Explore Bury St Edmunds
Discover local attractions, delightful eateries, and hidden gems that make this area special. Enjoy a seamless stay with all the comforts of home, right at your fingertips.
Sicklesmere
A vibrant yet traditional village just 2.8 miles from the historic Bury St Edmunds town centre, this spacious home is perfect for a Suffolk getaway.
Sicklesmere Stores
The village has a very well stocked Shop, just 100 yards from the house. The Shop/Post Office offer a wide selection of farm-fresh produce, premium dairy, meats, bakery items, pantry staples, and more—all sourced with quality in mind.
Whether you’re stocking up for the week or picking up a few essentials, they’ve got most things you will need.
The shop opening hours are 9am until 5.30pm Monday-Friday, 9am – 12pm Saturday and closed Sundays.
Bus Route
The local bus stop is outside the village Shop which is 100m away with regular stops going both ways, either in to Bury St Edmunds Town Centre or in to Sudbury Town Centre
Rushbrooke Arms Pub
Carry on past the Shop another 150 yards is our amazing village pub called The Rushbrooke Arms. Offering a fantastic food and drinks menu 7 days a week.
The menu can be found here: www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/suffolk/rushbrooke-arms/menu
A traditional pub, the Rushbrooke Arms, found in the heart of Sicklesmere, is the perfect dining out spot for you and all the family. With Bury St Edmunds, the home of Greene King Bury! The endless menu, specialising in all things grilled, has something to satisfy everyone with sizzling steaks, juicy burgers and succulent skewers. Relax in the beer garden as your little ones let loose in the outdoor play area and sip away on a cold glass of your favourite drink from the bar. A dog-friendly pub with free Wi-Fi makes for the perfect pit stop when you’re looking for a cosy catch-up with your loved ones – we even offer private functions for your special occasions!
Hennessey’s
A family run fine foods shop, where who offer a unique combination of high quality produce from the Butchery, Shop, Deli, and Café.
Hennessey’s Butchery provides the highest quality meats, sourced from East Anglian Farms, prepared in store by their Butcher. In the café, you can enjoy a delicious light meal made with fresh ingredients, while sipping on a cup of their signature Butterworths coffee. The cozy café is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal with friends or family.
You can see what they offer here: www.hennesseylifestyle.co.uk
Discover Local Culture
Theatre Royal
Built in 1819, this Grade 1 listed playhouse is the only surviving example of a Regency theatre in the UK. It is the only theatre open to the public in the National Trust’s portfolio of properties. Fully restored to its Georgian splendour, the intimate auditorium and exquisite decorative scheme will provide visitors with an unforgettable and unique theatrical experience. Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds presents a vibrant, year-round programme of drama, music, dance and stand-up comedy. We also offer regular tours of the building, contact our Box Office to book a space on one of our tours.
The theatre was built in 1819 by William Wilkins, an architect who, like Robert Adam, drew his inspiration from classical architecture. His most famous works are the National Gallery, London; Downing College, Cambridge; and University College, London. Wilkins had bid for the contract to rebuild the Drury Lane Theatre in 1811 but had been unsuccessful.
The Wilkins family were shareholders in the Norwich circuit of theatres and Bury St Edmunds was the most profitable stop. The previous playhouse was in the centre of town, on the upper floor of the market hall. Although the Market Cross building had been remodelled by Robert Adam in 1774, Wilkins felt it was inadequate.
In 1818, Wilkins purchased a piece of land on Westgate Street for £200. He clearly did not choose this spot for the convenience of his audience. Westgate Street was on the southern edge of the town, which was rapidly expanding on the opposite, northern side. An 1827 book about Bury St Edmunds noted:
The present Theatre is neat and convenient, situate in West-gate-street, it was erected in 1819, but the situation, being so distant from the centre of the town is a source of regret and loss to the proprietors.1
It seems that Wilkins chose this location because of its natural slope. This enabled the pit to be made low enough so as not to obscure the view from the boxes without requiring an excessive amount of excavation.
The theatre offers fantastic shows, please visit the website to see what’s on.
Discover Local Outdoors
Abbey Gardens
A visit to Bury St Edmunds would not be complete without a stroll through the Abbey Gardens. Developed on the site of St Edmund’s Abbey, one of the largest and most important Benedictine abbeys in medieval England, the six acre gardens are a mix of formal floral displays, intimate garden ‘rooms’, an aviary, crazy golf, bowling green and children’s play area.
The abbey ruins are still there, offering an amazing backdrop to this popular and carefully thought out communal space.
Bury St Edmunds is famous for being bedecked in blooms during the spring and summer, when there are over 500 hanging baskets and pots throughout the town. This led to winning gold in the 2018 RHS Britain in Bloom competition and other such accolades.
Discover Local Outdoors
Ickworth House & Park
Enjoy the treasures within Ickworth; Georgian silver, Regency furniture, Old Masters and family portraits by famous artists such as Gainsborough and Hogarth. Explore the Servants’ quarters in the basement under the Rotunda which have been restored to what they were like in the 1930s and discover the stories below the stairs.
Stroll around the earliest Italianate Gardens in the UK which includes a Mediterranean Temple Garden and a magical Victorian Stumpery. Or why not go further? Wander down to our Walled Garden dating to Tudor times. Perhaps you are feeling more adventurous and want to follow one of the many trails and cycle rides into the wider park spanning 1800 acres.
Spend a day at Ickworth, there’s so much to see indoors and outdoors and great visitor facilities including ample parking, a café, golf buggy service to the main House and National Trust gift and plant shop.
Discover Local Outdoors
Kentwell Hall & Gardens
Kentwell Hall is Suffolk’s hidden gem and one of England’s finest Tudor Houses that stands within the most extensive moat in the county. The House is reached by a 3/4 mile long avenue of ancient Lime Trees. The House is a classic example of an Elizabethan e-Plan manor House and was probably started in the reign of Henry VIII.
Kentwell’s gardens and grounds that extend to over 30 acres are often described as ‘magical’ and you will see why when visiting
the Walled & Sunken gardens with their unique and special interest features, and as quoted ‘there is a surprise around every corner’. What makes Kentwell truly unique is that many Tudor buildings still exist including the Moat House; that is used during Kentwell’s many special events that run throughout the year.
A day is never long enough to spend at Kentwell.
Discover Local Outdoors
Easton Farm
Award winning farm park set in 35 acres of beautiful Suffolk scenery. They offer a daily activities programme for the children including pony and cart and train rides as well as the opportunity to meet some of our animals, all included in the entrance price.
Discover Local Outdoors
Framlingham Castle
Come and explore Framlingham Castle’s diverse and colourful past.
It was once home to some of the most formidable names of Tudor England and it was behind these very walls that Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England. The castle then transformed into an Elizabethan prison and later a works House in the 17th century.
Embark on a journey of discovery around the magnificent wall walk.
At a spectacular 10.5 metres high, the curtain wall stood for more than 800 year. Look down if you dare.
Discover more of Framlingham’s stories in the interactive exhibition, take in spectacular views and try some home-made delights in the cafe.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/framlingham-castle/
Discover Local Outdoors
High Lodge
A fantastic family day out. Play, run, climb or cycle your way round High Lodge in Thetford Forest and experience nature at its finest. Discover the perfect adventure day in Thetford Forest. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from exploring the canopy at great height to tearing up the trails onboard all-terrain electric Segway’s. High Lodge website.
Tree Top Challenge
Ascend the tree tops to unleash your inner Tarzan. You’ll spend 2-3 hours in the trees tackling wobbly crossings, giant Tarzan Swings and zip wires, all up to 40ft off the floor.
Tree Top Adventure
All the fun of the classic Tree Top Adventure course, on a course designed with little monkeys in mind. They will enjoy an hour up in the tree tops, enjoying wooden obstacles, rope bridges and an epic zip wire finale.
Forest Segways
Explore the forest like never before. Cruise down the road less travelled as your blaze new trails onboard all-terrain electric segways. All you need is a good sense of balance (and adventure!)
Check availability, supervision and participation rules at www.goape.co.uk
Discover Local Brewery
Greene King Brewery
Greene King has been brewing quality cask ales at the Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds for over 200 years. There has been a brewery on our site since 1700, but brewing in the town can be traced back as far as the days of the Doomsday book in 1086.
The gravity fed brewhouse was built in 1938 to exceptionally high standards for its time. So well in fact that they still brew in the same building today and use much of the original equipment too!
The Victorian brewhouse built in 1938 continues to brew all the beers using gravity to pass the ingredients from one floor to the next. The beer is brewed using natural ingredients and traditional brewing methods.
They still draw our water from chalk wells under the brewery that have been used in brewing for almost 1,000 years. It was good enough for the Benedictine monks of St Edmund and it’s good enough for them!
This tour gives you the chance to enter our 1930’s tower brewery. You will need to be able to climb over 100 stairs without a walking aid to see the amazing view of Bury St Edmunds from our roof.
You will hear all about the brewing process and the history of Greene King. You will then come back to the café to taste some of the lovely beers. Before you leave you can choose a bottle of beer to take home to remember your day or stay for a free pint.
Why not treat yourself to lunch or breakfast on tour day and any purchases in the shop over £5 will receive 10% discount. Please note the café is closed to the public on Sundays. Its open for tours only. You will be able to purchase from the shop after your tour and receive 10% discount on purchases over £5
Limited Parking is available outside the café or the nearest car park is Ram Meadow Cotton Lane IP33 1XT
Book a tour: www.shop.greeneking.co.uk/pages/brewery-tours
Discover Local Brewery
The Nutshell
aka smallest pub in britain!
The Nutshell is a pub in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, that until 2016 claimed to be the smallest pub in Britain, although this claim was challenged by several others, including the Smiths Arms at Godmanstone (since closed) and the Lakeside Inn in Southport.
The pub is certainly diminutive so that no more than ten or fifteen customers can drink inside at any one time.[citation needed] The pub measures 4.57 m × 2.13 m (15 ft × 7 ft).[3] In 1984, a record number of 102 people squeezed into the pub.
The Nutshell has been trading as a pub since 1867, although the building is much older and formerly had other use inside, the dried body of a black cat is displayed, It is around 400 years old and was discovered in 1935 during building work. In former times, the bodies of cats were often placed inside the structure of buildings to bring good luck to the building and its occupants.
