Past Events

Archive of 2014 events - Please do not book these events.

October 19-24, ‘Our Liberty’, a Magna Carta Light and Sound Trail

A chance in a lifetime to enjoy a truly illuminating experience that tells the story of how our Magna Carta past meets with the present. Discover the roots of our liberty as shown by this trail linking the ARC Centre with The Abbey Ruins and many places through our Bury St Edmunds in between. The trail will start from The Apex in Charter Square at 7pm and the last trail will start at 9pm. You must book your FREE timed slot to take part at http://www.westsuffolkdiary.co.uk/whats-on/2014/10 .

Please click here for a video summary of St Edmundsbury's 2014 celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the Barons' meeting.

October 28, Magna Carta 800 Cathedral Reception

The Bury Society will be hosting the last of the Magna Carta 800 Celebrations in the surroundings of our beautiful cathedral; a celebration of the unique and very special visit to Bury St Edmunds of the Magna Carta, a never to be repeated event in the town’s history.

The guest speaker is Andrew Phillips, Lord Phillips of Sudbury of radio fame as the "legal eagle" to give a small talk on the world-wide fascination of the Magna Carta. Our local Baron was very pleased to be able attend the Reception.

Zest will be providing wine and non-alcoholic punch together with an array of delicious canapés for the occasion.

Tickets can be bought from the Apex or booked on line at the West Suffolk Diary web site (www.westsuffolkdiary.co.uk). If you have not used the on-line booking facility, you will need to register as a New Customer before you can complete the booking. You will then be able to collect your tickets from the Apex, if you wish.

Starts: 7pm, Tuesday, 28th October
Venue: St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds
Tickets: £15

October 11, Human Rights and Democracy Fair, St Edmunsbury Cathedral

The commemorations of the 800th anniversary of the meeting of the barons at the Abbey in November 1214 have inspired the local Amnesty Group and the Cathedral Peace and Justice Group to host a Human Rights and Democracy Fair on Saturday 11th October from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. within the Cathedral Lecture Room and Cloisters. Free admission.

Groups participating are

- Amnesty Bury St Edmunds Group
- Freedom from Torture
- Fawcett Society Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Memorial Peace Garden
- Just Traid
- Suffolk Refugee Support,
   Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Cambridge Group) 		- Bury St Edmunds Multi-Cultural Women’s Group
- Christian Aid; The Children’s Society
- Anne Frank Trust; Anti-Slavery International
- Unlock Democracy
- Bury St Edmunds Quakers
- Suffolk Inter-Faith Resource

The Human Rights and Democracy Fair is generously supported by ONG
Logo design incorporates the Universal Logo for Human Rights.

September 20th - University of the Third Age in Bury St Edmunds : Magna Carta Day

For the past four years, a group of senior academics have been examining the evidence for the meeting of the Magna Carta barons in the Abbey and also re-interpreting the importance of Magna Carta.

In a major event, the five university professors involved in this research together with Dame Fiona Reynolds will be speaking about their findings at the Apex on Saturday 20 September. Presented by the U3A in Bury St Edmunds, this will be one of the most prestigious occasions held in the town.

Tickets, priced at £15 for the whole day of six speakers, are now available from the box office at the Apex. Tel: 01284 758000.

Please CLICK HERE to download a full description and time table of the day (word document).

Round Table Barons’ Bollards competition.

The round table competition runs until August 31. For an entry form follow this link

http://www.ourburystedmunds.com/files/News/Barons_Bollards_comp.pdf.

Even after the competition has ended the 26 bollards will be in place ready for the Magna Carta 800th commemoration in 2015, reminding people about our Magna Carta past and showing Peter Chrisp’s 25 Barons and Archbishop Langton. A new competition might well be devised in 2015.

May 1-31 The Magna Carta comes to Bury St Edmunds.

In 2013 the home of the Lincoln Magna Carta, in Lincoln Castle, was closed until 2015 for refurbishment. This provided a very rare opportunity to loan an original 1215 copy of one of the most celebrated documents in history to Bury St Edmunds where it can be displayed for local schools and people to see free of charge. This opportunity is unlikely to arise again.

The Olle Plate will also be on display in the Cathedral Treasury.

An education programme in April and May will encourage local school pupils, especially at KS2, to see the Lincoln Magna Carta in their own town and understand its importance and relevance to them in 2014. This will prepare them for studying it in greater detail in KS3 during the 2015 Magna Carta 800 commemoration.

There is an activity programme in schools arising directly from and inspired by the above to develop a creative response to the Magna Carta which can then form an important part of the Light and Sound event in October.

Other events to note

May 11 Tour of Britain Cycle Event – Magna Carta closed

May 16-25 The Bury St Edmunds Festival

May 17-25 Heraldry exhibition in St Edmundsbury Cathedral by Suffolk Heraldry Society

June 15 Hidden Gardens and Magna Carta Day

Sept 20 University of the Third Age Magna Carta Study Day at the Apex.

October 19 – 24, Our Magna Carta Light and Sound event.

An exciting and attractive free event for a wide range of the public over two sessions of three early evenings in October. This will draw together strands from the past and the present to really show how the Magna Carta has been and still is part of Bury St Edmunds’ heritage.

How to book to see the Magna Carta FREE at the Cathedral

Places are free but limited so please book early online at www.westsuffolkdiary.co.uk

A limited number of tickets will be available from The Apex Box Office if you visit in person, after March 3. No telephone orders will be taken. Please check availability before your visit.

A strictly limited number of tickets will be available each day from The Cathedral if you visit in person, after May 1st. No telephone orders will be taken. Please check availability before your visit.

For further details on events, please contact Bury St Edmunds Tourist Information Centre 6 Angel Hill Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 1UZ

Phone: +44 01284 764667 or 757083 Fax: +44 01284 757084

Email: [email protected]

Find the Visit Bury St Edmunds website at http://www.visit-burystedmunds.co.uk/