History & Heritage   

Home to one of the most important monasteries in medieval Europe, Bury St Edmunds has witnessed feuding, intrigue, scandal and triumph in its past. A guided tour with our Association of Registered Tour Guides  will reveal all, while horse drawn carriage rides are a recent addition. Visitors seeking culture will find attention-grabbing attractions in the town and surrounding area, which include

In the town

St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Magnificent and awe inspiring, Suffolk’s only cathedral, with stunning Millennium tower
Abbey Gardens
Spacious central gardens, with the ruins of the once vast 11th century Benedictine abbey, plus café, aviary and Bury in Bloom summer floral displays
St Mary’s Church
One of the largest parish churches in the country and resting place of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII
The Norman Tower
Dating from 1120, the splendid tower houses the bells for the cathedral
The Great Churchyard
Ornate tombstones, including Martha Gosnold, whose explorer father Captain Gosnold named Martha’s Vineyard in her memory
Moyse’s Hall Museum
On the market place since 1180, a former gaol and police station; still looking good as the oldest building in town
Smiths Row - Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery
Housing local art, jewellery and ceramics in an elegant Robert Adam designed building, once the town’s Market Cross theatre
The Theatre Royal
The only surviving Regency theatre in England – a beautiful structure, great drama and guided tours
Greene King Brewery Museum
Founded in 1799, learn all about brewing, get a rooftop view of town – and taste the results in the Visitor Centre tap room!
The Suffolk Regiment Museum
Tells the history of the local regiment and its barracks from 1685
Bury St Edmunds Record Office
Talks and lectures, plus trace your own heritage – who do you think you are? 
Unitarian Meeting House   
Built in 1711, a fine example of English Baroque style, with an unusual double pulpit
The Guildhall
A medieval masterpiece, England’s oldest complete civic building
Magna Carta
The Barons met at Bury St Edmunds Abbey in 1214 to swear allegiance to each other to make King John seal the Great Charter at Runnymede in 1215
Museum of East Anglian Life
A fascinating 75 acre site unearthing the history and natural history of East Anglia
Bury St Edmunds Town Trust
Conserving the architectural heritage of Bury St Edmunds

Surrounding area

Pakenham Water Mill
18th century mill - still turning, still milling – flour available! As loved and used by the Hairy Bikers!
Ickworth House Park and Gardens
Elegant neoclassical National Trust property with wonderful rotunda, superb collection of paintings and portraits from Velazquez to Hogarth, airy West Wing restaurant plus fabulous gardens and grounds  What's on at Ickworth
West Stow Anglo Saxon Village
A reconstructed village in a riverside setting – get under their skin, see how they really lived and worked
Little Hall, Lavenham
Yellow-beamed 14th century house, once home of the fascinating Gayer-Anderson twins – military travellers and art collectors
Rougham Airfield
Regular and thrilling air shows displays, vintage planes and cars, and a small but perfectly formed museum
Blackthorpe Barn
A magnificently preserved 16th century threshing barn – the 100 foot long thatched roof one of the most spectacular in East Anglia
Kentwell Hall
Moated Tudor mansion in tranquil parkland at Long Melford; a rare breeds farm includes pigs, sheep, cattle, donkeys and goats
Euston Hall
Elegant home of the Duke of Grafton – 300 year-old house, craft shop, tea room, plant sales and river walks