will be available again too, each one having grown right here and cut just days before you buy it. For 2 weekends we open a plantation for you to choose your perfect tree right where it has been growing, or buy cut trees daily from the end of November.
Tree Trunk Sculpture
This carved oak tree sculpture at Blackthorpe Barn tells the amazing story of the secret life of the forest floor of an ancient wood, both above and below the ground. The tree used to tell this story is an oak, which was itself about four hundred years old. It sadly had to be felled as it was getting dangerous and it grew beside a roadway putting people’s lives in danger.
It has now been repurposed to tell the wonderful story of our ancient woodlands. It was created by Heaven Sculpture Yard to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Crafts at Blackthorpe Barn in 2021.
The Barn
Where to find us
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Plenty of free parking on site
Please keep to the 5mph 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, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
Blackthorpe Barn’s black and white signs direct visitors from local roads.
Ground Plan of Blackthorpe Barn
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FAQs
Rougham Estate runs various different events, not all of which are held at Blackthorpe Barn, for example the Sunflowers and Pumpkins are held in a field on the other side of the A14.
Please see the Opening Times and Directions page for more information.
To get to the Barn, use this postcode: IP30 9HZ.
Not all events on Rougham Estate happen at Blackthorpe Barn; please check the specific details for the event you wish to attend.
More information on finding us easily can be found on our visitor information page.
Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.
We are dog owners ourselves and are keen to make our events as dog-friendly as possible.
Indoor Events
For the details about indoor locations and individual events, please see the visitor information page.
Outdoor Areas
In general we welcome dogs in all the outdoor areas.
The exceptions to this are within the actual sunflower maze and pumpkin patch, where we have allowed dogs in the past but the clean-up required became too much and regrettably we have had to say no to dogs in those specific locations. Dogs are, however, welcome in the picnic area of the sunflower/pumpkin field. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere.
Walks
You are very welcome to bring your dog for a walk around the Estate and we have some lovely dog walks listed here. Do please keep your dog on a short lead.
For information about using Blackthorpe Barn as a venue please click here.
For specific information about weddings, please visit the Weddings at Blackthorpe Barn website. Weddings are held at the Barn each year from 1 June until 31 August.
Yes, we have a number of walks around the Estate that you can follow, ranging from very short to longer walks. You can find more details about the walks here.
We prefer to accept cards and do accept cash in certain locations, but this can vary.
Please see the separate details for each location/event.
Yes, we do; there are 2 baby-changing units, one in the café and one in the courtyard toilets.
See the ground plan for the locations.
Yes, we have full toilet facilities at the Barn, including a accessible toilets and two baby changing units.
See the Ground Plan for details.
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