About Bures St Mary

Thia settlement, recorded in Domesday as "Bura" and shown on John Speed's 1610 map as "Buers", straddles the county's border with Essex. There's one pub in Bures Hamlet, located on the souther-western side of the River Stour (the Eight Bells), one some distance from the settlement (The Thatchers' Arms at Mount Bures) and one remaining on the Suffolk side in Bures St Mary. We mainly only list the historical pubs that were on the Suffolk side of the river, but we include three recent ones on the Essex side for community interest (though we don't keep full details about them).

Edmund was crowned King of East Anglia here in 855 and St Stephen's chapel houses tombs for three Earls of Oxford, including Richard (the 11th earl) who was commander at Agincourt. In 1405 a creature like a crocodile supposedly emerged from the river. Impervious to arrows it was eventually driven off by locals, never to be seen again.

According to the village website, historical records suggest as many as 13 pubs have existed in the village in the past, but not all have been positively identified.