St Edmundsbury Cathedral, together with its partners West Suffolk Council and English Heritage, today announced the appointment of the architects and the full team of consultants to the The Abbey of St Edmund: A Millennium of English History in West Suffolk. The project is supported with a development grant of £729,553 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Purcell Architecture will be the Architect, Lead Consultant and Heritage Consultant for the project. Their heritage portfolio includes St Nicholas’s Cathedral, Nottingham Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and the National Portrait Gallery. Locally, their key projects include Ely Cathedral, Norwich Castle and Cambridge University.

Purcell’s Design Partner, Alasdair Travers, said, “We are delighted to be working on this ambitious project. The Abbey and Cathedral are important to the town and county on many levels. We have assembled a top design team to develop the new designs for the visitor centre and expansion of the Cathedral cloister, whilst conserving the heritage of the ruins to deliver a sustainable project for the enjoyment of generations to come.”

RFA Design have been appointed Interpretation Plan and Design Consultant. Their significant projects include Fountains Mill, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Torre Abbey, Torquay, The Monastic Way, and include team members that have experience working with Suffolk Archives locally.

Additional appointments include:

• Activity Plan Consultant – Robin James Sullivan
• Business Plan Consultant – Bowles Green
• Visitor Marketing Consultant – The Audience Agency
• Evaluation Consultant – Tricolor Associates
• QS Consultant – Castons (Artelia Group)
• Archaeological Consultant – Cotswold Archaeology
• Fundraising and Communications – Funding Matters

James Mellish, who was appointed Project Manager in September, is looking forward to working with the experienced consultant team. He said, “This project will transform the way that residents and visitors from further afield engage with the Cathedral and Abbey site, and we know that the consultant team appointments are key to ensuring we can deliver this goal and strengthen Bury St Edmunds’ place on the national and international heritage map.”

The Abbey of St Edmund was once one of the greatest abbeys in medieval England. It was a focus for international pilgrimage and played a key role in the formation of the Magna Carta. Today, the Abbey site is a principal visitor attraction for the town and county – Abbey Gardens, wherein the ruins are situated, last year had 1.37m visits and is free-to-enter.

Made possible by National Lottery players, The Abbey of St Edmund: A Millennium of English History in West Suffolk aims to conserve and protect the Abbey ruins; build a visitor centre, west cloister, and network of footpaths; and use digital technology to provide exciting interpretation for all ages and interests. There will be a huge range of learning and volunteering activities built around events, programmes and exhibitions. The project will link up with other heritage attractions nearby and further afield, giving communities and visitors more opportunities to access the rich heritage of town and county.

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.