East of England Visitor Guide 2018

BURY ST
EDMUNDS
Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds
Portrait of Matthew Vernon (Sub Dean) of
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Few places in England can match the
beauty, character and history of Bury St
Edmunds. Rich in legend and folklore, the
town has been admired down the years by
visitors and authors from Daniel Defoe to
Charles Dickens.
The town grew up around the powerful
Abbey of St Edmund in early medieval
times. Evidence of St Edmundsbury’s past
and present is all around. Town and village
streets, magnificent parish churches, and
unspoiled landscapes throw light on an
England that elsewhere has long been lost.
It’s a wonderful town to visit, with almost
1,000 preserved buildings and a network of
streets that still follow the grid pattern
devised by the abbots in the 11th century.
Take the Abbey Trail through the town and
visit the old Abbey Ruins; the remains of the
great Benedictine Abbey, destroyed in
the dissolution of 1539.
The Abbey Gardens are well known for its
stunning floral displays. St Edmundsbury
Cathedral was mostly built in the 16th century
and has been a cathedral since 1914 but
in recent years has been completed with the
addition of a new Gothic style lantern tower.
The town has excellent leisure and
shopping facilities and is at its busiest on
Wednesdays and Saturdays when people
flock to the Buttermarket and Cornhill to
visit one of the best provision markets in
the East of England. The town is a shopper’s
delight, where every sort of store from the
large high street names to family-run businesses
and fascinating small gift shops sit
comfortably side-by-side.
Visit the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds; a
restored Regency playhouse with a yearround
programme of performances. The
Apex is the town’s hub for entertainment.
It hosts events, music, comedy shows and
more throughout the year. Don’t miss the
Bury St Edmunds Festival from 18-27 May; 10
days of great music, theatre, film and exhibitions
taking place throughout the town.
Other buildings to admire include the
Victorian Corn Exchange; Cupola House,
where Daniel Defoe once stayed; the Angel
Hotel, where Charles Dickens and his creation
Mr Pickwick stayed; and The Nutshell,
owned by Greene King and declared the
smallest pub in the country.
Image credits: Visit Suffolk | www.visitsuffolk.com
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