The Northgate

About The Northgate

The Northgate is a Victorian townhouse on Northgate Street, a five-minute walk from the abbey and the centre of Bury St Edmunds. It is small by design, with nine bedrooms, and holds an AA Gold Star award. The style is closer to a private house than a hotel: a lounge bar with an open fire, a conservatory dining room looking onto the garden, and no large public spaces to fill.

Bedrooms are individually decorated and generously proportioned for a building of this size, with sitting areas, large beds and bathrooms finished in marble or tile with walk-in showers and, in the larger rooms, freestanding baths. Colour schemes are muted and the fittings are good quality. Because there are so few rooms, service is personal and the property tends to fill quickly at weekends.

The house is currently run on a room-only basis, with the bar and kitchen closed, so it is worth confirming what is being served at the time of booking. That is less of a drawback than it sounds: Bury St Edmunds has a dense cluster of restaurants, pubs and cafes within a five-minute walk, and the staff will point you towards whatever is on form. Guests still have use of the lounge and the conservatory looking onto the garden.

The setting works well for couples on a short break, for guests attending events at the Theatre Royal or the Apex, and for anyone touring west Suffolk. Ickworth House, the Greene King brewery and Lavenham are all within easy reach, and the A14 is a couple of minutes away without the road being audible from the house. There is a small private car park, and it is sensible to confirm a space when booking.