At the end of November DaveR and I went to see RoyH at his new home in Bury St Edmunds. His address, Churchgate Street, roots it unmistakably in a historic town. Pevsner says: ‘The architectural character of Bury in predominantly Georgian, pleasant and quiet, perhaps a little sleepy, but most attractive.’ He notes that: St Edmundsbury was one of the four or five most powerful and wealthy Benedictine monasteries in England’.
The cathedral, in the perpendicular style, is a fine backdrop to ‘the delightful large open space’ of Angel Hill. To most eyes the building looks all of a piece, but a new tower was added in 2005. Built of Barnack limestone, lime mortar, flint and bricks, it was funded by a legacy from the architect Stephen Dykes Bower and the Millennium Commission. The Art Deco direction sign in the centre of Angel Hill is typical of Bury’s incidental delights.
Bury has retained a close relationship with the surrounding countryside, despite recent growth. The River Lark comes into the town and provides part of the setting for the Abbey. The Green King Brewery is redolent of yeast, hops and barley; the sugar beet factory is plumed with steam during the ‘campaign’.
In at least one case modern architecture has done the right thing by Bury: the arc is one of the very best new shopping centres from the first decade of this century. Shops, apartments and the very excellent Apex venue come together in an excellent and distinctive design.
It’s an eminently walkable town and on market day bustles with street-filled life. St Johns Street – part of a lively walk between the railway station and the town centre – has a justified reputation for its distinctive independent shops. Lunch at Gastrono-me epitomised this – one of the highlights of a good day.
Photos: Bury St Edmunds, 30th November 2016