“The Dig” Brings Suffolk to the Small Screen

“The Dig”, a brand new film from Netflix has turned the spotlight on to Sutton Hoo, a location directly opposite our barge Twee Gebroeders at Woodbridge. 

Starring the multi-award-winning Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, the film tells the story of how Edith Pretty, a landowner in 1939, requested a local archaeologist to look into some unexplained mounds on her estate. 

After plenty of digging, it transpired that beneath these mounds was a royal burial chamber complete with all the trimmings – unearthed in the excavation was a warrior’s helmet as well as a sword and shield believed to have once belonged to King Raedwald.

Described by experts as “one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time”, the film does a fantastic job of revealing all of the drama, excitement and repercussions that came with the work carried out by Basil Brown, the determined local archaeologist employed by Edith Pretty.

As you might expect, “The Dig” features plenty of footage from around Suffolk, and the production team headed out to Snape Maltings and Aldeburgh to get what we believe are some of the best shots in the film. Whilst we might be a little biased, we think that the scenes featuring Fiennes biking through some recognisable Suffolk scenes do a great amount of service to the rural landscape of the county.

Interestingly, a barge that can be seen sailing near Snape in the film is moored next to our very own Onderneming at Snape Maltings! I know the guy who looks after that barge and it may be him sailing her in the film, though I honestly couldn’t quite tell. Here she is in a screenshot from the film. From here, guests on board our barge are able to easily visit the central destination featured in “The Dig” to immerse themselves in this exciting chapter of modern history. It’s just a short walk from Onderneming to where Ralph Fiennes was sitting in this scene.

Expertly cared for by the National Trust, the Royal Burial Ground at Sutton Hoo welcomes visitors to walk the various mounds that make up the landscape and to see for themselves the task that Basil Brown undertook back in the late thirties.

Whilst history buffs will no doubt be excited to get up close and personal with the Royal Burial Ground, there’s plenty more to Sutton Hoo and the surrounding areas for holidaymakers to take advantage of. Aldeburgh beach, for example, is only a short distance away from our barge Twee Gebroeders. Similarly, the restaurants and attractions in and around Ipswich are easily reached by car.   

Sure to inspire more than a few holidaymakers to visit Suffolk this year, we’re pleased to offer families and couples the opportunity to discover the magic of this destination for themselves when renting one of our barges. 

To find out more about the times Suffolk made its way onto the silver and small screen, be sure to take a look at our article 5 film and TV locations you can visit when taking a holiday in Suffolk. I also wrote a blog post about my own visit to Sutton Hoo many years ago.

If the film has got you excited about a Suffolk getaway, be sure to get in touch to start planning your stay on board one of our barges today.