A hidden gem in the heart of Bungay - St Edmund’s Catholic Church
St Edmund’s Church, 1 St Mary's Street, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1AX
St Edmund’s Catholic Church is a grade II* listed building in the heart of the town. Behind high walls it is often missed by passers-by. The church and parish have a long association with the Benedictine order of monks who first arrived in the Waveney Valley in 1657, given shelter by the Tasburgh Family of Flixton Hall. The Catholic Relief Act of 1791 allowed Catholics to worship openly and so the first church in Bungay was opened by the Benedictines in 1823. This was enlarged to the present proportions in 1890, with the baptistery added in 1894. Funding provided by a local donor, Frederic Smith, amounts to well over a million pounds in modern terms. The association with the Benedictines came to an end in 2021, with the parish being handed over to the diocese of East Anglia.
The church has a fabulous collection of 19th century stained glass, wonderful carved panels, a beautiful reredos behind the old high altar and a stunning, large baptistery. Some of the vestments in the church’s collection are over 300 years old.
The large presbytery was originally intended to house a community of monks, although this never materialised. This building has a wonderful ‘secret garden’, at present undergoing extensive renovation. It is fitting the garden is bordered by the wall of St Mary’s churchyard, formerly the Priory of the Holy Cross, a medieval community of Benedictine nuns.
Timings
- Friday 18 September:
- 10.00 to 16.00 25-minute guided tour of the church at 2pm
- Saturday 19 September:
- 10.00 to 16.00 25-minute guided tour of the church at 10am and 2pm
Location & directions
St Edmund’s Church, 1 St Mary's Street, Bungay, Suffolk, NR35 1AX
- Contact on day:
- Pete Johnson
- Telephone number:
- +447708065338
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
