Early medieval specialist Dr Sam Newton (as seen on Time Team) will present an introduction to St Edmund at the National Trust site at Sutton Hoo on Sunday 3rd February.

Edmund - king of England and Suffolk's patron saint - was the last of the Wuffing dynasty, rulers of Anglo-Saxon East Anglia. By the time of Edmund, their power had extended across England. He was famously murdered by the Danes in November 869 but the circumstances of his gruesome death remain a source of fascination. Was he killed in battle fighting the Danish 'Great Army' led by Ivar the Boneless, or was he a Christian martyr, tortured then murdered for refusing to deny his faith? Historical sources describe his body "shot with missiles¦like the spines of a hedgehog" and legend has it that his severed head was guarded by a wolf.

Sutton Hoo is the burial ground of the Anglo-Saxon kings of East Anglia. The famous ship-burial, uncovered in 1939, is thought to be the resting place of King Raedwald, Wuffing king of the Anglo-Saxons of East Anglia, and ancestor of king Edmund.

Booking is essential for this event. Call 01394 389737. Tickets are priced at £17.50 per person (including coffee and two-course hot lunch.)