Abbey Visitor Centre

Samson's Tower
Bury St Edmunds IP33 1RS

stedmundsbury.gov.uk

The extensive remains of the wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monastery in England, and the shrine of St Edmund. They include the complete 14th century Great Gate and Norman Tower, and the impressive ruins and altered west front of the immense church.

Bentwaters Cold War Museum

Building 134, Bentwaters Parks
Rendlesham, Woodbridge IP12 2TW

bcwm.org.uk

Museum is based in the United States Air Force (USAF) hardened command post on the former Bentwaters airbase which closed after the withdrawal of the USAF in 1993 and is believed to be the only such building open to the public in the UK and Europe. Visitors can experience the Cold War history with guides and talks about the operations of the base with detailed displays of the units stationed at both RAF Bentwaters and nearby RAF Woodbridge since WWII. Aircraft on display include English Electric Lightning, Hawker Hunter, BAC Jaguar, McDonnell Douglas Phantom & Harrier.

Christchurch Mansion

, Soane Street
Ipswich IP4 2BE

cimuseums.org.uk

This beautiful Tudor mansion is the jewel in the crown of Ipswich's historic past boasting over 500 years of history. Explore the period rooms from the Tudor kitchen to the sumptuous Georgian saloon and the beautifully detailed Victorian wing and much more. Gaze at the fine collection of art from Suffolk artists including the biggest collection of Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable paintings outside of London.

Clare Ancient House Museum

26 High Street, Clare
Sudbury CO10 8NY

clare-ancient-house-museum.co.uk

Clare Ancient House is a Grade 1 Listed Building, dating in part to the 14th and, in part, the 15th century. It may have served as a shop, and has certainly been a bakery, a workhouse and a dwelling for the church sexton.

Framlingham Castle - English Heritage

Framlingham IP13 9BP

goo.gl

Framlingham is a magnificent example of a late 12th-century castle. Built by Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, the castle, together with Framlingham Mere, was designed both as a stronghold and as a symbol of power and status - as befitted one of the most influential people at the court of the Plantagenet kings.

Gainsborough's House

46 Gainsborough Street
Sudbury CO10 2EU

gainsborough.org

Gainsborough's House is the birthplace museum of Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), one of the greatest artists in the history of British art. Gainsborough's House has the largest collection of his work on display at any one time in Britain. The house itself dates from around 1500 and retains many interesting architectural features.

Ickworth - National Trust

The Rotunda, Horringer
Bury St Edmunds IP29 5QE

nationaltrust.org.uk

Explore acres of space, woodland, wildlife, and a stunning architectural oddity, all with a story to match. See how one eccentric man's passion for art, Italy and for having a party led to the creation of this remarkable house and its renowned collection of paintings, portraits, furniture and other treasures. Through our Ickworth Lives project, learn about the servants and workers who kept this country estate running and share their memories.

Kentwell Hall

Long Melford
Sudbury CO10 9BA

kentwell.co.uk

Kentwell Hall is a beautiful redbrick moated Tudor Manor House close to the historic village of Long Melford. Whilst not a stately home, this 'little great house' remains a lived-in and much-loved family home.

Lavenham Guildhall - National Trust

Market Place
Lavenham CO10 9QZ

nationaltrust.org.uk

Lavenham was once one of the wealthiest places in the country. Its famous blue cloth was exported across Europe and beyond. The village today is famed for its wealth of surviving timber-framed buildings, which make it one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England.

Little Hall Lavenham

Little Hall, Market Place
Lavenham CO10 9QZ

littlehall.org.uk

Step inside Little Hall, one of the oldest timberframed buildings in the best preserved of the Suffolk wool towns. Its history mirrors the changing fortunes of Lavenham. Built in the 1390s for the Causton family of clothiers, enlarged and improved in 1425-50, it was then 'modernised' in Tudor times by the addition of a fireplace and upper floor in the hall.

Lowestoft Museum

Broad House, Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad
Lowestoft NR33 9JR

lowestoftmuseum.org

Lowestoft Museum houses a collection of objects relating to the history of the area and its people, inside a grade 2 listed building situated within the grounds of Nicholas Everitt Park.

Melford Hall - National Trust

Long Melford
Sudbury CO10 9AA

nationaltrust.org.uk

Set in the unspoilt village of Long Melford, the house has changed little externally since 1578 when Queen Elizabeth I was entertained here, and retains its original panelled banqueting hall. It has been the home of the Hyde Parker family since 1786. There are a Regency library, Victorian bedrooms, good collections of furniture and porcelain and a small display of items connected with Beatrix Potter, who was related to the family.

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum

Wetheringsett IP14 5PW

mslr.org.uk

Railway museum with demonstration running line, restored Middy buildings (corrugated iron cladding), appropriate rolling stock (all carriages are Victorian), extensive archive of photographs with some documents and artefacts. Event days usually themed around aspect of the railway's life and history.

Moyse's Hall Museum

Cornhill
Bury St Edmunds IP33 1DX

moyseshall.org

Collections of local and social history alongside horology fine art and costumes housed in a rare example of 12th century Norman domestic architecture. Includes objects associated with the notorious Red Barn Murder. Also houses the Suffolk Regiment Gallery.

Museum of East Anglian Life

Iliffe Way
Stowmarket IP14 1DL

eastanglianlife.org.uk

The museum of East Anglian Life sits in over 70 acres of beautiful Suffolk countryside. The museum features historic buildings, farm animals, a nature walk and over 40,000 objects in its collection.

Orford Castle - English Heritage

Orford
Woodbridge IP12 2ND

goo.gl

The unique polygonal towerkeep of Orford Castle stands beside the pretty town and former port which Henry II also developed here in the 1160s. His aim was to counterbalance the power of turbulent East Anglian barons like Hugh Bigod of Framlingham, and to guard the coast against foreign mercenaries called to their aid. An 18-sided drum with three square turrets, and a forebuilding reinforcing its entrance, the keep was built to a highly innovative design.

Rougham Tower Association

The Control Tower, Rougham Industrial Estate
Bury St Edmunds IP30 9XA

rougham.org

Rougham Airfield is situated a couple of miles east of Bury St Edmunds, UK and was home to the USAAF 322nd and 94th Bomb Groups during the Second World War. This airfield is one of the few wartime bases to retain its control tower into current times.

Saxtead Green Post Mill - English Heritage

The Mill House, Saxtead Green, Saxtead
Woodbridge IP13 9QQ

goo.gl

Saxtead Green Post Mill is perfect for those looking for a day out with a difference. Though milling ceased in 1947, it is still in working order. Climb the stairs to various floors, which are full of fascinating mill machinery.

Somerleyton Hall & Gardens

Somerleyton Hall
Lowestoft NR32 5QQ

somerleyton.co.uk

The grounds of Somerleyton Hall have been home to high status buildings since the post conquest Norman era. In 1240 the existing manorial Hall was rebuilt by Sir Peter Fitzosbert as a magnificent country house on the site of the original medieval Hall. Four centuries later the house was further enlarged and restyled by John Wentworth and transformed into an archetypal East Anglian Tudor-Jacobean mansion. The Hall's final and most drastic alteration took place in 1843 under new ownership of a wealthy Victorian entrepreneur Samuel Morton Peto who hired John Thomas, Prince Albert's favourite architect, to carry out extensive rebuilding.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral

Abbey House, Angel Hill
Bury St Edmunds IP33 1LS

stedscathedral.co.uk

Welcome to St Edmundsbury Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Anglican Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. For over 1,000 years the site of Suffolk 's Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage. Established as a Benedictine foundation in 1020 by King Canute, the Abbey at Bury St Edmunds housed the body of Edmund, King of the East Angles, who was martyred in 869.

St Peter's by the Waterfront

St Peter's Church, College Street
Ipswich IP1 1XF

stpetersbythewaterfront.com

St Peter's by the Waterfront is a heritage centre in one of the former mariner churches on the historic waterfront of Ipswich. The church is important in the history of Ipswich, and was once the chapel to the short lived Cardinal College set up by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the 16th century with major renovations taking place at this time and in the Victorian era. All that remains of the college is St Peter's and the 'Wolsey Gate", a water gate situated on the South perimeter wall of the church. The centre hosts historic artefacts from the Church's history and the locally commissioned Ipswich Charter hangings.

Sutton Hoo - National Trust

Tranmer House
Sutton Hoo IP12 3DJ

nationaltrust.org.uk

This hauntingly beautiful 255 acre estate, with far-reaching views over the river Deben, is home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. Walk around the ancient burial mounds and discover the incredible story of the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king and his treasured possessions. Come face to face with your ancestors and explore our award-winning exhibition, the full-size reconstruction of the burial chamber, stunning replica treasures and original finds from one of the mounds, including a prince's sword. Look inside the Edwardian house or enjoy the beautiful seasonal colours on our estate walks.

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds - National Trust

6 Westgate street
Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QR

nationaltrust.org.uk

The Theatre Royal is the last working Regency playhouse in Britain. Owned by Greene King brewery, it has been in the care of the National Trust since 1975 and is run by an independent theatre company.

West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village

Icklingham Road
West Stow, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6HG

weststow.org

West Stow is the site of an Anglo-Saxon settlement occupied 420 - 650AD. Today there is a unique reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Village built on the original settlement site, giving visitors the opportunity to touch and experience Anglo-Saxon houses as we imagine them to have been.