![St Edmund credit Rebecca Bacon](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/St-Edmund-credit-Rebecca-Bacon.jpg?w=1504&h=390&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1648466212&s=38d4a12d54fb7a9f47b8721f10ca51bd)
Back to Blogs
Discover
10 Things You May Not Know About St Edmund
Bury St Edmunds takes its name from King Edmund, the original Patron Saint of England and King of East Anglia, but what else do we know?
Some Things You May Not Know About Saint Edmund
Photo: Tom Soper
1. Edmund was crowned King of East Anglia at Bures in Essex on Christmas Day 855.
2. Edmund died on 20 November 869, now marked as St Edmund’s Day. He refused to give up his Christian faith and so was tied to a tree and shot full of arrows before being beheaded.
3. Edmund is the patron of Kings, pandemics, the Roman Catholic diocese of East Anglia, Douai Abbey, wolves, torture victims, protection from the plague.
![St Edmund Statue Dame Elisabeth Frink credit Rebecca Austin 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/St-Edmund-Statue-Dame-Elisabeth-Frink-credit-Rebecca-Austin-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1653641243&s=f301b41ba9ba55e5c622af58291efe71)
Statue of St Edmund by Dame Elisabeth Frink which can be found in The Great Churchyard. Photo: Rebecca Austin.
4. It is still a mystery where Edmund was killed. In 1101 Haegelisdun (or Hellesden) is mentioned as being the spot where Edmund was martyred. For many years Hoxne claimed this honour. Another theory is that it is Bradfield St Clare, south of Bury St Edmunds.
5. One miracle attributed to Saint Edmund tells the story of a blind man with a boy who sheltered overnight in the chapel who left in the morning with his eyesight restored.
6. By 1014, the formidable Danish warrior Sweyn Forkbeard, had seized most of England and proclaimed himself King. According to legend, the people’s prayers to St Edmund were answered when Sweyn cried out in agony early one morning ‘I am struck by St Edmund’ and died.
![Legend of St Edmund Abbey Gardens oak book Mark Cordell 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/Legend-of-St-Edmund-Abbey-Gardens-oak-book-Mark-Cordell-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1653641160&s=17500166d9129ca391074467dae1acd4)
The Legend of St Edmund oak book on display in the Abbey Gardens.
7. St Edmund's shrine at the Abbey of St Edmund in Bury St Edmunds became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. For centuries the shrine was visited by various kings of England, many of whom gave generously to the abbey.
8. The Abbey of St Edmund was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539. Edmund’s bejewelled shrine was plundered but Edmund’s body was missing and his whereabouts remain a great mystery today.
9. In his book Edmund – In Search of England’s Lost King, Historian Dr Francis Young explores the theory that St Edmund may be buried in the monks’ cemetery which lies beneath the tennis courts in the Abbey Gardens and consecrated ground.
10. Churches dedicated to his memory are to be found all over England, including St Edmund the King and Martyr's Church in London, designed by Sir Christopher Wren during the 1670s. Edmund's martyrdom features on several medieval wall-paintings to be found in churches across England.
![St Edmund shrine at the Abbey of St Edmund Wikipedia creative Commons 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/St-Edmund-shrine-at-the-Abbey-of-St-Edmund-Wikipedia-creative-Commons-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1653641072&s=76d3f66ae29bea192710feab7f36fc0e)
The Shrine of St Edmund. Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons
Related Posts
Related Blogs
![Abbey Gardens in Top 20 Most Visited Free Attractions in England and Top in the East of England](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Abbey-gardens-hero-1500x390-2024.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1720702975&s=003b2e53feb96c0773e34bd97ae51e1c)
News
Abbey Gardens in Top 20 Most…
The historic Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds with…
News
Abbey Project Awarded…
The project aims to conserve and protect the ruins;…
![Cycle the Wolf Way](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Wolf-Way-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1711455959&s=c567fd11eaa7d23707983c60cead28d7)
News
Cycle the Wolf Way
Winding its way around many of the best bridleways,…
![360° Degree Vikings](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Viking-Exhibition-360-Example-Image-Large.jpg?w=1920&h=860&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1696862587&s=40ce6ff2dd20fe6051d2551a9250b2c7)
News
360° Degree Vikings
The Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership…
![Celebrate St Edmund's Day on November 20](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/St-Edmunds-Day-hero-image_2022-04-01-134312_fcua.jpg?w=1920&h=340&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1648820593&s=587b11ee8fb7021a66e5c54b65dc6f41)
News
Celebrate St Edmund's Day on…
St Edmund's Day is celebrated around the world every…
Latest news
News
Bury St Edmunds Parks awarded Green Flag Status!
Bury St Edmunds Parks awarded Green Flag status!
![Burys Best By Bike hero 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Burys-Best-By-Bike-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.3452&fp-y=0.4554&dm=1720602549&s=9a9a607225afcb57e27b70aed3143ca2)
News
New Sightseeing PedalCab Rides Launched to Delight Visitors to Bury St Edmunds this Summer
Join Ecocarriers Bury St Edmunds for a Bury's Best, By Bike PedalCab rides around the town's iconic historic sights!
![Abbey gardens hero 1500x390 2024](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Abbey-gardens-hero-1500x390-2024.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1720702975&s=6175c66b51bf48449190bb1b2d89b1c9)
News
Abbey Gardens in Top 20 Most Visited Free Attractions in England and Top in the East of England
The historic Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds with the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund is in the Top 20 most visited free attractions in England and the top free attraction in the East of…
News
Unmissable Events for Families this Summer
Whether you're heading here for a summer holiday or simply looking for a fun day out, these unmissable family events and activities are sure to keep everyone entertained!
![Theatre in The Park hero image 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Theatre-in-The-Park-hero-image-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1720428255&s=a499c13c9b8a61672deeb0e8b804fcbc)
News
Get Ready for Theatre in The Parks This Summer
The popular outdoor theatre season returns for 2024 with a new programme of performances in the beautiful Abbey Gardens and West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village.
![Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Bury-St-Edmunds-Tour-Guides-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1705586876&s=862b6e66ef83e0437ac2329bae7af599)
News
Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides in the top 10% of attractions worldwide
Reviews of Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides via Tripadvisor have resulted in them being rated in the top 10% attractions worldwide, classing them as a winner in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024.
![Suffolk Regiment Museum 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Suffolk-Regiment-Museum-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1716203507&s=bddc78c644c3d3ae7bcf76dd9a646667)
News
Suffolk Regiment Museum Re-Opens After Refurbishment
The Suffolk Regiment Museum has reopened its doors to visitors after an eight-month long refurbishment.
![Pickwick Afternoon Tea 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Pickwick-Afternoon-Tea-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.5262&dm=1718272069&s=a600ffc1b248685e08a90eb5030ab358)
News
The Angel Hotel Launches a new Dickens-themed themed afternoon tea experience
The Angel Hotel launches new themed afternoon tea experience based on the life & works of Charles Dickens.
![Cathedral Gin hero 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Cathedral-Gin-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1717754453&s=49cc6a4596077ef8a04159bf9e6f6d67)
News
Cathedral Launches Three Gins
St Edmundsbury Cathedral has partnered with Heart of Suffolk Distillery to produce three Cathedral-inspired gins.