Top Ice Cream Spots in Bury St Edmunds & Beyond

The Abbey Gate has stood on Angel Hill for hundreds of years and is an iconic ;landmark in Bury St Edmunds - part of the Abbey of St Edmund but not the original - the originbal was destroyed by the townspeople during riots and rebellions!

Ice cream lovers are spoilt for choice at Lotties on Angel Hill. There's a mouthwatering selection of ice cream to choose from and waffles and churros to add to it too.

Toppings include 'Cookie Monster' with Oreo gelato, crushed Oreo pieces with white chocolate and chocolate sauce; 'Unicorn Magic' with candyfloss gelato, chopped nuts and Nutella sauce; and 'All About the Biscoff' a vegan based waffle with Biscoff spread, vegan vanilla gelato, sliced banana and crushed Biscoff.

Ice cream carts also lined the bottom of Abbeygate Street and Angel Hill offering ice cream options. Pomodorro offers Italian ice cream including vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.

Ice cream may not be your first thought when you visit Hendo's fish and chip shop in Abbeygate Street but they offer a tasty selection of Jersey ice creams from their ice cream cart! Hendo's offers cones and cups and whippy cups including oreo, sbiscoff, kinder bueno, mint aero, eton mess and salted caramel.

Prima Vista also offers Italian Gelato.

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

The award-winning 14-acre Abbey Gardens is on the site of the former Benedictine Abbey, the Abbey of St Edmund, once one of the richest, largest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. People came from all over England and further afield to visit the Shrine of St Edmund and it became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England, visited by royalty.

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. It's also in VisitEngland's top free attractions in the UK.

You can grab a delicious ice cream from Ground's Cafe situated by the bird aviary.

Gelato is softer, lower in fat & more intensely flavoured than regular ice cream, this is because gelato uses less cream and is churned at a much slower speed which introduces less air into the product giving it a dense, rich consistency. Gelato is best served at a slightly higher temperature than ice cream which ensures that is it perfectly soft when eaten.

Grounds Cafe gelato is made at their company kitchen on the outskirts of Cambridge, the machines that slowly churn the gelato to ensure a perfectly soft consistently are powered by the sun from the solar panels on their roof. All of the milk and cream used to make the Gelato are sourced from local businesses.

There are many delicious flavours to choose from like bubblegum, chocolate, vanilla, very berry, strawberry, mint choc chip, and salted caramel and many more.

Grab an ice cream from Pilgrim's Kitchen and take a seat on the many picnic benches on the Garth overlooking a majestic view of St Edmundsbury Cathedral.

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. The Cathedral building 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. In 2009 the Cathedral changed its dedication to become the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund.

The cathedral is also lovely and cool and visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations gratefully received. A free introductory leaflet is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Polish. Visitors are most welcome to attend any of the daily services.

There's nothing better than strolling through lime avenue at Nowton Park with an ice crea, Lime avenue is one of the finest examples in the UK and was planted around 1880 to give the estate a sense of grandeur. In spring over 100,000 daffodils bloom beneath the trees.

If you want to brun off the ice cream then Nowton Park also has a fantastic maze in the shape of a stylised oak tree (in commemoration of the Oakes family who were the former estate owners). The maze is open from May to October every year and is south of the park, 2km from the main car park. There are 2,500 hornbeam trees that make up over two miles of hedging, maintained at a height of around two metres. The centre of the maze is marked by a fastigiate oak (with upright branches).

If you're looking for a more relaxing view then there are two ponds which is home to moorhens, mallards and the occasional grey heron.

You can grab a delicious ice cream from Ground's Cafe at the park.

Situated in the historic village of Lavenham, Hadley's Ice Cream Parlour is a must-visit for ice cream lovers, and the perfect way to cool down on a warm day!

The Parlour serves a wide selection of ice creams, sorbets and lollies, all made on the family farm in the beautiful Colne Valley in Essex. Flavours include caramel & pecan, elderflower & lime, chocolate, espresso coffee, hazelnut, lemon curd, passion fruit curd, piscatchio, raspberries & cream, rum & raisin, salted caramel and vanilla.

Once you have your ice cream, stroll along Lavenham High Street. With its Tudor houses, crooked, half-timbered cottages and 15th Century Wool church, it’s easy to understand why the streets of Lavenham have been used as background for TV and films including Lovejoy and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Did you know that ice cream was a favourite of the Hervey family of Ickworth? They have a wide range of copper ice cream moulds specifically made for the family, which are on display in the house, as well as ice cream spaddles (very long spatulas used to churn ice cream).

The best spot to enjoy ice cream at this stunning National Trust property just outside Bury St Edmunds is the Italianate Gardens.

There are benches and tables and chairs just outside the West Wing looking out onto the garden, which encircles the Rotunda; a mix of classical Italy and a touch of drama with a gothic-style stumpery.

The West Wing and Porters Lodge cafés both offer a selection of ice creams.

Visit our Food and Drink Directory for more yummy food and drink businesses in Bury St Edmunds and Beyond!