From season to season there are local markets, galleries, restaurants and gardens to visit. There’s a lovely cinema in Bury, a fantastic bakery in Bardwell and beautiful vineyards in Wyken. The Engine House is in great cycling country and there’s a nearby spot for river swimming in the summer.
RESTAURANTS & CAFES
Pea Porridge
Favourite local restaurant. Michelin-starred in 2021 and run by Jurga and Justin Sharp, serving hearty and interesting food.
A converted cowshed, 2 miles from The Engine House, run by lovely Ali. They serve simple home cooked breakfast and lunch, with coffee from local roasters, Butterworth and Son. Open Monday to Saturday.
Fornham Business Court The Drift Fornham St Martin Bury St Edmunds
Lovely cafe serving great salt beef toasties, a sandwich with six kinds of mushroom, generous salads, delicious cakes and Monmouth coffee. Evening service available on Friday and Saturday.
A lovely cafe selling crullers, pastries, gelato and Roman pizza by the slice, using ingredients grown at Maple Farm where the cafe is based. Dogs welcome. Check opening times.
Nature reserve with wheelchair access and dog friendly trails. River swimming in the summer.
Thetford IP22 2TQ
Fullers Mill
Peaceful waterside and woodland garden on the banks of the River Lark, now owned and maintained by Perennial, a charity dedicated to helping people in need who work in or are retired from horticulture.
A good day out here, visit the largest parish church in the country, Holy Trinity Church, Kentwell Hall and farm and the two huge antiques warehouses on Hall Street.
Renovated 1920s cinema showing independent and mainstream titles, serving wine and beer to enjoy with your film, with super comfortable reclining seats too. A private screen is also available for hire.
The beautiful home of curators and art collectors Jim and Helen Ede, their house has work by Alfred Wallis, Winifred and Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth.
Perfectly preserved by his grand daughter Elsie, this is the home of artist and decorator David Parr who worked for the decorative arts company F R Leach & Sons in the late 1800s.
An hour’s drive from The Engine House and just five miles north of Southwold is Covehithe beach. It has strikingly beautiful cliffs and a long sandy beach. Visit the ruins of St Andrews church (painted by John Piper) in the tiny hamlet just above the beach.
Wheel throwing pottery classes and courses and a shop selling the work of local ceramicists. A two hour taster pottery wheel class costs £50 – for up to six people per class.
Sophie can provide hatha yoga classes tailored to your needs. £40 for 75 minute private sessions, via zoom or in person at The Engine House. Contact Sophie to discuss.
Sophie Lightfoot 07799353677 sophielightfoot84@gmail.com
SHOPPING
Bury St Edmunds Market
On Saturdays and Wednesdays, fifty plus stalls selling local fruit and veg, bread, cheese, meat, fish, and flowers.
Buttermarket and Cornhill IP33 1DW
Smoking Monkey Antiques
Sweet little shop run by lovely Marcia. She sells beautiful old samplers, ceramics, maps and antique books.
