The West Front Bury St. Edmunds
(Work in Progress......)

We have been appointed as lead consultants to work on this unusual building, working with a local developer the renovation programme for the West Front, an important grade 1 listed building in the historic centre of Bury St Edmunds, will soon be under way.  A panel which included representatives from St Edmundsbury, English Heritage and the Bury St Edmunds Town Trust has decided to appoint East Anglian developer Hawes and Southgate.

Together with Hawes and Southgate we will be responsible for converting the West Front into homes fit for the 21st century whilst preserving the unique qualities of the building. Care is needed as this includes the medieval flint core remains of an 11th century Benedictine Abbey into which 17th and 18th century timber-framed houses and some early 19th century structures have already been been built into the historic fabric, this will create some unusual homes.  Working with a specialist contractor, R & J Hogg we will restore the building whilst preserving its special architectural and historic interest.

We will be working closely with St. Edmundsbury Borough Council, English Heritage, The Suffolk Archaeological Unit and other specialist organisations.

More Information will be added as the project develops.......

The West Front and Sampson's Tower, includes the remains of the West Front of the Abbey of St Edmund. Begun under Abbot Anselm (1120-1148); completed under Abbot Samson (1182-1211) and his Sacrist, Walter de Banham (c1200-1211).

Two and Three storey houses were inserted into the ruinous remains of the arches and the west transept from the later C17; were altered in the C18 and altered again and extended during the C19.

The West Front today shows evidence of all these changes. At the south end, Samson's Tower, used as a stable in the C17 and C18 and subsequently as a dye works, was converted into the town's Probate Registry in 1863 to designs by the architect William Rednall. At the same time the adjoining part on the north was made into the registrar's residence. Both office and house have details in a heavy Victorian Romanesque style. The Abbey remains are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.