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Suffolk HER Number (Pref. Ref.):BSE 010
Unique number (MonUID):MSF437
Type of Record:Monument
Parish:BURY ST EDMUNDS, ST EDMUNDSBURY, SUFFOLK
NGR:TL 85 64

Summary

Scheduled Monument - Abbey complex.

Monument Types

  • ABBEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DOVECOTE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MINSTER (Medieval to Unknown - 1086 AD)
  • BRIDGE (Medieval - 1201 AD to 1300 AD)

Associated Finds

  • KEY (LOCKING) (Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1539 AD?)

Protected Status

  • Scheduled Ancient Monument SF2: BURY ST EDMUND'S ABBEY
  • Scheduled Ancient Monument SF38: THE CHAPEL OF THE CHARNEL

Description

Quarterly meeting Clare, September 14, 1848. Mr Sams exhibited a key found in Abbey grounds, Bury St Edmunds (S1).
Also APs of abbey (S2)(S6)(S7).St Edmundsbury was one of the 4 or 5 most powerful and wealthy Benedictine Monasteries in England. A small monastery was founded in c.633. King Edmund was martyred by the Danes in c.869. In C10 the community was of secular priests, replaced by 20 Benedictine Monks of King Canute in c.1020. William the Conqueror increased its privileges and the number of monks was raised to 50 in c.1081; the church was rebuilt then and subsequently under Abbot Baldwin c.1065-1097. The relics of St Edmund were translated in c.1095. Parts round the cloister were built, followed by the nave and the W front, the latter being in hand by c.1140 at the latest. The monastery was sacked and burnt in the riots of 1327 after the death of Edward II. The precinct, which is not built over, is about 457m N-S and 304m W-E.
For Whittingham plan etc see (S11).
The scheduled area includes the site of the Abbey church (for discussion see S9) and claustrial buildings, except two sections incorporated in later houses; the open ground to the N & E enclosed by the remains of the precinct wall, and including the remains of the Abbot's Palace; the Abbot's bridge (probably C13)(see S5) and the smaller bridge across the same stream further S; 3 detached fragmentsof the precinct wall outside the main scheduled area; and the remains of St Andrew's Chapel; the dovecote and the C14 rebuilt gatehouse. Details in (S3).
1957-1964: Excavated Saunders A D.& Thompson M.W., (east end of Cathedral - new build; PSIA 31, 256-262 & PSIA 35 1-30; archive with English Heritage?).
1957-1964: The Abbey church was cleared by labourers between 1957 & 1964, under the supervision of R Gilyard-Beer (undercroft, trascept & choir; published in S10?). For report on the architectural fragments see (S12).
1958: Excavated Ralegh Radford C.A., (behind ST James Church; PSIA 28, 90; Med Arch 3, 305).
1964: Excavated Biddle M.(Med Arch 8, 244; Arch J 108).
1973: Excavated Drewett P L/Stuart I W. (Norman Tower, published PSIA - see BSE 174).
1976: Excavated Fleming A J/Woods H M. (Queen's Tower; archive with English Heritage)
1990: Resistivity survey in grounds. Details in (R1).
For various excavations see (S4).
For Norman Tower (circa 1121-46) see BSE 174 for chancel chapel, see BSE 040, for monks cemetery, see BSE 092, for fishponds, see BSE 062, for vinery, see BSE 063 and excavations in modern refectory area, see BSE 052.
16 August 2004: Two disarticulated human bones exposed on side of former MOW excavations at (see 'Not to be published on web' tab for finder/s and/or findspot/s)- probably redeposited by MOW? Borough advised to recover the bones (S8).
Also IA & Sax.

Sources

R1(No record type): English Heritage (AML), `Bury St Edmunds Abbey Suffolk: Resistivity Survey, March 1990', Report 100 (SSF5709)
S1Bibliographic reference: Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. PSIA, 1, 1853, 26 (SSF50042)
M1Photograph: CUCAP. 1974. Air Photograph. Slides. AP: CUCAP AU 42 (SSF50031)
S2Photograph: CUCAP. 1974. Air Photograph. Slides. CUCAP, AP AU 41 & 42, 1948 (SSF50031)
M2(No record type): SAM file: (SSF46219)
S3(No record type): DOE, scheduling information (SSF5242)
S4(No record type): Carr J, Suffolk Excavations index archive, ms, 1989 (SSF3139)
S5(No record type): Jervoise E , The Ancient Bridges of Mid and Eastern England, 1932, 109 (SSF10068)
S6Photograph: Essex County Council. Air Photograph. Essex CC, BW/99/16/8-10 (SSF50025)
S7Photograph: Air Photographs. NAU, TL 856 641, JDF 11-13, 1 July 1996 (SSF50106)
S8Source Checked: Personal communication. Anderson S & Gill D, August 2004 (SSF50082)
S9Bibliographic reference: Gransden A (ed). 1998. Bury St Edmunds: Medieval Art, Architecture, Archaeology & Economy. Fernie E et al, 'The Romanesque Church of Bury St Edmunds Abbey' (& following), 1-44, ill (SSF50247)
S10Bibliographic reference: Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Gilyard-Beer R, 'The Eastern Arm of the Abbey Church at Bury St Edmunds', PSIA, 31, 256-262 (SSF50042)
S11Article in serial: Archaeological Journal. Whittingham AB, 'Bury St Edmunds Abbey …' Arch J, 108, 168-87, 1951 (SSF50235)
S12Unpublished document: Monument Report. Samuel M (Architect'l Archaeol'y), 'Rep on .. Architect' Frags .. Excav's 1957-64 ...', 2005 (SSF50046)

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