About the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn

The Abbey of St Edmund was once one of the greatest medieval abbeys in England and is now a ruin. It is situated in Abbey Gardens, which are open free of charge to the public all year round, but it is hidden from the historic town centre and from the Cathedral.

Made possible by National Lottery players, this £9.9m project will bring together town, cathedral and abbey for the first time in hundreds of years.

Here are the key elements of the project:

Project Partners

St Edmundsbury Cathedral (the lead partner), West Suffolk Council and English Heritage have come together as members of The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership (comprising 29 organisations and individuals who care about the Abbey) to develop and deliver this project.

Each of these three organisations has a statutory responsibility for part of the Abbey site.

  • St Edmundsbury Cathedral owns and manages the listed buildings which will become the visitor centre.
  • West Suffolk Council owns and manages the wider Abbey area and Abbey Gardens.
  • The Abbey ruins are part of the National Heritage Collection, a portfolio of over 400 historic sites owned by the Department of Culture Media and Sport for the benefit of the public, cared for and managed under the Historic Properties License by English Heritage.

Project Board and Chapter

The Project Board is a sub-committee of the Chapter of St Edmundsbury, is independently chaired and comprises representatives of the Cathedral, English Heritage, West Suffolk Council and The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership plus some independent members. It is responsible for the oversight and management of the Project, and for ensuring that the terms of the Heritage Fund grant agreement are followed.

Mark Rogers:

Independent Chair of the Project Board. An experienced CEO and board member with a proven long-term track record of successful delivery, primarily in affordable housing in both the for profit and not for profit sectors. Mark has delivered startups, innovation, growth, major transformation programmes, financial strength and commercial success through strategy, vision and leadership.

Joe Hawes

Dean of St Edmundsbury and Vice Chair of the Project Board. In July 2018 Joe was installed as Dean of St Edmundsbury and oversees the spiritual and administrative life of the Cathedral Community. He serves on General Synod, representing the Deans, and is a trustee of United Society Partners in the Gospel, as well as a governor at Framlingham College and King Edward VI School.

Matthew Vernon

Canon Pastor & Sub-Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Chair of the Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership. Matthew was installed in February 2009 as Canon Pastor and became Sub Dean in October 2012. He led the Cathedral’s contribution to the Abbey 1000 celebrations – the millennium of the founding of the Benedictine Abbey of St Edmund by King Cnut in 1020 – and to the national Magna Carta 800 celebrations in 2014. He has chaired the Heritage Partnership since it was founded in 2016 and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of English Cathedrals.

Damien Parker

Service Manager (Green Space and Heritage) at West Suffolk Council. Damien has an MSc in local government leadership and management, and over 30 years’ experience in green space and heritage management. He is responsible for the public open spaces and heritage venues throughout West Suffolk which include the Abbey Gardens, West Stow Country Park and Anglo-Saxon Village, Moyse’s Hall Museum, and sits on the Brecks Rivers and Fen Edge Board.

Alex Sydney

Former Property Development Director at English Heritage. Alex’s current role includes volunteer lead to develop project need, interests and responsibilities and represents English Heritage at Project Board level to make decisions on English Heritage’s behalf.

Alan Baxter

Represents the Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership. A former independent heritage consultant and Heritage Manager at West Suffolk Council.

Sharon Goddard

Former professional Heritage Consultant, specialising in a wide range of heritage organisations providing client services such as project scoping, activity, training and business planning, and designing and carrying out evaluation. Other roles include former Trustee and Chair of the Food Museum, Stowmarket (formerly the Museum of East Anglian Life). Current Trustee of Suffolk Family Carers and Chair of the Governance Committee. Current founding member of the Learning Advisory Panel for Historic Houses. Current Trustee of Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Chair of the Health, Safety and Safeguarding Committee.

Professor Darryl Newport

An environmental scientist specialising in the built environment. Darryl’s research and policy interests include alternative energy systems, sustainable construction through alternative material use and natural resource management including resource efficiency. He currently leads the strategic sustainable development of the University of Suffolk. Academic qualifications include Professor of Energy and Sustainable Development, University of Suffolk. Professor of Sustainable Materials Engineering, University of East London.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Local Partners

The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership are helping us develop and deliver this project. The organisations in this partnership are:

  • St Edmundsbury Cathedral
  • West Suffolk Council
  • English Heritage
  • Suffolk County Council
  • Bury St Edmunds Town Council
  • The Bury St Edmunds Society
  • Bury St Edmunds Town Trust
  • Bury St Edmunds Town Guides
  • Bury St Edmunds and Beyond
  • Our Bury St Edmunds
  • St Mary’s Church
  • St Edmund’s Roman Catholic Church
  • Historic England
  • University of East Anglia
  • Suffolk Archives
  • Bury Past and Present Society
  • Abbey Gardens Friends
  • Bury Water Meadows Group
  • River Lark Catchment Partnership

Project Patron

The project patron for the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn is The Marquess of Bristol. Of the project, Frederick says, “I have always loved the Abbey Gardens, which my family owned prior to transferring ownership to the Borough Council, and they will benefit greatly from conservation of the ruins and inspiring interpretation. I think it is a wonderful idea to have the visitor centre with good links to the town centre, making it easy to get to while preserving the peace and tranquillity of the gardens. Personally, I feel a strong connection to The Abbey of St Edmund because my title of Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of St Edmund is almost as old as the Abbey itself – so it feels like we have nearly a thousand years of shared history. I very much look forward to being involved with such an ambitious and thoughtful project.”