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The Abbey Church of St Edmund
Also known as Bury Abbey
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 Images
 Other Information
- Bedricsworth, now Bury St Edmunds, became a major point of pilgrimage in the mid 10th century thanks to its association with St Edmund, the murdered christian martyr king of East Anglia.
- Edmund's personality cult grew to such size that it contained 300 holdings of land throughout England including 70 in Suffolk. There was complete legal control of the whole of the area of the now defunct West Suffolk County Council area which survived until 1974.
- After Canterbury and Walsingham it was the main stopping point for pilgrims in medieval England, another source of the great wealth it displayed.
- The power of the abbey was such that it remained independent from the Archdiocese of Canterbury and had direct links with Rome.
- Rebuilding of the abbey began in 1095 and continued for 100 years funded with a massive influx of money from its holdings. At it's peak it housed 100 monks and a similar number of servants.
- The library was one of the largest in Europe containing over 2,000 volumes of medieval illuminations.
- The Abbey was over 160 metres long and 65 metres wide. It was so large you could fit Suffolk's biggest parish church, St Peter and St Paul at Lavenham, into the nave and transepts four times, and still have room for left over Thornham Parva up in the sanctuary.
- The spire on the central tower reached an estimated 65 metres. The lantern tower was around 70 metres tall.
- A fire wrecked havoc destroying much of the Abbey and its treasures in 1465 and the death knell sounded in 1538 when the land was sold off by the Crown.
- St Edmund's body was finally offered for reburial and reburied in 1901 in Westminster Cathedral having presumed to have been lost for hundreds of years.
 Companies
We do not currently have any companies associated with this building however you can
submit them via our company listing page for this project.
 Reference Data
- Reference No.
- 3090
- First Uploaded
- 19-02-2006
- Last Editorial Date
- 09-02-2009
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- Council
- St Edmundsbury Borough Council
- County
- Suffolk
- Region
- East Anglia
- Country
- United Kingdom
View in Google Maps  Available office space in IP33
Guildhall Properties - Forbes Business Centre, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds Guildhall Properties - Norfolk House, Lion Barn Industrial Estate, Needham Market Kamich - Enterprise House, Rippers Court, Sible Hedingham Find Other Offices - Status
- Ruined
- Construction start date
- 900
- Completion date
- 1195
- Demolition Date
- 1538
- Style
- Gothic
- Roof Height (AGL)
- 70.00 *
Market Data- Primary Use
- Place of Worship
Metres > Feet * Estimated Height |
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