Monument record BSE 775 - Beodricsworth; St Edmund's Bury; Saxon Settlement

A Saxon town known as Beodricsworth/Bedricesworth (now Bury st Edmunds) developed on the River Lark. It probably centred on the place where the streets later called Northgate and Eastgate meet. In c.633 a small religious Christian community was founded by the East Anglian king, Sigebert to which he intended to retire. It is possible this was in a settlement then known as Bedericsworth, and is thought to have been centred on what is now the west side of the Abbey precinct in Bury St Edmunds. Bede writing in the 8th century does not give the name of the monastery to which Sigeberht retired, and he may not have known it. It was only recorded in the 12th-century Liber Eliensis that the monastery in question was Betrichesworde. The town developed after the transference of Saint Edmund’s body to ‘Bedricesworth’ in early 10th century c.AD903 and became a place of pilgrimage to the shrine. According to the later account of Abbo of Fleury writing in the late 10th century, a ‘very large church of wonderful wooden plankwork’ (permaxima miro ligneo tabulatu ecclesia) was built to house Saint Edmund’s shrine. The church was served by a community of secular priests. In AD 945, the new wooden church received important patronage from King Edmund of England, making it one of the richest churches in the country. Viking raids in late 10th century meant that the body of Saint Edmund was moved to London by Ailwin for 3 years before being returned to Bury. The wooden church would not have existed in isolation, and was likely surrounded by other buildings which would have left similarly ephemeral traces. In AD1020, King Canute founded a Benedictine monastery in Bury in AD1020 and the first stone church was built (See BSE 010). The surrounding monastic precinct developed and expanded to incorporate areas of the Anglo-Saxon town. During the medieval period, it grew to be one of the wealthiest and most powerful monasteries in England. (S1)(S2)(S3).
The GIS mapping is loosely based on the road line and excavated finds distribution but excludes the line of the medieval (& Saxon?) town defences.

Previously recorded under BSE 241 (sax).

See BSE 241 – medieval urban area of Bury St Edmunds
See BSE 010 – Abbey of St Edmund; Benedictine Monastery; Abbey Precinct
Remains of mid-late Saxon occupation, including timber-framed structures, midden and a stylus were revealed during excavations in 1976-1980 under the ‘Queen’s House’ in the medieval monastery precinct sealed by the medieval masonry – see BSE 774.
On the Bowling Green north of St James’ church excavation discovered a N-S road, which must pre-date the building of the later abbey precinct.
It is suggested that the first town defences were constructed by King Canute (1016-1035) – see BSE 136, 139, 140, 142.
Artefacts and metal working debris have been excavated at St Edmund’s Nursing Home - see BSE 127
Ipswich ware pottery has been recovered in the area – see BSE 774, 013, 026, 117, 127, 144 & 208
Late Saxon pottery, mainly Thetford ware, buildings and features are recorded under BSE 003. 010, 013, 026, 030, 043, 052, 084, 124, 127, 144, 150, 155, 168, 174, 183, 202, MSF 6814.
Several Saxon burials have been excavated, including: Northumberland Avenue in 1954 – see BSE 005, Westgarth Gardens in 1972 – see BSE 030, and Tollgate lane in 1821 (BSE 059) and in 1956 (BSE 373) and in 2017 (BSE 509).