Discover Suffolk's heritage
The Suffolk Heritage Direct website is provided and managed by Suffolk County Council on behalf of a growing partnership of heritage organisations, societies and local interest groups from across Suffolk. Find out more…
The Partners
Britten-Pears Foundation
Find out about composer Benjamin Britten, his life and work in Aldeburgh and the music he created for Suffolk people.
Gainsborough's House
Visit the birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, where more of his paintings, drawings and prints are on display at any one time than anywhere else in the world.
HMS Ganges Museum
The Museum now houses memorabilia from the old shore establishment including the ship's honors board, figurehead, clocks and a large selection of documents and photographs of life at Shotley.
Long Shop Museum
First production line to first woman doctor! A must-see for anyone interested in local, social and industrial history plus lots for all ages whatever the weather.
Lowestoft Maritime Museum
Britain’s most easterly museum is a cornucopia of appealing exhibits from the fishing and maritime heritage of this historic port.
St Edmundsbury Heritage Service
The first stop for heritage in West Suffolk must be St Edmundsbury Heritage Service, with its wonderful collections ranging from the prehistoric to the present, and its unique sites at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Moyse’s Hall Museum, set in the heart of Bury St Edmunds.
Museum of East Anglian Life
Discover the history and traditions of East Anglia—from crafts to culture, buildings to bygones—let the past inspire your future.
Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service
Explore Suffolk's past as revealed both above and below the ground: from castles to wooden huts, from gold treasures to everyday pots. All of this, and much more, gives Suffolk its distinctive character.
Suffolk County Council Record Office
The Suffolk Record Office holds an amazing range of information about the history of Suffolk and its people. Some of the records go back to the 12th century.
Suffolk Regiment
Discover the story of the Suffolk Regiment from its foundation in 1685 to amalgamation with the Royal Norfolk Regiment in 1959. Admire medals, uniform, equipment, weapons, photographs, art, silver and soldiers' souvenirs from around the world—and look out for a housewife and a regimental teddy bear!
Search all the records of the partners
Latest news
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The website will be down between 28 February and 1 March
Suffolk Heritage Direct will be taken down for essential maintenance from 8.00am on Monday 28 February until 9.00am on Tuesday 1 March 2011. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
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Find out about Suffolk’s rich agricultural past
Farming has always been at the heart of the rural community in Suffolk. The East Suffolk Agricultural Association was formed in 1831 in Wickham Market by a group of progressive farmers and landowners who wanted to improve farming techniques in their county by holding an annual show. Read more...
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Lowestoft’s shipping history has come home
Lowestoft’s maritime history is brought to life in a remarkable collection of archives. Until recently Lowestoft was the busiest fishing port in Britain, and was also a leading centre of shipbuilding. Every single vessel registered in Lowestoft from 1854 to 1993 was recorded in detail in the Registers of Ships that were kept in the port. Read more...
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Catalogue of historic Suffolk photographs now online
Housed at Ipswich Record Office, the Suffolk Photographic Survey was started in 1954 by Mr R B Pratt of Capel St Mary, to create a collection of photographs that would illustrate as fully as possible the life of the county in the past. It now contains about 17,000 prints and negatives covering the whole of Suffolk, mainly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is growing all the time. Read more...
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Tracing your Suffolk Regiment ancestors
The Suffolk Regiment Archives are housed at the Bury St Edmunds Record Office and cover the records of battalions from the early days of the Regiment as well as those of individual soldiers. The Regiment saw action in many theatres of war particularly in Egypt, India, Malta, Shanghai, South Africa, Palestine, France and Flanders. The collection includes over 19,000 photographs illustrating the life of the Regiment from 1862-1959. Read more...
