Bury St. Edmunds Books

This is the first English translation for forty years of a medieval classic, offering vivid and unique insight into the life of a great monastery in late twelfth-century England. The translation brilliantly communicates the interest and immediacy of Jocelin's narrative, and the annotation is particularly clear and helpful.

Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area are places of deep spiritual significance both within East Anglia and in Great Britain as a whole and a belief in ghosts are aspects of this deeper pattern. This book is based on spooky stories based on life-long traditions which have been handed down from earlier generations. Belief in the power of God and St Edmund still has a strong resonance in the town and reverberates across time into the twenty-first century. Against this backdrop, Bury St Edmunds may be considered a haunted area both metaphorically and literally and the book gives a comprehensive summary of the spectral residents of the town and its environs, preserving a permanent record of eerie experiences and beliefs.

Suffolk Strange but True illustrates and describes people, places and incidents that are unusual, odd or extraordinary. We discover the truth about the fasting woman of Shottisham, who was alleged not to have eaten for three months; the tithe war of the 1930s, when some farmers were reduced to selling their tractors for sixpence; unusual entrepreneurs, misers and witches, and also the tales behind a number of the county's deserted towns and villages. Local folklore and legend are also examined to show how real events have been exaggerated and embroidered over the years. Using a range of illustrations, from old and recent photographs to maps, prints, paintings and engravings, Robert Halliday tells an entertaining story an alternative history of Suffolk that will fascinate residents and visitors alike.