Training Routes

I will start to add a number of regular routes that I run as a reference point for anyone interested in where I run around Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk.


Rushbrooke Lake Run

Distance: 10 miles	How measured:-Forerunner 205 GPS	Course: Out and back
Surface: Road	Difficulty: Easy but includes a few hills

Beetons Way

Start West Suffolk Sports Centre

West Suffolk Sports Centre

What better place to start this run than from the West Suffolk Sports Centre a central point familar to all who venture down on a Monday or Wednesday for a track training session at the Saint Edmund Pacers.


Set off along Beetons Way towards Out Risbygate Street.

The Dip

Turn left when you reach the road and head along Risbygate Street besides the old walls of the Gibralter Barracks. This is now the home of the Suffolk Regiment Musuem.

The Cost Cutter garage is on your right hand side and you soon pass the West Suffolk College on your left and the Dip -playing fields. I don't know who coined the name the Dip but I think everyone calls it this.

Chalk Rd

Look to find a good place to cross over Risbygate Street and pass the Falcon Pub on you right before turning up Chalk Road. I did say there was one or two hills and this is the first of them. An uphill stretch fairly short though.

Kings Rd

 At the top of the hill turn left into Kings Road.

I am old enough to remember a very different Kings Road. The housing on the left of the photo was the old entrance to Bury Town Football Ground. The yellow coloured building further up on the left being the newsagent Saunders.

Cullum Rd

Cross the road to the right hand side and when you reach the mini roundabout turn right and keep to the path going down hill along Parkway. After passing the Elephant and Castle pub on your right cross the road and keep going straight down Cullum Road.

I can remember a time when I fist belonged to the Pacers that Cullum Road was used as a regular venue for training runs - anyone else remember this?

Rougham Rd

Rushbrooke Lane

Continue along Cullum Road until you reach the mini roundabout and turn left to follow the road leading to the A14 Ipswich/Newmarket). You quickly reach another roundabout and should now be in Rougham Road with the Rugby Ground/ Haberden garage on your left. At some point when you find it safe cross over to the right hand side of the road.

When you reach the next roundabout turn right into Rougham Hill and immeadiately right again where you see the sign for Rushbrooke Lane.

 Away from the maddening crowd it now feels you are getting into the run and Rushbrooke Road is generally quiet though as always keep to the right hand side of the road and look out for on coming traffic at all times.

Rushbrooke Lane

 Keep going along Rushbrooke lane for approx a mile until you reach a cross roads at North Hill Cottage. Ignore the roads to the left and right and instead continue straight on up hill on a dirt track. You may have to hop over a gate here but this is a right of way path.

There are some good views of Sicklesmere to your right as you head along the dirt track towards Hall Farm and Home Farm Rushbrooke.

Hall Farm

When you reach Hall Farm there are signs which take you around the farm besides a horse paddock enclosure on a grassy footpath.

You quickly arrive back on a sandy coloured road with Rushbrooke Church in the distance and the attractive thatched Home Farm cottages in front of you. Run along this road through the cottages.


Continue towards the right running past St Nicholas Church. This is an unusual 16th century church. The building was extensively altered in the 19th century by Colonel Rushbrooke, a keen woodworker, who changed the seating plan to that of a college chapel rather like the seats in paliament (seats facing the centre).

St Nicholas Church

Home Farm

Head down hill with open fields to the left and right. When you reach the road at the bottom of the hill you turn immeadiately left. You will  soon see a footpath sign on the right take this over some wooden boards into woodland.

You quickly reach the edge of Rushbrooke Lake which is exactly 5 miles from the Sports Centre. Here you will get a few strange looks from the folks fishing and thats the high light of the run!

Rushbrooke Lake

This 3.5 acre lake is in a tranquil setting surrounded by mixed woodland.There is plenty of wildlife wildlife, including barn owl, woodpecker, deer and fox.
Return by the same route to mark up a 10 mile run