[2] Burston's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a settlement or farmstead built around a landslip.

Burston's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the 15th century.

[14] The church was restored in the 19th century and again in 2013, and today boasts a set of royal arms from the reign of James I. Tom and Annie Higdon, leaders of the Burston Strike School, are buried side-by-side in the churchyard.

[15] Burston once had its own railway station, with services on the Great Eastern Main Line between Norwich and London Liverpool Street.

Burston is located in the constituency of Waveney Valley, which has been represented by Adrian Ramsay of the Green Party since 2024.