A Day in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Bury St Edmunds, England

A note to my readers: The world is still dealing with Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, and it will be a long time before we can travel freely again. For many of us that will mean staycations and more local travel, but I will continue posting new content for you to read at home and to inspire your future travels. Happy reading and stay safe!

Bury St Edmunds came as a surprise. I visited mainly because I was in the area, exploring the medieval painted churches. But I soon learnt that this unassuming Suffolk town was once the capital of East Anglia, and that much of the historic city survives. I found plenty to see and do during a day in Bury St Edmunds.

The first abbey in Bury St Edmunds (then known as Beodricsworth) was built by the Saxons in around 633 CE. It rose to prominence in 903 when the remains of St Edmund were brought here. Edmund was the king of East Anglia, who was martyred by Danish invaders after he refused to give up his Christian faith. For many centuries he was the patron saint of England (interestingly, in the current time, he is also the patron saint of pandemics). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).