Jo in the Essex and Suffolk Group for an opportunity to be shown around the Theatre Royal and the Green e King Brewery by guides who are knowledgeable abo ut the buildings and at reduced entry cost to book ing the tours independently.
\n \nThe Grade 1 listed (1142285) Theatre Royal was designed and built-in 1819 by William Wilkins. With many of it s original features still intact\, it is the last remaining Regency playhouse in the country and one of the most beautiful\, intimate and historic the atres in the world. Theatre Royal’s designer\, Wil liam Wilkins (1778-1839) was an architect of natio nal repute responsible for the National Gallery in London and Downing College\, Cambridge.
\n \nIn 1903\, Theatre Royal was closed but opened a gain in 1906 when alterations to the building were made by the architect Bertie Crewe. Greene King p urchased the freehold in 1920 and still owns it to day. However\, in 1925\, in the face of overwhelmi ng competition from two new cinemas\, Theatre Roya l closed once more. Greene King used the theatre u ntil 1960s when a local community group raised the funds to restore it to its Regency origins and re open it in 1965.
\n \nIts extraordinarily i ntimate auditorium and the exquisite decorative sc heme provides visitors with an unforgettable and u nique theatrical experience.
\n \nThe Grade 2 listed (1142282) red brick brewhouse was built in 1938. Its six storeys are built in an Art Deco style and designed to let gravity pull the ingredi ents down from floor to floor during the brewing p rocesses.
\n \nAlthough not part of the SPA B tour the Cathedral and Abbey Gardens and ruins a re very close to Westgate Street and are free to v isit\, perhaps before the theatre visit or during lunch.
\n \nThe
re are no particular clothing requirements\, but e
veryone must wear flat enclosed shoes.
\n
\n Please make your own arrangements for lunch\
, there are plenty of places to get food close to
the venues.
The Theatre Royal
\n Westgate Street
\n Bury St Edmunds
\n IP33 1QR
Parking
\n There are lots of
on street parking places but beware they are time
limited and won’t cover the whole day.
\n Th
e Ram Meadow long stay carpark is off Cotton Lane
IP33 1XP.
\n
\n If you do use the Ram M
eadow car park you can either walk through the Abb
ey Gardens to get to Westgate or walk along Angel
Hill past the Cathedral. Either is about a 15 minu
te walk.
If arriving by train to Bury
St Edmunds Station\, Westgate is about a 25 minute
walk.
\n
\n Detailed joining instructi
ons will be sent a week before the event to those
registered to attend.
For the brewery tour people will need to be able to climb over 100 stairs\, some of whi ch are open tread and steep. Unfortunately\, no wa lking aids are allowed in the brewery.
\n \nThere may be gluten in the air as it’s a working brewery
\n \nAnything we can do to make thi s event more accessible for you? Please email esse x.suffolk@spab.org.uk.
\n \nAll bookings are sub ject to our Terms and Conditions.
\n \nPhoto credit: Steve Huggins
DESCRIPTION:Saturday 24th October 2026\, 10.45 - 4pm\n \n \n J oin the Essex and Suffolk Group for an opportunity to be shown around the Theatre Royal and the Gree ne King Brewery by guides who are knowledgeable ab out the buildings and at reduced entry cost to boo king the tours independently.\n \n \n \n The Grade 1 listed (1142285) Theatre Royal was designed and built-in 1819 by William Wilkins. With many of it s original features still intact\, it is the last remaining Regency playhouse in the country and one of the most beautiful\, intimate and historic the atres in the world. Theatre Royal’s designer\, Wil liam Wilkins (1778-1839) was an architect of natio nal repute responsible for the National Gallery in London and Downing College\, Cambridge.\n \n \n \ n In 1903\, Theatre Royal was closed but opened ag ain in 1906 when alterations to the building were made by the architect Bertie Crewe. Greene King pu rchased the freehold in 1920 and still owns it tod ay. However\, in 1925\, in the face of overwhelmin g competition from two new cinemas\, Theatre Royal closed once more. Greene King used the theatre un til 1960s when a local community group raised the funds to restore it to its Regency origins and reo pen it in 1965.\n \n \n \n Its extraordinarily int imate auditorium and the exquisite decorative sche me provides visitors with an unforgettable and uni que theatrical experience.\n \n \n \n The Grade 2 listed (1142282) red brick brewhouse was built in 1938. Its six storeys are built in an Art Deco sty le and designed to let gravity pull the ingredient s down from floor to floor during the brewing proc esses.\n \n \n \n Although not part of the SPAB to ur the Cathedral and Abbey Gardens and ruins are v ery close to Westgate Street and are free to visit \, perhaps before the theatre visit or during lunc h.\n \n \n \n You will need\n \n \n There are no p articular clothing requirements\, but everyone mus t wear flat enclosed shoes.\n \n \n \n Please make your own arrangements for lunch\, there are plent y of places to get food close to the venues.\n \n \n \n How to get there\n \n \n The Theatre Royal\n \n Westgate Street\n \n Bury St Edmunds\n \n IP33 1QR\n \n \n \n Parking\n \n There are lots of on street parking places but beware they are time lim ited and won’t cover the whole day.\n \n The Ram M eadow long stay carpark is off Cotton Lane IP33 1X P.\n \n \n \n If you do use the Ram Meadow car par k you can either walk through the Abbey Gardens to get to Westgate or walk along Angel Hill past the Cathedral. Either is about a 15 minute walk.\n \n \n \n If arriving by train to Bury St Edmunds Sta tion\, Westgate is about a 25 minute walk.\n \n \n \n Detailed joining instructions will be sent a w eek before the event to those registered to attend . \n \n \n \n Accessibility\n \n \n For the brewer y tour people will need to be able to climb over 1 00 stairs\, some of which are open tread and steep . Unfortunately\, no walking aids are allowed in t he brewery.\n \n \n \n There may be gluten in the air as it’s a working brewery\n \n \n \n Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for y ou? Please email essex.suffolk@spab.org.uk.\n \n \ n \n \n Photos and filming:We may take photos or v ideos at this event to be used in future promotion \, including in print and online. Participants may take photos and short videos for personal use\, w ith permission of the course leader and all other participants in frame. If you want to post on soci al media\, please message SPAB's Comms Team (press @spab.org.uk or @spab1877) for permission. If your material is good\, we might ask to share it with our followers.\n \n \n \n All bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions (https://www.spab.org .uk/content/booking-terms-and-conditions).\n \n \n \n Photo credit: Steve Huggins\n \n CATEGORIES:Visit CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/London:20261024T104500 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261024T104500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261024T160000 LOCATION:The Theatre Royal\n Westgate Street\n Bury St Edmu nds\, IP33 1QR\n United Kingdom\n URL:https://www.spab.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1503 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR