Things to do in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Bury St Edmunds could just be another small English town if you didn’t know any better and honestly, up until recently I was none the wiser too, but I’ll let you in on the secret now – it’s a gorgeous town, with lots to do and I definitely recommend spending some time there if you can

If you’re looking for things to do in Bury St Edmunds if you’re visiting on a day trip or spending a night or two there then please read on for our guide on some of the attractions in the town.

In case you don’t know, Bury St Edmunds is in Suffolk in the East of England. Not too far from Cambridge and an easy day trip from London too. It’s also not a huge town – you can get around easily enough on foot but believe me when I say that there is a LOT to do!

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In this post I’m going to be looking at the attractions of Bury St Edmunds and maybe I’ll convince you to take a trip out there and see for yourself what a little gem it is.  


The town of Bury St Edmunds has a quiet and understated feel to it.  The history of the place is truly amazing, diverse and goes back a long, long time, yet the town doesn’t seem to feel that it needs to shout from the rooftops about it.  

Perhaps that’s because the ruins of Bury St Edmunds Abbey in the town really dominates the area in a way that means they don’t have to shout.  It’s there – ‘take a look at it and enjoy’ they seem to say and it’s both impressive and unassuming at the same time.  

Bury St Edmunds is a treasure trove for people who enjoy history when they are travelling.  There is so much to learn about no matter what period you want explore.  So what is there to do and enjoy there?  

Disclaimer – we were invited to visit and hosted by Bury St Edmunds and Beyond.

2022 celebrations – If you’re at all interested in history then 2022 is the year to come to Bury St Edmunds as they are having a whole heap of events to commemorate 1000 years since the founding of the Abbey.  You can see more about what’s planned here.

(it was supposed to be 2020 but we all know what happened!)

Bury St Edmunds Abbey and the Abbey Gardens

abbey bury st edmunds
Ruins of the Abbey

One of the big attractions to the town of Bury St Edmunds is its history, specifically around the Abbey, and nowhere is this more apparent than the Abbey Gardens.  

You can’t miss the impressive Abbey Gate as an entrance (see picture at top of this post) and you’ll see it as you drive through the town.   It really sets the tone for the town I think – impressive!

The Abbey is celebrating its 1000 year anniversary in 2020 as the first time that the Abbots came to the area was in 1020 when a small church was built to house the body of St Edmund – who was then the patron saint of England.

Since then the site was an important pilgrimage destination and the huge Abbey was subsequently built around it.


The gardens themselves are an absolute delight to walk around and as it’s a public space I found that it gives it a different feel to Abbeys where you have to pay to look around. It feels more family friendly and more accessible. There’s much to look at with old walled gardens, opens spaces and also, of course, the ruins themselves.  

Having visited a number of abbeys over the past few years I can say that the ruins here, although much depleted, are an immense size.

As with many of these sites, you can learn as you go round with many information boards to show what each part of the site would have contained.  I always find these so helpful as I like to imagine life in the past so drawings help!

Cost: The Abbey Gardens and the ruins of the Abbey are free to explore.  

Opening Times: They open early in the morning – 7.30am Monday – Saturday and 9am on Sundays.  The closing time varies through the year although there are signs that will tell you.  As a guide in winter it’s around 4.30pm and from 6pm – 8pm during the spring and summer months.  

St Edmundsbury Cathedral

st edmunsbury cathedral bury st edmunds
St Edmundsbury Cathedral

This is Suffolk’s only cathedral and it’s been a site of worship for over 1000 years.  It’s just next to the Abbey ruins so you’ll not need to go far to explore there.  

The interior of the cathedral is absolutely stunning (see pic below) and you could spend so much time just enjoying the architecture of the place.  I know it always surprises me just how intricate the decorations are.  It’s an absolute delight of a place to visit.  

I loved that inside they also have a Lego model of the cathedral being built and you can contribute by ‘sponsoring’ a brick – that’s also going to be impressive once done!  

Cost: Entrance to the cathedral is free although donations are appreciated.

There are some guided tours you can take too.  Tours are available from 1 May – 30 September and cost £5 per person. There are also tours of the tower in the cathedral that run from March – October, weather depending, that cost £10 per person. You can book them online.

You can check out the website of the cathedral here

bury st edmunds cathedral interior
St Edmundsbury Cathedral interior

St Mary’s Church

st marys church bury st edmunds

Just a little further along from the cathedral you have another religious building with some amazing connections to history. St Mary’s church is most famous for being the resting place of Mary Tudor who was the sister of Henry VIII.  

Mary Tudor is who the ship the Mary Rose was named after. Mary had married the Duke of Suffolk and so when she died she was buried in the Abbey of St Edmunds.  When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries her remains were moved to St Mary’s church and you can still see her tomb in the church.  

It’s a very simple tomb, very plain and perhaps not what you might expect!  An interesting thing to see though if you’re in the area and especially if you love all things Tudor.

Cost: Entrance to the church is free, although donations are welcome.  Do check the church website before visiting as it may be closed for services.  

Nutshell pub

nutshell pub bury st edmunds

Holding the title of Britains smallest pub you have to come and see this little marvel of a drinking establishment!  

Consisting of a single, very small, bar there’s only room for a handful of patrons at one time.  It’s a friendly place and a great stop to learn a little more about the history of the town.

Bury St Edmunds is well known for its ale so if beer, ale and brewing is what you’re interested in you can definitely get your fill here.  

Moyse’s Hall Museum

moyses hall museum bury st edmunds

The main museum in Bury St Edmunds is the Moyses Hall Museum and although I don’t really like to use the overused phrase of ‘hidden gem’ it really is one.  

Town museums can often be a random collection of artefacts just gathered together because it has to be shown ‘somewhere’.  I didn’t get the feeling of that in this museum.  

Housed in a really interesting building that dates back 900 years itself I heartily recommend a visit here.  There is history to be learned from the monastic past (and if you want to know more about the Abbey and that history I’d definitely suggest heading there to learn more – the museum staff are also incredibly friendly and happy to answer questions) and also from the post dissolution era too with some especially interesting stories of crime and punishment in the area.  Some of it is pretty macabre but really interesting stories!  

As well as local history the museum has a really impressive clock and watch collection – one of the largest in the UK, a large collection of paintings and fine art, including by Mary Beale and some military history too.  Certainly somewhere you can spend an enjoyable hour or two!  

There is a charge for the museum but it’s not prohibitively expensive at all and there’s an option to get a ticket that will allow entrance to the museum for a full year as well as to the nearby West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village (which we hoped to visit but the weather meant we had to leave for another time!)  

Cost: Prices are correct as at July 2021

Day tickets: Adults £5, Concessions and children – £3, Family £15

Heritage tickets (12 month museum and West Stow): Adults £12, Concession – £8, Children £6, Family – £40  

Opening times Monday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm (last admission at 4pm) Sunday: 12pm – 4pm (last admission 3pm)   See their website here

Greene King Brewery

bury st edmunds greene king brewery

Greene King brewery is a big thing in Bury St Edmunds.  It is nowadays one of the leading brewers in the country and owner of pubs but the story started in Bury St Edmunds over 200 years ago at the end of the 1700s when it was set up by a young man named Benjamin Greene.  From there the company grew to where it is today.  

Can I also just say that I wasn’t ready for the sense of nostalgia as the smell of the brewery just took me straight back to my childhood as I grew up in a Scottish brewery town!  

From a tourists perspective there are brewery tours that you can go on to learn about how beers and ales are made.  They also go into the history so you can see what an effect this business had on the town.  

You’ll also be able to try some of the beers in the brewery cafe if you are keen on the different kinds.   I’ll confess I’m NOT a beer person, although my husband is.  

We didn’t manage a tour as time wasn’t on our side, but can confirm that the cafe is indeed lovely as we had an enjoyable lunch there! They also do really nice vegan options.  

Cost: Tours are available and cost £18 per person (correct as at 2021).  They are for 16 years plus only (16-17 year olds need to be accompanied by an adult) and you can see more about the tours and book here.  

Theatre Royal

bury st edmunds theatre royal

The Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is special in that its the only regency period playhouse still in use in the UK today.  It perhaps doesn’t look too much from the outside but inside is a different story! The theatre was built in 1819 and has a lot of the original features still present.

Inside you can have a tour of the theatre and learn about its history.  They’ll show you behind the scenes and talk you through what makes this an important piece of our heritage.  

There are a couple of tour options available.  First is the basic tour which run from February to November on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11am.  You can book online.

Cost: the cost is £7.50 but is free if you are a National Trust member. They also do a more interactive tour called  a Close Encounter tour.  The guides are dressed up as they would have been in the Regency period and its a more engaging and entertaining tour.

See info and book the tours here. (2021 – tours not on at the moment but hopefully will be up and running again soon – theatres have taken a big hit with Covid so one to support if and when you can!)

Of course you could also take in a show while you are in Bury St Edmunds too – see their website for what is on while you’re visiting.  

Blue plaque walking trail

charles dickens angel hotel

From Charles Dickens to the donor of the clock collection in the museum, Frederic Gershom Parkington, there are a number of historic and renowned people with a connection to the town immortalised by blue plaques.  

You can take a walk around the town taking in and learning about these notable people.  It’s a small trail but might be of interest if you’re wandering around anyway!

You can get the blue plaque trail guide online here.  

Ale Trail

You might have guessed but if you like beer or ale then Bury St Edmunds is the place to be.

Including the small Nutshell pub and taking in a number of different drinking establishments, shops and of course the brewery as well the Ale Trail is what I like to call a socially acceptable pub crawl! It’s a great way to enjoy the history and culture of this amazing town.

You can find out more about the Ale Trail here.

Wander round the shops/ take in a coffee

bury st edmunds shops

Of course, being a market town, Bury St Edmunds has a raft of lovely shops to while your time away looking around!  I found the centre really pleasant with a mixture of big name stores and some interesting independents too.  

The streets are quaint and I loved that many of even the big name shops had buildings that didn’t detract from the character of the town with an old style look that you don’t see too often.  It’s compact and easy to get around. You’re spoiled for choice with coffee shops too – so many to choose from!  

West Stow Country Park

West Stow near Bury St Edmunds
(Image courtesy of Bury St Edmunds & Beyond)

Just outside Bury St Edmunds – just 7 miles to be precise is the West Stow Country Park which I hope you’ll forgive me for adding to this guide. It’s so close that it would be rude not to!

The country park itself is perfect for blowing away the cobwebs and having a walk around some gorgeous Suffolk countryside. If you travel with dogs, kids or just appreciate a bit of outdoor time then it will be perfect for you.

Not only do you have the amazing countryside though, you also get an amazing gem of a historical site there too.

West Stow also is the site of a recreated Anglo Saxon Village. It was based on an actual site that was there and built in the style of how it would have been. It’s been faithfully done and you’ll really get your head around what life was like in the past. I know for me it’s hard to imagine – these places help out so much there!

You’ll find opportunities to dress up (adults and kids!) and also a host of livestock around the village such as pigs and chickens to bring the smells and sounds of the past to life!

west stow anglo saxon village
(Image courtesy of Bury St Edmunds & Beyond)

(The Anglo-Saxon village isn’t suitable for dogs because of the animals there so do bear that in mind. Kids on the other hand are more than suited!)

Cost: The country park is free to go around, although parking is charged for – not too expensive though, £3 for over 2 hours.

The Anglo-Saxon village is £6 for an adult and £3 for a child or you can get the annual ticket which allows entrance to here and the museum in Bury St Edmunds for a whole year. That ticket is £12 for adults, £6 for kids and £40 for a family.

I hope you enjoyed this guide to the best places to visit when in Bury St Edmunds! Do let me know if you decide to visit and what you think about it!

Useful Information

Where to Stay

We spent a wonderful night in the very central Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds.  The location was perfect and our room looked out over the Abbey Gate as well. 

The Georgian hotel was quirky yet still high quality and we had a great stay there – I’d highly recommend it. 

The hotel also has a great restaurant and bar and they cater really well to dietary requirements – I was doing Veganuary and they were extremely well equipped and had lots of options.  Just having options is novel! 

You can see our full review of The Angel Hotel here

Getting there

Bury St Edmunds is in Suffolk and is situated about half way between Cambridge and Ipswich.  It’s well connected by road being on the A14. 

Parking is plentiful in the town with a number of long stay car parks within easy walking distance.   

Bury St Edmunds is also served by train with regular services from both Cambridge and Ipswich which are in turn easily reached from London.  It takes around 2 hours to get there, depending on which service you use.

For more information about the Abbey 1000 anniversary and celebrations visit www.abbeyofstedmund1000.co.uk; other details about places to visit in and around Bury St Edmunds can be found on www.burystedmundsandbeyond.co.uk

To book a stay at The Angel Hotel and dinner in The Eaterie Tel: 01284 714 007, www.theangel.co.uk. B&B from around £139 per night for two sharing.

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Things to do in Bury St Edmunds, an English town in Suffolk. Historical sites are numerous with the remains of a 1000 year old abbey, churches, cathedrals and a museum tying it all together. Brewery tours and an ale trail give a different idea of what to do in this small town in England. Bury St Edmunds history | Suffolk things to do | England history
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Kirsty Bartholomew

Kirsty Bartholomew is a travel expert and has been getting lost around the world for over 30 years and writing about it for over 10 of those. She loves to help people explore her favourite places in Scotland, England and beyond. She cannot stay away from historical sites.

2 thoughts on “Things to do in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk”

    • Nah we’re in Yorkshire. I do actually have some distant relatives who are from about 10 miles up the road from there though so I did a whole ‘who do you think you are’ and stalked the graveyard of the church for signs of them!!!

      Reply

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