Residents of Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk are being invited to have their say on the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project at an exhibition being held in St Edmundsbury Cathedral from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September.

The Abbey of St Edmund has a history stretching back over one thousand years. Once one of the richest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in medieval England, the story of the Abbey is central to the development of the town and county across five centuries. Made possible by National Lottery players, the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project will conserve and protect the Abbey ruins, build a visitor centre facing onto Angel Hill, expand and improve the footpaths around the site, and provide exciting interpretation and activities for all ages and interests.

The exhibition will present a series of panels that outline the project’s emerging ideas, proposals and priorities, some of which have not been shared publicly before. Visitors will be able to explore themes such as the Abbey’s extraordinary history and legacy and how this is presented to visitors, plans for conservation and interpretation of the ruins, opportunities for education, community engagement, and tourism, how the biodiversity of the site will benefit from the project and how new buildings may look.

Feedback will be encouraged and will play a vital role in shaping the next stages of planning and development.

The panels will be on display in St Edmundsbury Cathedral from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September during visitor opening hours, 10.00 am – 5.30 pm Friday, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm on Saturday and 12.30 pm to 3.00 pm on Sunday, and the public are encouraged to come along, ask questions and provide their views on how the project is shaped moving forward.

The Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury and Deputy Chair of the Project Board said, “We want this project to inspire and serve the whole community, which is why this consultation is so important. We warmly encourage everyone to come along, learn more about the proposals, and share their views.”

St Edmundsbury Cathedral, West Suffolk Council and English Heritage (the project partners) have come together as members of The Abbey of St Edmund Heritage Partnership (comprising 29 organisations and individuals who care about the Abbey) to develop and deliver this project.