Abbey Gatehouse Bury St Edmunds dating from the 14th century
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower
Alfresco cafes in Bury St Edmunds town centre
Original Abbey ruins in the Abbey Gardens
15th Century Guildhall Porch Bury St Edmunds
Carving on the walls around St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Specialist shops in Bury St Edmunds town centre
Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery. The building was designed by Robert AdamCathedral town Bury St Edmunds is a jewel in West Suffolk containing a wealth of historic architecture spanning several periods from Norman and medieval to Art Deco and contemporary. The iconic St Edmundsbury Cathedral is the town's centrepiece whilst the original Abbey ruins are located in the beautifully floral Abbey Gardens. Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery housed in a building designed by Robert Adam and the rare surviving Regency playhouse, the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds are two other, among many, architectural gems in the town.
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Bury St Edmunds is ideally situated for touring both Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Direct trains from Bury St Edmunds run to both Ely and Cambridge. Around Bury St Edmunds town centre sit numerous stylish cafes and restaurants, two weekly historic markets and fantastic specialist shops and funky shopping quarters. Accommodation in Bury St Edmunds is as stunning as the town's architecture and includes Grade listed Bury St Edmunds B&Bs, beautiful period holiday cottages and historic country inn hotels.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds is Suffolk's famous cathedral, site of pilgrimage for over 1000 years. Today's St Edmundsbury Cathedral is a spectacular mix of architecture spanning numerous periods from medieval and Victorian to contemporary architecture. The Millennium Tower was completed in 2005 whilst original Abbey ruins are scattered around beautiful Abbey Gardens.
The cathedral's history stretches far back to the founding of the Abbey after the death of Edmund, King of the East Angles who was killed by the Danes in 869. Edmund's body was brought to what was then Bedericesworth (Bury St Edmunds). The Benedictine Abbey then evolved around Edmund's shrine and was a major site of pilgrimage for St Edmund was patron saint of England prior to St George.
The church of St James did not become St Edmundsbury Cathedral until 1914 and since this date the cathedral has seen many modern additions including a new Quire, North Transept and the stunning Millennium Tower. Much of the beautiful stained glass in St Edmundsbury Cathedral is Victorian.
Frequent guided tours of the cathedral are available and St Edmundsbury is open daily to visitors. Adjacent to the cathedral is the Edmund Gallery which has changing art exhibitions and The Refectory cafe restaurant on-site serves fine Suffolk local produce and a great choice of vegetarian dishes. Find the Cathedral Shop which sells a range of gifts, cards and local guidebooks on Angel Hill near the main cathedral entrance.
The Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is one of the town's jewel attractions. First opened in 1819, Bury's beautiful Theatre Royal is the only surviving Regency playhouse in Britain designed by acclaimed architect William Wilkins who also designed the National Gallery in London. In recent times the Theatre Royal has been fully restored to its original 1819 glory and visitors can take guided tours of this unique theatre in Britain.
From cutting edge drama, music and dance to regular comedy nights and comedy plays, the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds offers an eclectic mix of theatre shows all year round.
Bury St Edmunds has been the site of the Green King brewery since 1799. Visitors can discover the history of Suffolk's famous brewery Greene King, producers of the famous Abbot Ale and Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and more at the fascinating Greene King Visitor Centre in Bury St Edmunds.
The Greene King Visitor Centre features a museum containing detailed story boards on the history of the brewery. The art of brewing is also given due attention and tours of the historic working brewhouse are also available. The Greene King brewhouse was rebuilt in 1938 and contains stunning Art Deco architecture.
Tightly packed and easily toured on foot, Bury St Edmunds is a special historic location in England with a dazzling array of historic buildings and architecture spanning several periods from Norman and medieval to Regency theatre and Art Deco brewery. The magnificent ruins of the original Abbey sit proundly in beautiful Abbey Gardens, a good starting point for your tour of Bury St Edmunds. Exquisite flower displays feature in Abbey Gardens alongside play areas, crazy golf and putting green, rose garden, wildlife feeding area and aviary. The River Lark is at the eastern border of Abbey Gardens and the great gatehouse entrance dates from the 14th century.
Dating from about 1180, Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds is housed within a surviving Norman House, the oldest town house in East Anglia! Exhibits on the famous Victorian melodrama of the Murder in the Red Barn feature inside the museum alongside many unusual objects such as mummified cats and old shoes actually built into the walls of the property to warn off evil spirits.
Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery is housed within a classic Grade I listed building designed by the architect Robert Adam. Other popular Bury St Edmunds museums include The Suffolk Regiment Museum and the wealth of historic buildings in Bury St Edmunds includes the imposing Norman Tower at the foot of Churchgate Street and medieval St Mary's Church built between 1290 and 1490. The great 15th century porch of the Guildhall is located on Guildhall Street.
Bury St Edmunds Markets have a rich and long history dating back to before the Norman conquest. Todays markets centre around the central Buttermarket and Cornhill areas of the town and take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Visit Bury St Edmunds Tourist Information Centre for an extensive choice of leaflet guides, maps and Bury St Edmunds gifts and souvenirs. The tourist information centre is located on Angel Hill opposite the Abbey Gate entrance to Abbey Gardens.
Bury St Edmunds in West Suffolk is ideally situated for touring both Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Direct trains from Bury St Edmunds run to both Ely and Cambridge as well as to Stansted Airport, Ipswich and through trains to Norwich (National Express East Anglia). Bury St Edmunds essentially sits at the centre of a triangle of top tourist locations in East Anglia which include the historic cities of Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich. By Road Bury St Edmunds is located on the fast A14 road, off at junction 43. The A14 is a major connector road in East Anglia. Harwich ferry port to the south east of Bury St Edmunds is within easy driving distance for visitors arriving from Northern Europe.
A premier accommodation base, Bury St Edmunds town centre offers visitors all you'd expect from a stunning English cathedral town with a bustling arts scene. Stylish cafes with alfresco seating in summer, the finest of restaurants, markets full of market stalls with Suffolk local produce and a delicious mix of specialist shops, beautiful gardens and funky new shopping quarters can all be found aplenty in Bury St Edmunds town centre.
A selection of Suffolk's finest accommodation can be found in Bury St Edmunds. Discover stunning period holiday cottages in Bury St Edmunds listed here on iknow East Anglia. Grade listed B&Bs in Bury St Edmunds are numerous and you will find ample choice of historic coaching inn B&B accommodation in Bury St Edmunds. For group holidays in East Anglia find outstanding converted historic properties for group and large family holidays in Bury St Edmunds listed here on iknow East Anglia.
The Suffolk countryside around Bury St Edmunds also contains an outstanding choice of luxury farmhouse B&B accommodation, charming holiday cottages and camping and caravan parks near Bury St Edmunds.
