St Edmundsbury Cathedral to be “Reborn”
I am delighted that St Edmundsbury Cathedral has been awarded a whopping £7.137m in National Lottery Funding to take forward its ‘Reborn Project’ which aims to reunify the 60-acre Abbey of St Edmund site. This new funding forms part of the total £9.83m that will rejuvenate the site and secure their long-term sustainable future.
The funding will go towards:
Vital work to conserve the medieval Abbey ruins to ensure their beauty can remain for the long-term
A Visitor Centre and West Cloister that will serve as a new community space
Increasing accessibility with a 1.4km circular route, supporting mobility, sensory and cognitive needs, whilst also physically and visually reconnecting the Abbey ruins, Cathedral and town
New jobs and opportunities, including 47 coordinated community activities, 200 volunteering and 21 training opportunities, two apprenticeships and five funded staff posts
Enhancing biodiversity along the rare chalk stream Rivers Lark and Linnet
St Edmundsbury Cathedral, English Heritage and West Suffolk Council form the project partners and will come together as members of The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership to help deliver this project. Works are set to begin in Spring 2027, and once completed, it will be taken on by a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), which will provide a governance structure to help sustain the Abbey’s position as one of England’s most important medieval sites.
I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing how this rejuvenation, led by the community, will enhance visitors’ appreciation of the site and highlight Bury’s beautiful history to more people than ever!
