Date: -
Address: Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QR
Audience: SPAB Members and their guests
Price:
£20 Members
£25 Non-Members
Event details
Saturday 24th October 2026, 10.45 - 4pm
Join the Essex and Suffolk Group for an opportunity to be shown around the Theatre Royal and the Greene King Brewery by guides who are knowledgeable about the buildings and at reduced entry cost to booking the tours independently.
The Grade 1 listed (1142285) Theatre Royal was designed and built-in 1819 by William Wilkins. With many of its original features still intact, it is the last remaining Regency playhouse in the country and one of the most beautiful, intimate and historic theatres in the world. Theatre Royal’s designer, William Wilkins (1778-1839) was an architect of national repute responsible for the National Gallery in London and Downing College, Cambridge.
In 1903, Theatre Royal was closed but opened again in 1906 when alterations to the building were made by the architect Bertie Crewe. Greene King purchased the freehold in 1920 and still owns it today. However, in 1925, in the face of overwhelming competition from two new cinemas, Theatre Royal closed once more. Greene King used the theatre until 1960s when a local community group raised the funds to restore it to its Regency origins and reopen it in 1965.
Its extraordinarily intimate auditorium and the exquisite decorative scheme provides visitors with an unforgettable and unique theatrical experience.
The 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 ingredients down from floor to floor during the brewing processes.
Although not part of the SPAB tour the Cathedral and Abbey Gardens and ruins are very close to Westgate Street and are free to visit, perhaps before the theatre visit or during lunch.
You will need
There are no particular clothing requirements, but everyone must wear flat enclosed shoes.
Please make your own arrangements for lunch, there are plenty of places to get food close to the venues.
How to get there
The Theatre Royal
Westgate Street
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 1QR
Parking
There are lots of on street parking places but beware they are time limited and won’t cover the whole day.
The Ram Meadow long stay carpark is off Cotton Lane IP33 1XP.
If you do use the Ram Meadow car park 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.
If arriving by train to Bury St Edmunds Station, Westgate is about a 25 minute walk.
Detailed joining instructions will be sent a week before the event to those registered to attend.
Accessibility
For the brewery tour people will need to be able to climb over 100 stairs, some of which are open tread and steep. Unfortunately, no walking aids are allowed in the brewery.
There may be gluten in the air as it’s a working brewery
Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email essex.suffolk@spab.org.uk.
Photos and filming:We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion, including in print and online. Participants may take photos and short videos for personal use, with permission of the course leader and all other participants in frame. If you want to post on social 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.
All bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions.
Photo credit: Steve Huggins