St Edmundsbury Cathedral

St Edmundsbury Cathedral stands in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, as the seat of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It began as a church in the 11th century and became a cathedral in 1914 after centuries of rebuilding. The Norman Tower beside it served as the church’s belfry and still rings its bells today. John Wastell rebuilt much of the church in the early 16th century, and later architects added a chancel and hammerbeam roof. In 1959 Benjamin Britten composed a fanfare for a Magna Carta pageant held in the grounds. Since then the building has grown with new quire, chapels, cloisters and a Gothic Revival tower completed in 2005. The cathedral’s interior holds a font designed by George Gilbert Scott and a painting of St Edmund’s martyrdom by Brian Whelan. Elisabeth Frink’s Crucifixion sculpture stands near the Treasury steps, and medieval stained glass includes the Susanna Window. Visitors can see changing art in the Edmund Gallery and historic regalia in the Cathedral Treasures display. The Norman Tower contains twelve bells, with two added in 2012 and a thirteenth in 2013 for beginners. The bells are rung before services and for weddings. The Ancient Library above the north-west porch was founded by Miles Mosse in the 16th century. The cathedral also functions as a parish church and houses a fine organ rebuilt in 2010. Its music directors have included Charles John Harold Shane, Edwin Percy Hallam and Timothy Parsons. The Dean leads the chapter of canons, with roles including Sub-Dean, Canon Pastor and Canon Precentor. The building’s recent additions include the Chapel of the Transfiguration and the East Cloister, both finished in 2009. The Crypt Treasury opened in 2012, completing a long programme of enlargement.