Our Sutton Hoo Heritage
This year (2019) is the 80th anniversary since one of the biggest archaeological discoveries of all time; the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon burial ground. Therefore, it seemed fitting to explore our Sutton Hoo heritage and the meaning behind our logo.
A brief summary of the discovery
In 1939 Mrs Edith Pretty, a landowner at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, contacted archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the largest of several Anglo-Saxon burial mounds on her property. After agreeing to have a look, he made one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of all time. Below the mound he found the mark of a 27-metre-long ship, in the middle he found a burial chamber filled with a supposed king’s treasures, including the ornate iron helmet. The discovery of the Sutton Hoo ship burial gave us remarkable knowledge into early Anglo Saxon England and changed the way we viewed the lives of the Anglo Saxons, dating back to the early AD 600s. Recently re-opening, the National Trust site now includes a replica of the famous ship under which Saxon King Raedwald was buried.
Anglo Saxons and domestic fowl
Evidence shows that the Anglo Saxons had more poultry livestock than any other which is a coincidental link to Sutton Hoo Chicken! Chickens were used for consumption and farming. Although they mainly had cattle, sheep/goats and pigs, they had much higher quantities of chickens than any other domestic birds in most areas. We love that our chickens get to roam free somewhere with so much fascinating history, and of course we enjoy the beautiful views and surrounding landscape.
The meaning behind our logo
When rebranding Sutton Hoo Chicken in 2016, all our possible designs had the history of Sutton Hoo behind them. We were passionate about incorporating Sutton Hoo itself and all the history it holds into our brand. This gave it meaning and life, using patterns from coins and styles of Anglo-Saxon Runes to create the finish product. The Royal Hart inspired the shapes in our logo, which is the weaved circle surrounding our name and the Runes formed our style of font. Below is an example of some of the treasure that can be seen at the newly updated exhibition at Sutton Hoo.
We are proud of our Sutton Hoo heritage and our passion for Sutton Hoo as a whole has shaped our branding today.
