
Back to Blogs
Discover
5 Things To Spot at St Mary's Church
5 Hidden Gems to Explore at St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds is the final resting place of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, and Henry VIII’s favourite sister but the church has many other hidden gems to explore.
It is one of the largest and most historic church buildings in the country and is the civic church of Bury St Edmunds.
1. The unique and beautiful hammer beam ‘angel’ roof

St Mary's has one of the finest Angel roofs in the country.
Hammer beams alternate with arch braces. The hammer beams are carved as angels set in pairs, 11 on each side. The angels were carved by Suffolk craftsmen more than 500 years ago, and a recent inspection revealed they are still in very good condition.
2. St Edmund's Window
As you enter St Mary's if you look straight ahead and up at the beginning of the aisle you can see ahead of you the window dedicated to St Edmund.
He is tied to a tree and shot by arrows. The glass is by Thomas Willement and is based on a medieval pilgrim's badge.
3. Mary Tudor's Window

In the South Chapel is the Mary Tudor Window. The window is by Clayton and Bell and dates from 1881.
It was presented by Queen Victoria in memory of Princess Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk. It depicts Mary's life and death. Mary's tomb can be found at the back of the church.
4. Roof Carvings

There are 409 carvings on the nave roof, 198 in the chancel, 111 in the south aisle, 94 in the north aisle, and 47 in each of the chancel chapels.
Plus, 32 carved stone corbels support each aisle roof, making more than 970 medieval carvings above your head!
5. The Last Abbot of the Abbey

The last Abbot of the Abbey of St Edmund was John Reeve (1514-39) is buried in St Mary's Church.
The spot is marked by a large stone with a brass of the Abbot and his coat of arms. The brass was removed in 1643 and the original gravestone moved to the churchyard in 1746.
Related Posts
Related Blogs

News
Bury's Best By Bike Rides…
A ride around the town’s iconic historic sights in the…

News
UnLondon in Bury St Edmunds
Escape the rat race and hop on board with Greater…

News
Days Out You Can Enjoy From…
There’s even more to explore on Bury St Edmunds’…

News
Celebrating 20 Years of the…
Disocver the events planned to mark the 20th…

News
The summer of the dinosaur in…
With Jurassic World Rebirth due out this summer Bury…
Latest news

News
Bury's Best By Bike Rides Back This Summer in Bury St Edmunds
A ride around the town’s iconic historic sights in the town centre by PedalCab is back for summer 2025!

News
UnLondon in Bury St Edmunds
Escape the rat race and hop on board with Greater Anglia to historic Bury St Edmunds...

News
Bury St Edmunds Parks Awarded Green Flag Status
The stunning Abbey Gardens and Nowton Park have both been awarded national Green Flag Status.

News
Days Out You Can Enjoy From Bury St Edmunds
There’s even more to explore on Bury St Edmunds’ doorstep, from historic towns, shopping, art and architecture, to breathtaking countryside views and of course, the nearby coastline. These…
News
We're working on our next competition - come back soon!

News
Biggest and Boldest Literature Festival in Bury St Edmunds This October
The four day programme of author events, creative writing workshops, walks and film screenings comes to Bury St Edmunds in October!

News
Bury St Edmunds in Top 15 Foodie Destinations in Britain
Suffolk's foodie capital Bury St Edmunds makes top 15 foodie town destinations!

News
Celebrating 20 Years of the Cathedral Millennium Tower
Disocver the events planned to mark the 20th anniversary of the completion of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's 150ft Millennium Tower!

News
Food and Drink Tours Launched in Bury St Edmunds
Tour participants will enjoy a two and a half-hour food and drink themed tour of the town stopping off at six local businesses to try bite-sized samples of food and drink, hearing about the business…