BURY ST EDMUNDS

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The town was founded after the enshrinement of the body of St Edmunds in the royal vill in 903 AD. A Benedictine order built an Abbey (TL 86 SE 39) and a cathedral (TL 86 SE 40). and was given special jurisdiction over the vill and surrounding lands. Under monastic guidance the town was laid out on a Norman grid iron plan which obliterated all pre-conquest features. The towns defences consisting of a wall and four gates which were built in the 12th century by the sacrist Radilph Hervey. The town gates were later demolished for access reasons.

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(TL 85256377) West Gate (NR) (site of) (NAT).
(TL 85196442)Risby Gate (NR) (site of) (NAT).
(TL 85776437)East Gate (NR) (site of) (NAT). (1)

The Medieval walled town of Bury St Edmunds was founded after the
enshrinement of the body of St Edmunds in the royal vill of
Beodricsworthe, 903 AD, later called St Edmundsbury or Bury St
Edmunds. A Benedictine monastic order, founded in 1020 AD built an
Abbey (TL 86 SE 39) and a Cathedral (TL 86 SE 40) at Bury St
Edmunds and was given special jurisdiction over the vill
and surrounding lands. It was under their guidance that the
Medieval Town layout, on a Norman grid iron pattern, was adopted
obliterating all pre conquest features. The towns defences consists
of a wall linking the North, West and Risby gates, built in the
12th century by the sacrist Raduplh Hervey; the West gate was
linked to the Southgate by a ditch. The eastern side of the town
was protected by a ditch linking the South Gate to the East Gate,
which is at the bridging point of the river Lark, and marshland
susceptable to flooding provided a natural defense between the
East and North Gates. The town gates were demolished for access
reasons. See Map Diagram. (2-3)

The Domesday book records that between 1065 and 1086 the town had been extended over land previously ploughed and sown and had doubled in population. This article deals with the gridded area of the town giving alls its breakdown into main units and sub units, measurements are done in poles. The new pattern may have been restricted by pre-existing boundaries. (4)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:2500 1961

( 2) General reference

Bury St Edmunds 1935 (M D Lobel)

( 3) Royal Archaeological Institute The archaeological journal

108 - 1951 Page(s)161-189

(4) BAR British series

(Crummy, P) 72 - 1979 Page(s)149-61

(5) Council for British Archaeology CBA research reports

Medieval Towns in England and Wales (ed) Barley 14 - 1975 Page(s)58-9

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