Enjoy a day out or weekend break in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Bury St Edmunds is one of Suffolk’s most popular towns, and one that’s growing at a rapid rate. It has pretty gardens, an impressive shopping scene, entertainment venues and many coffee shops and restaurants.
The town is a combination of old meets new. You’ll find a fascinating heritage and striking medieval and Georgian architecture, alongside modern glass fronted buildings such as the Arc Shopping Centre.
Throughout the year, the Abbey Gardens in the town centre are blooming. Spring and summer are a wonderful time to visit. Wander the grounds admiring the vibrant floral displays, visit a variety of birds at the aviary or take some time to relax at the peaceful water garden. Perfect for a family day out, there’s plenty of space to enjoy a picnic on the immaculate grass as well as a children’s play area, tennis courts and bowling green.
Take time to visit the stunning St Edmundsbury Cathedral. The Cathedral has a busy concert and recital calendar throughout the year and offers guided tours from May to end of September, Monday to Saturday at 11am.
The heritage and culture continues with the Norman Tower dating back to 1120 on Angel Hill and Moyse’s Hall Museum on Cornhill, which takes visitors on a journey through history. There are regular changing exhibitions and family-friendly events too!
The food scene offers something to suit all tastes and budgets. For a quick bite stop by one of the many cafés such as Paddy & Scott’s, Guat’s Up or Gastrono-me. The Old Cannon Brewery is worth a visit for breakfast, lunch or dinner – it brews its own beer on-site! For fine dining and cocktails head to the Northgate, a stylish restaurant and boutique hotel located in a gorgeous Georgian town house. For something a little quirky, visit The Nutshell, the UK’s smallest pub! The grade II listed building only allows 15 customers at a time.
Those looking to extend their visit with an overnight stay should bed down at the Angel Hotel, which has recently undergone a refurbishment for the first time in 50 years. The new look nods towards its heritage which includes visits from Charles Dickens.
For evening entertainment, check out the extensive programme at The Apex. The venue hosts a diverse mix of concerts and performances including classical, pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, comedy, dance and more.
There’s plenty to keep visitors occupied in this delightful Suffolk town! It’s very dog friendly too – check out Bury St Edmunds doggy initiative.
