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Bury St Edmunds Angel Hotel
Bury St Edmunds Angel Hotel
East, 52.2446,0.71567
Hotel
It's possible that drinks are only available here to residents or diners. Please check before visiting.
3 Angel Hill, IP33 1LT
grid reference TL 854 641
hotel, opened 1779
owner/operator: Bury St Edmunds Hotel Company Ltd
A family owned 4 star hotel in town centre covered with Virginia creeper. Styled with a traditional Georgian elegance. Records show that there has been an inn on this site since about the 13th century. In fact there were once three ancient inns on this site - the Angel, the Castle & the Boar's Head, with the earliest reference to an inn here dating back as far as 1281. The present building dates from around 1774-1776 when it was also a posting inn. The town Hustings (electioneering speeches) were traditionally held outside the Angel Hotel & Charles Dickens stayed here in 1859 & 1861 (and earlier) when he gave readings to the town. The Bury Fair was held annually near here until 1871 when it was discontinued after it fell into disrepute. Originally granted by Henry I & held on feast of St James (25th July) Bury Fair was latter moved to feast of St Matthew (21st Sept.) & was a one time visited by Mary Tudor (who also married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk). By 1721 the fair was very famous with many "knights & gentlemen of estates & gentlemen's daughters" in attendance. Two other fairs once held annually in Bury include the Calf's Tail Fair on Tue, Wed & Thu of Easter week, & a "butter fair" held on 2nd Dec.
Facilities
- Accessible to disabled customers
- Accommodation available
- Evening meals
- Family friendly
- Lunchtime meals (not just snacks)
- Parking
- Quiet pub - no electronic games, piped music or jukebox
- Real fire
- Restaurant or separate dining area
- Separate bar
Railway station about 0.7 miles away (see transport links for details)
Gallery
Nearest railway station
Historical interest
The Angel is shown on this old OS map from about 1903 (interactive map)
Owner/operator: free
Two star hotel covered with Virginia creeper.
Beer: Adnams Bitter; Greene King IPA, Abbot.CAMRA's 1997 Suffolk Real Ale Guide
Historical family hotel and posting house.
The proprietors of the new Bury Post Coach return their most grateful acknowledgement to their friends and the public in general for all the great encouragement given to their undertaking, and beg leave to inform them that the coaches set off on Monday next, the 25th February inst…
Landlords
Footnote
Just inside the nearby Abbey Gardens is a memorial to seventeen local martyrs who were burnt at the stake for their adherence to the protestant faith, as part of the Marian persecutions. Two of the martyrs, J & H David were executed in early November 1558, just before Queen Mary's death.
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
(1861 census information from Malcolm Fairley)
(some old PO directory information courtesy of londonpublichouse.com)
(** historic newspaper information from Stuart Ansell)
(*** historic newspaper information from Bob Mitchell)