In the following article I examine the British town of Bury St Edmunds in the East Anglia region of England.
Bury St Edmunds is located in the eastern English county of Suffolk. This settlement dates back to the 7th century with the foundation of a monastery in 633. In 903 the martyr, King Edmund of East Anglia, was buried in the monastery and within a few years it was reported that miracles had taken place his shrine. A town sprung up and it was named Bury St Edmunds in 925. By the 14th century the town began to benefit from the developing woollen trade.
The Industrial Revolution seems to have bypassed the county of Suffolk and, today, Bury St Edmunds is a lovely historic market town popular with tourists in an area of England not usual associated with tourism. The main reason for this interest is that the town is the prettiest in the county featuring a wealth of historic buildings representing various ages. The most prominent attractions are Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, St. Mary’s Church and St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
The ruins of the abbey can be found right in the centre of the town. The abbey was a shrine to Saint Edmund but it was sacked in the 14th century and was largely dismantled with its Dissolution in the 16th century. Today the ruined abbey is renowned for its wonderful gardens.
St. Mary’s Church, which was part of the abbey complex, is really worth seeing. It was built as a Norman church in the 12th century and was extensively renovated throughout the centuries (14th, 16th and 19th) and although none of the original building remains parts can be dated back to the 13th century. Of special note is the west window which features excellent stained glass.
St Edmundsbury Cathedral is situated on a site which has had a church built upon it since 1065 and possibly earlier. The current building is a much modified structure with major works being carried out since 1503 and continuing right up to the present day with the recent addition of a tower in the Gothic revival style which was finished in 2005. Besides the building itself the cathedral also features art exhibitions,guided tours and various Cathedral Treasures are displayed.
If visiting historic religious sites is not to your liking then maybe you will be interested in the countryside surrounding Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk countryside was made famous by local artist Thomas Gainsborough who painted fantastic rural scenes many of which remain somewhat recognisable. The woods and lakes offer all kinds of opportunities but touring the countryside you will come upon numerous small villages featuring old-world buildings, large village churches, local pubs and other aesthetic attractions all within easy reach of the town.
Basing yourself in Bury St Edmunds allows you to take advantage of all the facilities of a modern town in an old fashioned setting. Of course there are plenty more reasons for visiting this picturesque part of England but there are far too many to be all included here. Bury St Edmunds is 70 miles (about 112Km) from London and if you are traveling from London by train you should change at Cambridge, which is 25 miles or 40 Kilometers from the town.
Hotels
Hotels in Suffolk Are Popular For Staycations 