Bury St Edmunds is a lovely market town, with plenty to do for non-ringers. The Abbey Gardens, behind the Cathedral, contain the Abbey ruins to explore and a play area for children. The Tourist Information Point, in the Cathedral Shop, is a 1 min walk from the Norman Tower.
Parking
The cheapest (and closest) long stay parking is at Ram Meadow (IP33 1XT) which is a 10 minute walk from the Norman Tower.
Charges: up to 3 hours £3.00, all day £3.50.
RingGo (cashless parking) location code 4483
Toilets
There are toilets through the cloisters, by the Pilgrims’ Kitchen (Cathedral Refectory). There are also public toilets just past the main entrance to the Abbey Gardens (The Abbey Gate).
Refreshments
Bury St Edmunds contains many lovely restaurants and cafes, close to the Cathedral. Bacon Butties, Hot Dogs and Coffee and Tea will be available from the ‘A la Cart’ stall just outside the tower, and a more varied menu available in the Pilgrims’ Kitchen (Cathedral Refectory). Pilgrims’ Kitchen This is open from 9am until 5pm, serving breakfast (9– 11am) and lunches (12 – 2.30pm). Step free access is via the Cathedral Cloisters. The Pilgrims Kitchen will also be selling cake in the afternoon in the Cathedral. Please bring a reusable cup to help us reduce waste.
Beer
A selection of real ales and ciders will be on sale inside the Cathedral from 11:30, provided by the organisers of the Bury St Edmunds beer festival. You must register online to be able to puchase beer tokens, which will be available for pick up if you have pre-ordered them from 10am. A proof of age check will take place prior to exchange of tokens and wrist bands handed out on proof of age. Please note that the bar staff cannot accept cash and beer tokens will not be refunded, but will be collected at the end of the day and left over funds given to local charities. The beer must be consumed in the Cathedral or on the Edmund Green.
It is important to note that our licence does not cover the consumption of alcohol elsewhere - it should not be consumed on the pathways, nor in the Norman Tower.
Like many other towns and cities, the town centre operates under a Public Spaces Protocol Order, that targets unlicenced drinking in public spaces.
Any profits derived from the sale of refreshments will be shared between the Macmillan Cancer Support charity and our local independent charity Gatehouse, who support the vulnerable in East Anglia.
Things to do locally
- Guided tours of the Cathedral are available at 12 noon, 1 pm and 2 pm (£5 pay on the day at the Shop).
- Tower Tours are available at 12 noon and 1.30 pm (£10 per person – limited to 10 people per tour, offered on a first come, first served basis, pay on the day at the Shop).
- Greene King Brewery Tours – it’s best to book these on the Greene King website
- Museums and shops – visit the traditional centre of Bury, as well as the modern Arc Shopping Centre
