Bury St Edmunds: UNLONDON with a murder mystery
Step off the train at Bury St Edmunds and you’ll be immediately transported to a time you thought had vanished – calm, no hustle and bustle, peace.
Bury, as it’s known locally, is a peaceful historic town with a laid-back vibe and a murder mystery involving England’s first patron Saint. Will you solve it?
Where is Bury St Edmunds in England
Bury St Edmunds is in Suffolk in the East of England, just 85 miles north-east of London. London to Bury St Edmunds by train is easy - you can travel via Ipswich or Stowmarket in an average of just over two hours.
What makes Bury St Edmunds special
Named after the original patron saint of England, Edmund was crowned King of East Anglia in 855 when he was 14 but was captured by the Vikings aged 28 and offered the chance to remain a puppet king if he renounced his Christianity. He refused, so the Danes tied him to a tree, fired arrows at him and chopped his head off. As they did.
A wolf found the head and when reunited with its body, the two miraculously fused back together. The burial place in Bury has never been found. Follow the clues and you might find it.
Activities to book in Bury St Edmunds
This and many more amazing things can be learnt on the regular tours of the town. Discover its role in the Magna Carta, Georgian squares, and literary links to Shakespeare and Dickens.
The Abbey of St Edmund was one of the richest and largest Benedictine monasteries in the country, but Henry VIII put paid to that. You can visit the Abbey ruins, wonder at Suffolk’s only cathedral, and stroll in the 14-acre Abbey Gardens.
What to do in Bury St Edmunds
The town centre is a lovely mix of eclectic independent stores, with the modern Arc Shopping Centre, and you can take a tour of the Greene King Brewery. Saturday is market day, when people from all around the surrounding countryside roll into town for locally-sourced food and ingredients. That’s as close to bustling as Bury gets! Oh, and people bring their pooches too – Bury is one of the UK’s Most Dog Friendly Towns as well as being Suffolk’s Foodie Capital.
Nearby, visit Nowton Park, West Stow Country Park and Ickworth Park and Gardens.
Lose yourself and discover in Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is the perfect place for pleasure and relaxation away from the capital. Just stroll care-free, lose yourself in the higgledy-piggledy streets, and see what you discover.
You may have seen Bury star in the 2019 film The Personal History of David Copperfield with Dev Patel and Tilda Swinton. Scenes were shot at Georgian Angel Hill where you can have an afternoon tea at The Angel Hotel. Dickens would actually stay at The Angel and would give readings of his work at the neighbouring Athenaeum.
Take in a show at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, the last remaining Regency playhouse in the country and one of the most beautiful, intimate and historic theatres in the world.
Beforehand, enjoy a pre-dinner drink in The Nutshell, the UK's smallest purpose-built pub. With a bar that measures just 15ft by 7ft, The Nutshell is in the Guinness Book of Records.
Where to stay in Bury St Edmunds
It has to be The Angel, where Dickens stayed, or the Ickworth, just outside Bury in a National Trust property.
Bury St Edmunds across all seasons
Throughout the year, Bury St Edmunds hosts events including Bury St Edmunds Spring Fayre, Hidden Gardens of Bury St Edmunds and Dragon Fest. Other highlights include Bury St Edmunds Food and Drink Festival, East Anglian Beer and Cider Festival, Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Panto. Don’t miss the Ghostly and Macabre Walks, which run during the later part of the year.
Getting to Bury St Edmunds by train from London
You can get to Bury St Edmunds by train from London Liverpool Street station, the journey takes around 2 hours 3 minutes, and has 1 change at Ipswich or Stowmarket station. Our trains are accessible and feature free Wi-fi and plug points in-between seats. First Class and catering is available on most of our London to Ipswich intercity services.
If you’re planning to stay overnight, you should check out our Weekender ticket, which lets you travel out on a Friday or Saturday, and return on a Sunday or Monday.
Book train ticket to Bury St Edmunds
FAQs about Bury St Edmunds staycation
On average, just a little over two hours.
Yes, most of the town centre is pedestrianised.
There is a vibrant and bustling market in Bury St Edmunds on Wednesdays and Saturdays that attracts thousands of people every week. With more than 70 regular stalls on Saturdays and 40 on Wednesdays, Bury St Edmunds Market has an excellent food offer including fruit and vegetables, meat, and fish stalls with fresh locally sourced seasonal produce. And that’s just the start…
With more than 1200 years of known history, Bury St Edmunds has so many historic hot spots!
Photography courtesy of Visit East of England