Last November I visited Bury St Edmunds, a charming market town in Suffolk, England. I have fond memories of this pretty, little town that I called home for a while during my work experience programme after my graduation. I haven’t visited Bury for over 12 years prior to this visit. I wondered if this Suffolk hidden gem changed much since my last visit.

I took a train from Stansted airport on a Saturday morning and after some delays finally found myself back in Bury St Edmunds where I spent the afternoon reliving some old memories and making some new. I managed to find my way from the train station to the city center even though there were some new roads and buildings. However, I could still smell sugar in the air in the area near the train station (from the sugar factory).

I forgot that Saturday was a market day in Bury and got surprised to see so many people around and to see a lot of stalls selling fresh produce, crafts and other things. Many food stalls sold international dishes and played traditional music. Moreover, the town was already decorated for Christmas even though it was just mid November. My first task on the agenda was to find the Medieval house in Whiting street which I don’t recall seeing while I frequented Bury on almost every weekend all those years ago while I worked nearby. I took photos of many wonderful doors whilst on my hunt for the Medieval house.

After that I walked down to Abbey gateway and Abbey gardens. But I first bought a very delicious Bailey’s hot chocolate from a little café near the Angel hotel to warm up a bit. I was happy as a clam when I saw a squirrel approaching me in the Abbey gardens. I wandered around Abbey ruins and entered St. Edmundsbury cathedral. There was a Lego model of the cathedral and you could add new lego bricks for a small donation for a charity cause. After perusing Christmas ornaments at cathedral’s souvenir shop I strolled towards the Nutshell, the smallest pub in Britain and checked out some new shops. I saw some new restaurants as well. The entire town center was lively and it had a Christmas atmosphere despite the bleak weather.

My second task on the agenda was Harriets cafe Tearoom. I had to wait in a queue for a table but eventually I got seated. I ordered their Miniature afternoon tea which was a great value and more than enough food for my lunch. It consisted of tea, a scone with cream & jam, mini fudge brownie and mini sponge and two finger sandwiches. I enjoyed my afternoon tea very much. Afterwards I walked to the Arc shopping center and saw some beautiful Christmas decorations. Then I headed back to the square with Moyse’s Hall museum where the Saturday market was held. I almost bought a wonderful vintage skirt in a lovely boutique on the street on my way back to the train station. But I only had a carry on bag and no room for frivolous shopping. After all, I had to bring back something for my kids. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon in delightful Bury St Edmunds.

Bury St Edmunds has a wonderful Christmas fair which unfortunately didn’t coincide with my visit last year. If you want to find out more about what’s going on in BSE check their official tourism webpage.

Have you been to Bury St Edmunds? Would you like to visit it?

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