Boat builders recreating the Sutton Hoo ship are appealing to the public for help in sourcing timber so they can complete the project.

The Sutton Hoo Ship Company has been recreating the ship which it hopes will be seaworthy.

However, the builders are short of native timber to use in the construction of the the 27m-long ship.

A spokesperson said: "The timber we are seeking will predominantly come in two forms, long clear runs of oak from trunks 6m in length and up to 1.2m diameter (at chest height) for planking and other longitudinal timbers, and curved timbers up to 4m long and 0.4m diameter for frames."

The charity is looking for wood from Ash, Scots Pine, Lime and Willow trees.

"To replace the trees that we are using, we planted 400 oak saplings in March 2024 along with 1,600 other native species at the Saxon Ship Wood in Grundisburgh, near Woodbridge," the spokesperson added.

"These oak saplings were grown from the acorns gathered from our previous felling sites and are being tendered, under covenant, by our volunteers."

They are also looking for timber donations but cannot accept trees with a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). 

The historic ship is exepcted to be built by 2026.The historic ship is expected to be built by 2026. (Image: PA)

The ship is believed to have been the burial ship of King Raedwald of the East Angles who was interred in the royal burial ground at Sutton Hoo which overlooks the River Deben opposite Woodbridge.

The ship was regularly used by the King before he passed away in 624 or 625 AD. 

The burial site was first excavated in 1939 and artefacts from the grave  discovered there now form the centrepiece of the British Museum’s early-medieval exhibition.

The ship is currently being reconstructed by the Sutton Hoo Ship Company in a major Experimental Archaeology project with support from the Universities of Oxford and Southampton.

It is currently housed at ‘The Longshed’, a site purpose-built as a community boatshed and museum on the quay at Woodbridge.

The ship is due to be launched in 2026 after which there will be experimental trials to see whether it is fit for use.