Bury St Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is a town in the county of Suffolk, England. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and is probably most famous for the ruined abbey which stands near the town centre. The abbey is a shrine to Saint Edmund, the Saxon King of the East Angles, who was killed by the Danes in 869 AD. The town initially grew around Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, a site of pilgrimage, and developed into a flourishing clothmaking town by the 14th century. The town is closely associated with Magna Carta, in 1214 the barons of England met in the Abbey Church and swore that they would force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, later known as Magna Carta.

Brewing and beer

The Greene King brewery is to be found in Bury. Greene King produce the award-winning IPA India pale ale. It is a light hoppy ale intended for expatriates in India, the large quantity of hops used being intended to keep the beer from spoiling on the long sea voyage. Legend has is that a boat transporting it spilled its load on the Suffolk coast and the locals found it so delicious that they demanded it be made available at home.

Related Topics:
Greene King - Brewery - India pale ale - India - Hops

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Another famous beer-related landmark is Britain's smallest public house, The Nutshell, which is on The Traverse, just off the town's marketplace.

Related Topics:
Public house - The Nutshell

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The other brewery in Bury St Edmunds is the Old Cannon public house on Cannon Street near the railway station. The brewing vessels, which were made for an exhibition in Japan in 1997, can be seen in the front room.

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