The History of Bury St. Edmunds

Bury St Edmunds is rich in history. The first Saxon settlers arrived in the country before the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century. Excavations have been done seven miles north of Bury St Edmunds to find valuable evidence of Anglo-Saxon life.

The Story Behind Bury St Edmunds Itself

Many Saxon finds are displayed in the Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds itself. The museum is also housed in the oldest residential building of the time, built during the Norman era.

The town is medieval, largely formed around the monastery that was founded in 1020 by King Cnut/ Canute, who is famous for having commanded the tide not to come in. The town itself still mirrors its original Norman layout.

Bury St Edmunds Abbey

The abbey at Bury St Edmunds was one of the most important, with a number of stories all its own. The abbey itself became famous during the medieval times due to the fact that King Edmund was buried there, his shrine becoming an important point for pilgrims.

Edmund himself was made a saint and martyr due to the fact that he refused to renounce his religion, and was shot down by the invading Danes. Famous images of the saint are used on the coat of arms for the Borough of St Edmundsbury – depicting a crowned head (that of Edmund) and a wolf that guarded it after it had been cut off by the Danes.

The abbey is also famous due to the fact that it is thought that barons swore on oath at the high alter to force King John to ratify the Magna Carta in 1214. This was a famous document, forming the basis of politics as it now works in Britain.

With the dissolution of the monasteries during Henry VIII's reign the abbey was destroyed, though the remains can still be seen around the town.