Explore Bury St Edmunds While on Business

To truly appreciate Bury St Edmunds and its history in just 90 minutes, then you cannot go wrong with a walking tour.

The tour of the historic centre of Bury St Edmunds includes the Abbey Gate, the Abbey Gardens and Abbey Ruins, the statue of St Edmund, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, St Mary’s Churchyard, Church Walks, Guildhall Street, Hatter Street, Abbeygate Street and the main market area.

Find out about the legend of St Edmund and the wolf, Bury St Edmunds’ connections to the Magna Carta, where Charles Dickens stayed, and the final resting place of a French Queen and Henry VIII’s beloved sister. Hear about the story of the great Abbey - once one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage sites whilst visiting the ruins and see the oldest Norman building in the country and the second oldest building in England.

The Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides are all green or blue badge registered having completed their training with the National Institute of Tour Guiding. With years of experience and with a love of Bury St Edmunds, its history and people and a great sense of humour, the tour guides will ensure you see the best that Bury St Edmunds has to offer.

Tours start outside the Cathedral Visitor Information Point on Angel Hill, and last 90 minutes. They are all in English. Tickets may be booked online or bought on the day at the Cathedral Visitor Information Point.

The Abbey Gardens in the heart of Bury St Edmunds is the perfect spot for enjoying peace and quiet in between meetings whilst watching the world go by.

The award-winning 14-acre park is on the site of a former Benedictine Abbey, the Abbey of St Edmund, once a power house of medieval England. Internationally renowned for its colourful and attractive displays and the heritage of its backdrop make the gardens a very special place to visit and visitors come from all over the world to see it.

With free entry and a multitude of areas to explore including the Pilgrim's herb garden, the Appleby rose garden, the sensory garden, the garden of reflection, the water garden, plus the riverside and aviary, this is a place to get away from it all.

For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ’s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage.

The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral has continued to develop over recent years with the addition of the Millennium Tower, completed in 2005, and its magnificent painted and gilded vault, added in 2010.

The Cathedral is open to visitors every day throughout the year. Visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations appreciated.

With a bar that measures just 15ft by 7ft, The Nutshell proudly holds the title of smallest pub in Britain as confirmed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Located in the heart of the historic Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, The Nutshell has been proud to serve customers jostling for a place at the bar since it first started serving beer in 1867.

Now a major tourist attraction for local and worldwide visitors, The Nutshell continues the tradition of serving some of the region's finest ales, and providing a bar not just full of customers, but interesting historical items, photos and memorabilia. From a mummified cat and currency notes on the ceiling to historical photos, military items and a plane propeller on the walls there is much to view and talk about while you enjoy a drink.

Bury St Edmunds is the home of brewer Greene King so why not take a Greene King Brewery Tour to see how real beer is brewed using natural ingredients and traditional brewing methods.

Their friendly and very knowledgeable guides will take you on a tour around the beautiful and historic working Brewhouse, and show you the view of the historical Bury St Edmunds from their roof. Your tour will end with a tutored tasting of their beers in the Beer Café before heading off with a free bottle of beer of your choice.

Tours are £16 per person, £18 on weekends and evenings. After enjoying your tour and a tasting session, take home a free bottle of beer of your choice.

There's so much more to see and do in Bury St Edmunds and Beyond - check out our Places to Stay Guide and come back and visit us again soon!