It has one of England’s smallest pubs, ruins of a thousand-year-old abbey, and the world’s first Internet bench. Those are just a few of the reasons to visit Bury St. Edmunds. I visited this market town in West Suffolk in early summer – and while there are enough shops and stores to satisfy the most avid fashionista, I discovered historical landmarks, beautiful gardens, and a legendary brewery.
It’s a couple of hours outside London and was named after the first patron saint of England, St. Edmunds. It seemed that St George later usurped that distinction much to the chagrin of the locals. There was a huge and powerful abbey in the town and even today, the towering columns of its ruins are imposing. In fact, the town was so important in its day that legend has it that the original gathering of nobles who later got King John to sign the Magna Carta met here in the abbey.

Today the Abbey Garden set among the ruins is a good reason for visiting the town, and tucked away near the entrance to the garden is another. It’s a simple garden bench. Look closely small sign and you’ll find that in 2001 the bench achieved universal importance as the world’s first internet-enabled bench. Sponsored by MSN.co.uk, there are jacks for Internet cables. Not having an Internet cable handy, I can’t vouch for the quality or speed of the connection but the bench is well maintained and my guide said it is still used.

I did take time to stroll amid the ruins of the abbey and admire the flowers. Bury St Edmunds wins all sorts of awards for its plantings and parks and in spring, more than 12,000 daffodils bloom nearby in another city park that is planted in Victorian style.  Walking through the ruins and the flowers I came to a very large and complete church. St.Mary’s was built in the 13th century as part of the Abbey complex. Today it is one of the largest parish churches in England. The west window is worth a look and make note of the fact that Henry’s VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor, is buried here.

Across the square from the gate leading to the Abbey is the Athenaeum. It dates back only about 300 years and was restored in the 19th century. Charles Dickens frequently gave readings in the now restored Adam-style ballroom. But enough history. It’s time to explore the real glory of Bury St. Edmunds and I don’t mean the many shopping streets within a short walk.

You see, Bury St. Edmunds is the home of Old Speckled Hen, IPA and Abbot Ale and just down the street from the square is the Greene King Brewery. They’ve been brewing fine ales since 1799 and show no signs of letting up. They specialize in cask ale and that takes a bit of explaining. Casks are large containers of ale and the contents are perishable. So they are kept cool but not so cold that the flavors don’t come through. The brewery gives an extensive tour and they explain a lot about what makes good beer and why it should be served cool but not cold. Sadly I’ve never developed a knowledgeable taste for the stuff.

If you do go exploring the shops in town keep a lookout for a pub called the Nutshell. Greene King owns the Nutshell and according to the Guinness Book of Records it’s the smallest pub in England. It might have room for ten patrons but the record for pub stuffing was over 100. Incidentally, the locals will proudly tell you that this part of England has more pubs than churches.

Another Bury St. Edmunds treasure is just across the street from the brewery. The Theatre Royal was opened in 1819 and is the only surviving Regency theater in England. There are tours and the first thing you notice when entering is how small it is. Boxes surround the main floor and the historian I talked with said that the audience would move about and buy oranges to eat. Some would even sit on the stage during the performances. She assured me that audiences today no longer indulge in treats except at intermission.  Being able to actually see a restored theater from the period brings home those stories. Audiences in those days weren’t that prim and proper and vendors really did sell treats during the performances.

Visiting towns like Bury St. Edmonds in West Suffolk brings history to life.