St Edmundsbury Cathedral

St Edmundsbury Cathedral is a stunning mix of ancient and modern. A former parish church built in the 16th century, it became Suffolk’s Cathedral in 1914 following the creation of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. A modern expansion began when Stephen Dykes Bower was appointed architect in 1943.

With whitewashed walls and a stunning lantern tower, St Edmundsbury Cathedral skirts the gothic and presents a colourful and bright interior that visitors are often surprised by. The Cathedral’s tower was finished in 2005 and its crowning glory is the vaulted ceiling that rewards those who gaze upwards. t’s red, blue, green and gold hues evoke King’s College Chapel ceiling, a building designed by John Wastell who also began work on the Cathedral in 1503 (when it was the parish church of St James).

John Wastell was also a master builder at the Abbey of St Edmund. At its peak, the Abbey was the 4th largest in Europe and drew pilgrims and visitors from all over Europe. It was mostly destroyed during the reformation, but it’s ruins remain in the Abbey Gardens which St Edmundsbury Cathedral backs on to. The Cathedral’s links to the Abbey are reflected throughout the building and its artwork.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral offers a full visitor experience. A warm welcome, an awe inspiring building with intriguing details, a refectory - Pilgrim’s Kitchen - for home-cooked meals, the Cathedral Shop for gifts and souvenirs and lots more.