Abbey Gardens

The abbey at Bury St. Edmunds was once one of the largest and richest in England. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, the populace wasted little time in expropriating the stone and brick for their own uses elsewhere. Outside of this gate and the wall, what remains of the abbey has been aptly described as resembling petrified porridge. These days, the gardens within the walls are beautiful. The cathedral in one of the photographs is St. Edmundsbury. Until the gothic revival tower was completed in 2005, it was said to be the only cathedral in Europe without one.