Enchanting culinary town with abbey ruins playground you can get a direct train to from Cambridge

A 40-minute train journey will take you from the bustling streets of Cambridge to a rural market town filled with fascinating history.

A train from Cambridge Station to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk will take around 40 minutes and cost around £13.40 (varies depending on ticket and time). From here, you can explore the delightful market town with a wealth of history.

The home of the famous Greene King brewery and the fascinating Abbey ruins and gardens, Bury St Edmunds has a lot to love. Called "the jewel in the crown of Suffolk", Bury has more than 1,000 years worth of history that you can view everywhere. Recently, it has become a haven for independent shops and award-winning restaurants like Michelin-star Pea Porridge.

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One of the main attractions is the stunning St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Abbey ruins. During the Middle Ages, the Bury St Edmunds Abbey was one of the richest, largest and most powerful in the country. Pilgrims used to come from all over Europe to visit and some Kings even stayed during their worship.

Although the Abbey no longer exists, you can still see a lot of its amazing ruins in the gardens with huge pillars and walls still remaining. Signs dotted around the garden will show you exactly what it would have once looked like. Pop into the still-standing Cathedral and see the ongoing build of a replica of the Cathedral using LEGO.

A tour of the Greene King brewery is another worthy stop or enjoy one of their charming pubs in town, including the cosy Dog and Partridge. Everyone will find something to eat in town, including the true foodies at Pea Porridge, La Maison Bleue or Lark. If you are after a quick lunch, it will be hard to beat Wooster's for a cheese toastie and an excellent coffee. And if you want to pick up a bottle of wine to enjoy after your travels or even taste in shop, then Vino Gusto is the one.

Even if you just stroll around the town, you'll enjoy a mix of Tudor and Georgian architecture, with the ancient hidden among the modern. You might just stroll past the medieval carving of King Henry VIII in the window of the Cotswold Outdoor shop if you aren't careful.

If you are visiting on a market day - Wednesday and Saturday - it has more than 80 stalls and food trucks to explore. You can find everything from freshly cooked baguettes to furniture.

You could easily spend hours here strolling around the circular walk surrounding the Abbey Gardens and meadows, shopping in the independent shops on St John's street or even catching a film at the independent cinema Abbeygate. With a direct train from Cambridge, there's really no excuse not to give it a try.