St. Edmundsbury Cathedral

It was an abbey church, then a parish church, and only in 1914 did it become a cathedral, that is, the seat of a redistricted C of E bishop. Though bits, mostly the nave, go back to the Medieval era, much of the church, including the chancel and the roof, was rebuilt in the early 20th century. Relatively few European or British churches or cathedrals were built in one go (e.g., Salisbury or Bourges), but St. Edmundsbury has not stood the test of time, as yet, and was accordingly of less interest to us. We had to walk through the abbey grounds, now the city park and garden, and the cathedral, in order to get to our main goal, the parish church of St. Mary (next post). Nonetheless, there was one item in the cathedral of surpassing interest...

Helpful map of the abbey area

Another representation of how it all might have looked in the good old days;
St. Mary's is at the lower right

In the city park/garden, formerly abbey grounds

Cathedral tomb slabs re-used...up-cycled

New, 20th century roof of St. Edmundsbury; click to enlarge
and see the hovering painted angels

Nave

Surpassing interest department: as a fund-raiser, they're constructing a super-sized
and super-accurate Lego model of the cathedral; complete with maze

 

Yes, we contributed our brick

Not this one though; I'm holding out for Wells or Winchester

Actual helpful model of the cathedral; note mock transepts (they don't really
extend beyond the aisles)

Back to reality: Susanna and the dirty old men

Other glass

Beautiful organ

Chancel, quire, etc.

Beautiful crossing

Each of the parish churches in the diocese contributed a couple cushions

Everything you ever wanted to know about the Pantokrator
and the meaning of the Holy Finger(s) (click to enlarge)

Pancake Eater

Gorgeous font

Moving right along, looking up at the funny faces on the Norman gate/tower,
which the townspeople apparently didn't tear down

Pedestrian signage in Bury is superb

Bury St. Edmunds

We were four nights in the Ram Meadow car park in Bury St. Edmunds, enjoying the town, its Saturday market, the cathedral, the beautiful St. Mary's church, even the Unitarian meeting hall, then Ickworth House and Garden, just a few miles from BSE. I think this is the third place in the UK where we've spent four nights. Partly, it's because we have been abroad now going on four months and the number of sights from Rome to Paris to here has been overwhelming. Partly it's because we're 70-somethings and need to rest. But mostly it's because there's so much of interest in England, and it's all so close together. I doubt we've averaged 30 minutes on the road daily since we got here June 23rd. Bury is a very old, very nice place, and the long-stay car park with five (5) motor-home spaces is just a few minutes' walk from either the CBD or the old abbey grounds, where the interesting churches are. 3.50L per night, including very modest facilities. Below are some miscellaneous pix of the town and market.

Bury has the usual assortment of British stores for a town of its size--Debenham's,
Boots, M&S, and the usual trendy franchises that 70-somethings no longer
countenance--but the first place in Bury that caught our attention was the Adnam's,
apparently a beer and booze franchise that advertises classes and facilities for
making one's own flavored gin

Obviously the flavored gin thing has gone too far, and I do wonder whether this
recent craze had something to do with the Brexit vote  

Well, maybe it wasn't just the gin

Smith's does the PO in most British towns (all?), here in a beautifully restored
old building

The old Victorian PO right next door

Corn Market

British town markets are quite different than those in France, where it's largely
food, clothes, housewares, maybe some brocante; in the UK there is rather less
food, but then plenty of most anything else that can be hauled in a van and set
up on a street; the brocante is best found in the innumerable charity shoppes;
nonetheless, there is always much of interest

For example, foot stools

We were attracted to this one but thought maybe we should buy the van first

Random Bury street scene

Ivy League hotel

Bury, I suppose, was a neolithic settlement originally; Roman artifacts have
been found there; but the present town, known among Saxons as Beodericsworth,
originated mostly from the 11th century Benedictine abbey that rose and
flourished here; and is most famous for being the site where the barons
confronted King John and made him sign the Magna Carta (the first time)

Most of the abbey is gone now, thank you, Henry VIII, but the abbey gate tower
remains

Actually, apart from the monks, the rich abbots, and the pope, nobody much liked
the abbeys

"Bury in bloom" indeed

 

New entrance to an old dwelling; note the funny face has
been retained, re-installed

Another random street scene

Hardly a relic; but requires a credit card

 

We were Unitarians in Dallas years ago: seeking a minimalist religious association,
a place where our daughters could receive religious education (not indoctrination),
and where Vicki could sing Xmas carols

Bury's late 18th century Unitarian meeting house; open to all Bury residents for
public meetings 

Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford, Suffolk, 2

Conntinuing our visit to the Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford, Suffolk, a 5-banger...

Thus

Original paint, in the Chantry

Intact brass

Altar sculpture

Pew, note carving, cushions

Helpful model

More brass

Organ

Wives buried elsewhere

Ceiling

The very famous Hare Window

Thus

Tombstones so old...