Days Out in Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is a medieval Suffolk town with fantastic features such as historical architecture, the Cathedral, plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants, plus the famous Bury St Edmunds Abbey, which is surrounded by the Abbey Gardens.

Getting to Bury St Edmunds is easy, with many buses available from surrounding areas and trains from London taking roughly 2 hours, plus great connection routes for those driving. From Bury St Edmunds Train Station there are hourly local trains to Cambridge and Ipswich and every second hour a semi-fast service runs to London Liverpool St (via Ipswich & Colchester) and to Ely & Peterborough. Two Ipswich-bound stopping trains are extended through to Harwich International.

Two festivals take place in May each year in Bury St Edmunds – The Fringe Festival – with loads of live entertainment in the form of comedy, music, dance, theatre & street performance – and the Bury St Edmunds Festival – a 17-day festival offering an exciting mix of contemporary and classical music, outdoor concerts, jazz, folk, opera, dance, film, poetry, comedy, walks, street theatre and much more.

Go Ape Thetford Forest is just North of Bury St Edmunds but well worth the short journey. Go Ape is all about having fun, being adventurous & getting outdoors for a great day out. Come swinging through the trees – you won’t find anything like it! Go Ape!

If walking, hiking, rambling and other outdoor activities sound too much like hard work for you, why not opt for a pampering day out in Bury St Edmunds instead? At the SK Clinic & Spa, you can indulge yourself in one of the many beauty and relaxation treatments on offer.

The Clinic provides a huge variety of treatments to choose from for both men and women, which include facials, massages, body wraps, hand & feet treats, Fake Bake tanning, make-overs, hot towel shaves, as well as luxurious treatment packages that can be completely customised by the client to suit their skin needs and concerns. Days out in Bury St Edmunds need not be a tiring experience!

Ickworth House, is a spectacular National Trust property open to visitors. Within this architectural oddity you will find a renowned collection of paintings, portraits, furniture and other treasures. The estate offers a great day out for visitors including tours of the house, a vineyard and a children’s play area.

Just 7 miles north-east of Bury St Edmunds is the Pakenham Water Mill which is the only 18th Century Water Mills still operating and open to the public. There is also a working Windmill in the parish of Pakenham nearby so this is well worth the day out. There is a Tea Room, located in the Miller’s House, serving teas, coffees and home-made cakes. The Water Mill is a haven for wildlife and at the rear of the mill is a tranquil setting where you can walk, sit and enjoy a cup of tea and cake and watch the swans on the millpool. This historical landmark makes for a very popular day out for tourists, ramblers, school parties, local artists and families alike.

Why not continue your day out in Bury St Edmunds by taking in a play or a musical at the Theatre Royal? Built in 1819, the beautiful theatre is one of the three oldest playhouses in Britain and the only Theatre on the National Trust’s Portfolio of properties – well worth viewing in its own right.

You will have definitely worked up an appetite during you day out, and Bury St Edmunds offers a number of wonderful places to eat, drink and relax in. Check out these centrally located restaurants:
– Maison Bleue Restaurant (Winner of the East of England ‘Good Food Guide’ Restaurant of the Year 2010 & 2012!) for fabulous French cuisine:
– The Old Cannon Brewerywhich has a great reputation for serving the ‘bounty of the county’ and a brasserie menu, Cannon Fodder, which can all be enjoyed whilst watching beer being made on the premises!

You could grab a tasty or arty treat from the Whelnetham Community Centre for their Craft and Farmers’ Market that takes place every second Sunday of the month, and those of you that fancy a spot of shopping during your day out in Bury St Edmunds you will not be disappointed as the town is the main cultural and retail centre for West Suffolk!

The Just Traid Centre, is a not-for-profit association set up by local churches that includes a great shop and café selling produce from Fair Trade suppliers – the proceeds of which are given to nominated charities to assist in alleviating poverty in developing countries.

As there are so many things to do and see in Bury St Edmunds, you might want to stay overnight. There are many great and unusual accommodation options to choose from just click on the link for our list of all places to stay in Bury St Edmunds.

Finally, after spending a day out in Bury St Edmunds, seeing the sights and enjoying the many things to do, you will see that the town is very romantic and would make a wonderfully memorable location for a wedding ceremony, reception or honeymoon!!