Suffolk Holiday Cottage days out – Bury St Edmunds

With prominent shopping, an award winning market and a picturesque heritage, Bury St Edmunds is the ideal place to spend a fantastic day out. It’s a unique, historic gem, just half an hour from your Suffolk holiday cottage.

So what are we going to share with you in this episode of our ‘Grand days out’?

* Bury St Edmunds overview

* Abbey Gardens

* Harriets Cafe Tearooms

* Pea Porridge

There are countless attractions and places in Bury St Edmunds to eat and drink, but this guide will highlight some of our favourites. It’s only a 30 minute drive from your Suffolk holiday cottage.

Bury St Edmunds

Bury is a market town in the heart of Suffolk which is known for its excellent shopping of both national brands and independent boutiques, as well as the fantastic range of food outlets. Being the home of King Edward VI, it is filled with historic culture and fascinating monuments.

The Arc shopping centre is bustling with high street fashion. But if you go into the centre of the town on a market day, you will see that it is packed with over 80 stalls where you can try local foods or treat yourself to a gift. There are also lots of little streets such as St John’s Street which have lots of sweet boutiques and quirky stores, some of which are pictured below. The thing I love about Bury St Edmunds is that this is the first place I have seen that has successfully (in my opinion) merged modern architecture (of which I am not a fan) with the historic parts of the town.

If you want to see some history then look no further. The Moyse’s Hall Museum, the Cathedral and of course the Abbey Gardens are recommended places to visit.

There’s always something going on whether it’s a show in the Apex or the Theatre Royal, plus there’s always the Food and Drink festival in August, which I have also written about. If you fancy seeing a film, instead of going to the big Cineworld cinema why not go down Hatter Street and go to the Abbeygate Cinema where you can get cosy on the sofas when watching a film. Such a great experience!

Abbey Gardens

One thing you must do when coming to Bury St Edmunds is visit the Abbey Gardens! The combination of floral beauty, ancient monument ruins and other features including the aviary, tennis courts, river Lark, and bowling green make it the perfect place to bring a picnic and spend the afternoon.

The impressive ruins are dated back to the Medieval times, and were once a place of rest for King Edward VI. The Abbey Gardens has existed for over 1000 years, and you can unfold its history by visiting.

Harriets Cafe Tearooms

If it’s breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, Harriets has lots to offer with its fresh, tasty food and excellent service. The setting is unique with regular live piano music inside to really set the scene. Harriets is based in the town centre and is popular among residents and visitors.

The menu consists of many flavours of tea including chocolate orange, chamomile flowers and Harriets special blend. They provide a range of hot and cold dishes including traditional sandwiches, salmon fishcakes, roasted vegetable couscous, and of course their famous Afternoon Teas. The Special Afternoon Tea includes hot drinks, sandwiches, freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream, followed by fresh miniature pastries and macaroons. A strong recommendation from myself!

Pea Porridge

With impressive Trip Advisor reviews, Pea Porridge is really something special. Being based down Canon Street it’s only a five minute walk from the town centre. Its quirky yet cosy interior and excellent service makes it an ideal restaurant if you’re looking for a romantic vibe.

Evening dishes include Tuscan style venison risotto, slow braised hare leg and sea bream fillet. They also provide lunch from a Thursday to Saturday.

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, this is ideal for you.

I do hope you enjoy your time in Bury St Edmunds, whether you’re staying in a Suffolk holiday cottage here, or not. If you haven’t experienced this beautiful area and you’d like to come and see what it’s all about for yourself then why not check out our Availability & Prices page and get yourself booked in for a stay here at Woodfarm. Please pass this link on to anyone you think may be interested to read it.