ST MARY, BURY ST EDMUNDS, SUFFOLK
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
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Location: the church is situated at the junction of Crown Street and Honey Hill in central
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
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Ordnance Survey reference: TL856639.
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Listing status: grade 1 (St Edmundsbury Borough Council)
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Site description: the site boundary coincides with the north and west walls of the
building. There is a small garden of Remembrance along the south and east sides.
The Great Churchyard north of the church was historically the burial ground for the two
parishes of St Mary and St James but was purchased by the Corporation in the 18 th
century and does not belong to the Parochial Church Council.
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Plan form: the church comprises nave with clerestorey, chancel and sanctuary to the
east.
There are aisles to the north and south of the nave and chapels to the north and south of
the chancel. The tower is on the north side of the north aisle and projects into the north
aisle internally. There is a north porch on the north aisle (the Nottyngham Porch).
There is a crypt under the sanctuary, with access from the lower ground level on the
south side. There are turret stairs at the north east and south east corners of the nave,
a further turret stair at the south west corner of the tower and a modern steel stair within
the tower, which contains five storeys of usable accommodation plus the silence chamber
and the belfry.
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Materials: roofs are all lead covered, the nave roof and central part of the chancel roof
are steeply pitched. There is an attic between the ceiling and the roof of the chancel.
The roof structures are of timber with boarding exposed below. The walling is generally
of flint with stone dressings. On the west elevation of the church, the south aisle south
elevation and the exterior of the Nottyngham Porch, the walls are faced with ashlar
limestone. Internally walls are finished with plaster and limewash. The windows are of
stone containing leaded lights. Most of the windows of the aisles, chapels, sanctuary
and the east and west windows of the nave contain stained glass. Ground floors are of
stone within inset ledger slabs, flooring under seating areas in the nave, aisles and
chancel is of timber on suspended timber joists. The flooring is carpeted in the Lady
Chapel. The modern flooring of the tower is of timber boarding and joists on a steel
frame structure. The church (together with the Cathedral) is the only building in the town
incorporating magnesian limestone, documented as coming from a pit near Tadcaster.
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Historical development: the church formed the south west corner of the precinct of the
Abbey of St Edmund. It is assumed that there was a Norman church on the site: the
chancel was rebuilt in the first half of the 14th century and only the chancel arch and the
rood screen stairs remain following later remodelling. The tower lower parts are 14 th
century in date (Pevsner) remodelled circa 1393 to 1403 (Haward). The nave and aisles
were rebuilt circa 1424 to 1433: the architect mason is likely to have been William Layer
(Haward). The Nottyngham (North) Porch was added circa 1437. Haward gives the
date of the Suffolk Chapel circa 1463, Lady Chapel circa 1473 and sanctuary 1479: the
mason for the arcades is likely to have been Simon Clerk of Bury. Pevsner refers to the
Suffolk Chapel north door as being early 14th century, which is anomalous.
There was a south porch, of mediaeval date but this was removed in 1831. Some parts
remain at Nowton Park south of Bury St Edmunds.
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The paintings and photographs in the church show a succession of different reorderings.
The interior was remodelled in the 17th or 18th century with box pews and a gallery. The
font, at that stage, was towards the west end of the nave.
Major repairs to the exterior, to the nave roof and windows including the insertion of the
nave east window in its current form were carried out by Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
(1787 - 1847) in 1840: the clerk of works was John Johnson (1811- 1891). The work
also included a reordering of the interior of the nave. The nave roof east bay was
painted, based on colours surviving on the mediaeval timbers.
Sir Arthur Blomfield (1829 - 1899) reordered the nave and aisles to their current
appearance in 1866. Galleries were finally removed, the south aisle windows were
restored and the chancel roof was restored in 1880. The main seating in the nave and
aisles is contemporary with this reordering.
The choir stalls were altered and the current sanctuary floor laid in 1901 to a design by
George Frederick Bodley (1827-1907), the work supervised by A Ainsworth Hunt (18691949).
Restoration and alterations were carried out in 1909 by Hicks and Charlewood (William
Searle Hicks 1849-1902 and Henry Clement Charlewood 1856-1943). Some of this
work was in St Wolston’s Chapel at the north aisle west end, was
superseded by the current arrangements. The chancel screens were extended
eastwards in 1910. The rood screen was inserted in 1913.
The Suffolk Chapel was reordered and fitted out in 1935 by Sir John Ninian Comper
(1864-1960).
The rood screen was installed in 1913 as a memorial to Officers of the Suffolk Regiment.
The tower interior was refitted from ground floor up to Silence chamber floor level in
1995/1996, architect The Whitworth Co-Partnership.
Minor alterations to the benches and the pew platforms took place in the 1990’s at the
east end of the nave and in 2000 at the west end.
The Lady Chapel was reordered with chairs provided instead of benches in 1988.
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Stained glass: the information given in Birkin Haward’s book “19th Century Suffolk
Stained Glass” is summarised as follows.
Window SE: 1914, possibly by Percy Bacon Brothers of London (replacing William
Wailes window of 1848).
Sanctuary window SN: 1856 probably Charles Clutterbuck.
Chancel east window CE1, CE2: small pieces of coloured glass, date unknown.
Sanctuary south window SS: undated, also by Clutterbuck.
Lady Chapel window LCE: 1857 by Gerente of Paris.
Lady Chapel south window LCS1: 1881 by Clayton and Bell (presented by Queen
Victoria in memory of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII).
Window LCS2: 1872 by H Hughes.
Window LCS3: 1854 by C Clutterbuck.
Window LCS4: 1881 by W H Constable.
South aisle south windows SAS1 to 6: 1880, all by Heaton, Butler and Bayne.
Window SAS7: 1891, also by Heater, Butler and Bayne.
Window SAS10: 1866 by Ward and Hughes.
Window SAW: undated, recorded as Heaton, Butler and Bayne, possibly 1865.
Suffolk Chapel east window SCE: undated but recorded Heaton, Butler and Bayne 1857.
Suffolk Chapel north windows SCN1 and SCN2: Comper and Willement Glass dated
approx. 1964 and 1973.
Window SCN3: no date, probably T Willement.
Window SCN4: undated.
Window NAN1: 1894, probably Clayton & Bell.
Window NAN2: 1884 signed Ward and Hughes.
Window NAN4: undated, probably Willement glass of 1845 formerly in nave west
window.
Window NAN8: 1866, signed H Hughes 1869.
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Window NAW: 1867, signed Ward and Hughes.
Nave east window NE: 1845, recorded as by Willement/Cottingham.
Nave west window NW: 1857 and recorded Heaton Butler and Bayne.
The windows have been recorded by digital photography on CD ROM. Copies are held
in various places including the church itself and the inspecting architect’s office.
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Bells: the frame is of timber inscribed 1734. The bells are no longer full circle rung but
are hung for chiming only. Some alterations were carried out to the bells at the time of
the rehanging but the general details are as follows:
Treble: R Phelps, Whitechapel 1734
Second: R Phelps, Whitechapel 1734
Third: Mears and Stainbank, Whitechapel 1869
Fourth: Mears and Stainbank, Whitechapel 1903
Fifth: R Phelps, Whitechapel, 1734
Sixth: R Phelps, Whitechapel 1734
Seventh: Pack and Chapman, White Chapel 1776
Tenor: R Phelps, White Chapel 1734
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Other items of significance:
Nave roof: late 15th century, principals consist of single hammer beams with recumbent
angels alternating with arch braced principals. The principals all spring from carved wall
posts. The roof design is integrated with that of the nave arcade. Haward considers the
pier plan to be “the earliest example found in East Anglia of the quintessential type of
Suffolk arcade design of the later 15th century ……. and its first demonstration here has
produced one of the most noble nave interiors of the period”.
Chancel ceiling panelled with carved ribs and bosses and gilded detail. Te Deum frieze
on north and south cornices of chancel. The four bay arcades were inserted at a later
date “continuing the character of the nave piers and varying only slightly in dimensions
and base mouldings” (Haward).
The screens backing the choir stalls contain the heads of tracery panels formerly part
of the rood screen and loft.
The stone vaulted ceiling to the Nottyngham porch of 1437.
The decorated ceiling of east bay of south aisle over the former chantry of John
Barett of 1467: altar tomb for Barett is located against south wall in this area with
cadaver effigy.
Font: 15th century (?): historically this has moved around the church, recorded as being
in the nave towards the west end at one stage and in the Lady Chapel, now at the west
end of the south aisle: paintings suggest that the current position is a late 19 th or early
20th century alteration.
Pulpit: dates from Cottingham reordering, possibly designed by Cottingham.
Lectern: brass eagle type, 1884
Benches: all Arthur Blomfield design in nave and aisles: all complete except for minor
alterations at east and west ends.
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Clocks: the clock in the tower dated 1897 is owned and maintained by St Edmundsbury
Borough Council: the mechanism was removed and converted to electric power in 1987
(?). There is an 18th century George Graham wall clock on the south face of the tower
in the north aisle.
Tombs: the most interesting historically is that of Mary Tudor, sister of King Henry VIII,
widow of King Louis XII of France, latterly married to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk.
This is located in the north east corner of the sanctuary under a 19th/early 20th century
ledger slab with kerb.
Two large tomb chests in the chancel easternmost bay, Sir William Carew died 1501 to
the north and Sir Robert Drury died 1536 to the south. John Barett died 1467 tomb
chest in south aisle at east end (see also above).
A significant brass to Jankyn Smyth died 1481 in the Lady chapel and a brass to
Archdeacon John Fyners died 1509 in the Suffolk Chapel.
Various ledger slabs to families of importance including Sir Robert Drury (died 1536)
speaker of the House of Commons and the Oakes family at east end of nave, leading
citizens and benefactors of the church.
The colours of various regiments are laid up in the church particularly in the Suffolk
Chapel and at the west end of the north aisle (St Wolston’s Chapel).
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Paintings: two large paintings on boards of Moses and Aaron are now at the head of the
tower staircase (formerly in the Nottyngham porch and prior to that thought to have been
mounted on the east wall of the sanctuary). There are interesting paintings of the
church interior of various dates on the north aisle north wall and a collection of
photographs and paintings of the interior at various dated, particularly 19th century, hung
on the walls of the meeting room in the tower.
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Sources of information: this statement draws on the following sources:
The Buildings of England: N Pevsner, revised E Radcliffe. Pub. Penguin Books,
Second Edition 1974.
Suffolk Churches: H Munro Cautley; pub. the Boydell Press, Ipswich (fourth revised
edition 1975).
Dictionary of Architects of Suffolk Buildings 1800 - 1914: C Brown, B Haward, R Kindred;
pub. Brown, Haward & Kindred 1991
Nineteenth Century Suffolk Stained Glass: B Haward; pub. The Boydell Press 1989
Suffolk Mediaeval Church Arcades: B Haward pub. Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and
History 1993.
St Mary's, Bury St Edmunds: C Paine; pub. Honey Hill Publishing (2000 Edition).
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Statement of significance:
Local: the location at the corner of the Abbey precinct, on the main route into the town
form the south and views from the north along Angel Hill and Crown Street make this a
highly significant building in the local streetscape. The place of the church historically as
the Corporation church with the mayor’s stall and the association with the Suffolk
Regiment also gives it historical and social significance. The superb late mediaeval
design and surviving fabric make it arguably the most significant individual whole building
in the town.
Regional: again the history, design quality and survival of original fabric with high quality
later insertions and fittings make this an outstanding and regionally significant church in
an area well provide with work of the highest quality.
National: the factors making this a regionally significant building again make the church
significant in a national context.
International: as a major monument of the late mediaeval Perpendicular style not found
other than in Great Britain, the church has international significance.
THE WHITWORTH CO-PARTNERSHIP
18 Hatter Street
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk IP33 1NE
PEO/ao/C179/QI
20 July 2001
Revised 8 June 2006
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