In the locality

Local information ...



Bury St Edmunds


Bury St Edmunds is an historic market town in the heart of East Anglia.  The town is well known for the ruins of the medieval abbey which are in the beautiful Abbey Gardens.  The Benedictine abbey was first founded in 1020 by King Canute, and housed the body of King Edmund who was martyred by Viking invaders in 869AD.

The abbey was largely destroyed during the 16th Century. The former St James Church (built within the abbey) became St Edmundsbury Cathedral in 1914.  The Millennium tower, the latest addition to the cathedral) was completed in 2005.

Bury St Edmunds is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury, with a population of just over 35,000 (2001 census), comprising:
  • 18% less than 15 years of age
  • 11% between 15 and 24
  • 29% between 25 and 44
  • 26% between 45 and 64
  • 16% over the age of 6
BSE Abbey Millenium tower
Unemployment in the Suffolk region is approximately 3.4% (2002/2003 figures) below the 5.2% national average
Bury in Bloom ... Bury St Edmunds is a past winner of 'Britain in Bloom' and in 1999 was judged the 'best little town in the world'.
The Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is one of the few remaining Georgian theatres in the country

Abbey gardens
Please pray for the people of Bury St Edmunds, the local council, our MP and our local church community