A re-creation of a gold tomb to celebrate England's first patron saint will be on display next month for a summer-long exhibition.
The Edmund and The Great Heathen Army exhibition will open in Moyse's Hall in Bury St Edmunds on June 6 to commemorate St Edmund the Martyr, who was also King of East Anglia.
The replica gold tomb, built by Andy Stubbs of Scenic Productions, will symbolise the remains of St Edmund, whose body was brought to the town after he was slain by the Vikings in 869.
The exhibition will also feature a relic banner of St Edmund, created with support from Dr Rebecca Pinner, Associate Professor of Medieval Literature at the University of East Anglia.
Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, said: "This promises to be a fascinating insight into the life and legend that will capture the imaginations of residents and visitors alike."
West Suffolk Council, which runs Moyse's Hall, have funded £6,000 into the project, alongside £3,900 from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, £3,450 from the Bury Society and £300 from the Friends of Moyse’s Hall Museum.
Mayor of Bury St Edmunds, councillor Donna Higgins, said: “Our funding will support work that will provide opportunities for school children to access the exhibition and discover more about this important piece of our history."
Read more
Cathedral's cultural renaissance 'most significant event in a generation'
Free parking proposed in three Suffolk towns
Row after shops told they cannot place A-boards at top of street
Dr Steve Jones, secretary of The Friends of Moyse’s Hall Museum, said: “This is the single biggest celebration of Edmund since the days of the Abbey and the international pilgrimage that shaped the town.
"The Friends are thrilled to work with the museum, West Suffolk Council, the Bury Society and Bury St Edmunds Town Council on this project, and we look forward to the opening."
The exhibition comes at a significant transition for the cathedral, as the Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn project received permission to rejuvenate the site earlier this month.
The project will carry out conservation repairs to the abbey ruins, open a new visitor centre and create a 1.4km circular route to reconnect the abbey to the cathedral and historic town.
The Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, said the Reborn project is the "most significant" event to happen to the cathedral in a generation, with the last being the building of The Millennium Tower in 2005.
What we know about St Edmund the Martyr:
- St Edmund was the first Patron Saint of England
- He was the King of East Anglia from AD 855 to 869
- St Edmund was killed by Danish invaders in 869 after refusing to renounce his Christianity
- His remains were brought Bury St Edmunds 903
Share