Nowton Park
Nature Reserves, Country Parks & Beaches · Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
No reviews yet
Open now — closes 9pm
🌳 Outdoor🆓 Free entry🛝 Playground🌲 WoodlandGardens
What’s there
- Café on site
- Paid parking
- Picnic area
- Dogs welcome
Automatic opening and closing gate to car park. 2.1 metre height restriction barrier (installed March 2026).
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Almost 200 acres of landscaped Suffolk countryside on the southern edge of Bury St Edmunds. Kids can run wild in the large play area, get lost in the oak-tree-shaped hornbeam maze (open May to October), explore the east and west arboretums and woodland trails, spot birds at the winter feeding station and picnic by the ponds. Grounds Cafe serves refreshments, with picnic areas and toilets on site, and seasonal family events run throughout the year. Free to enter; car parking is charged. The free weekly Bury St Edmunds parkrun (5k, every Saturday 9am) starts and finishes at the park.
Park gates: daily 8am-9pm April to end of August; daily 8am-6pm September to end of March.
Questions parents ask
- Is Nowton Park manageable with a buggy, or should we leave it at home?
- We haven't confirmed whether Nowton Park is buggy-friendly. With almost 200 acres of landscaped countryside including woodland and arboretums, you may find some areas challenging with a pushchair, but contact the Parks Department to check which routes are suitable.
- Is there food at the park, or should we bring a picnic?
- There is a café managed by Grounds Café, so you can buy refreshments. There is also a designated picnic area if you prefer to bring your own food.
- How long should we plan to spend at Nowton Park?
- With almost 200 acres to explore, including woodland trails, arboretums, a play area, a maze (open May to October), ponds and a wildflower meadow, you could easily spend several hours. The time depends on which attractions interest you and how thoroughly you want to explore.
- Does Nowton Park stay open in bad weather, or is it outdoor-only?
- Nowton Park is entirely outdoors with woodland, gardens and open spaces, so wet weather will affect your visit. There is a café on site, but the main attractions—the play area, maze, arboretums and trails—are all weather-dependent.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
Wellies
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
Wet wipes
Head torchHands free for the walk back in the dark.
Folding stool- Boot bag for wellies
Sun hat
Magnifying glass
Extra jumper
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Photos: Anna Tesar, CC BY 2.0 · 維基小霸王, CC BY-SA 4.0 · crabchick, CC BY 2.0 · Ruth and Dave, CC BY 2.0
Reviews
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