Bury St Edmunds: A Medieval Market Town

Bury St Edmunds is a vibrant and friendly market town in Suffolk, loved for its historic architecture, many green spaces – and excellent food scene.

People move to Bury St Edmunds for its perfect combination of bustling urban life and beautiful countryside. With a choice of schools and lots of child-friendly attractions, Bury St Edmunds is popular among families with young children.

You’re not far from Ipswich and Cambridge – but with shops, restaurants and attractions this good, why would you want to be anywhere else?

Life in Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Great news for all of us who enjoy good food – Bury St Edmunds has been declared “Suffolk’s Foodie Capital”. The town centre has a wonderful variety of places to eat and drink, and look out for pop-up restaurants and food markets selling local produce. Outside town, it seems that every village has a welcoming old inn offering home-cooked pub favourites.

It’s also a great place to shop, with a good blend of high street stores and quirkier independents. Wander around the medieval streets and Georgian squares, enjoying the bustling atmosphere as well as the shopping.

Our favourite thing to do in Bury St Edmunds? Pick up some locally made treats from one of Bury’s lovely delis, then find a bench in the sun in the beautiful Abbey Gardens. Finish your day with an evening at the Theatre Royal or the Abbeygate Cinema.

A family day in Bury St Edmunds

There’s so much for families to do in Bury St Edmunds – your weekends and school holidays will simply fly by. Nowton Park is a huge favourite among local families. This free-to-visit 200-acre park features a playground, two arboretums, a maze, a lime avenue, two all-weather pitches, a lakeside walk and a bird feeding area. It’s close to our Abbots Vale development: perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

In town, Horrible Histories fans will love the displays at the Moyse’s Hall Museum, and the tower tour at St Edmundsbury Cathedral is a must for those with a good head for heights. The cathedral also hosts a free drop-in session for under-fives.

On your doorstep

You’ll find plenty to explore outside town, too. The idyllic waterside gardens at Fullers Mill are just ten minutes from town, as is the recreated settlement at West Stow Country Park & Anglo Saxon Village. Dress up as Anglo Saxon villagers for the day to really immerse yourself in Suffolk’s history. Cycle around the National Trust Ickworth Estate, or explore the waterside trails at Lackford Lakes.

It’s excellent walking country, with plenty of routes taking you through rolling hills, ancient woodlands and appealing little villages. Don’t miss Lavenham, the “prettiest village in England” and if you want to travel a bit further afield, you’re about an hour from the Norfolk Broads National Park and a similar distance from Suffolk’s stunning Heritage Coast.

Easy Connections

Transport links

Both Ipswich and Cambridge are less than 30 miles by road from Bury St Edmunds, and it’s just half an hour by train to Ipswich. If you want to travel to London by rail, change at Cambridge for the Liverpool Street train – the journey takes about two and a quarter hours.

Norwich Airport is 44 miles away, with Stansted just a bit further at 49 miles. The ferry port at Harwich is around 55 miles from Bury St Edmunds.

Education in Bury St Edmunds

There’s a wide choice of nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools in Bury St Edmunds. For further education, there’s Abbeygate Sixth Form College, while West Suffolk College offers degrees. Cambridge is about 30 miles away, and there’s also a university in Ipswich, the University of Suffolk.

Move to Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is a wonderful place to live. Our Hopkins Homes new-build development at Bury St Edmunds, Abbots Vale, is close to Nowton Park. Footpaths and cycle routes take you straight to the park, helping you to enjoy the beautiful, natural surroundings.