The Abbey - Celebrating 1000 years in sculpture

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One of the things attracting me to the gardens today was the sculpture in the ruined Crypt where the coffin of St Edmund would have been originally kept. So, a visit and photo were a must! I was expecting more than just one sculpture, but I guess I just mis-read it! - only to discover they are changing monthly for six months.

MAY - The first sculpture in the 6 months, is a 2.3m (7ft 6in) tall sculpture, The Monk, designed by Nigel Kaines and made by blacksmith Kevin Baldwin. The 2mm thick steel monk, weighing 250kg (550lb), was "certainly the most unusual project I have worked on" and "quite tricky", Mr. Baldwin said.




The Monk


JUNE - Crowning Glory - a jewel in the crown of Bury St Edmunds` created through community spirit during lockdown was unveiled in the Abbey Gardens.



Crowning Glory

A sculpture of recycled material was commissioned by Bury in Bloom as part of the town’s entry into the Anglia in Bloom online competition. It is in the running for the best display using recycled materials category.
It is made from 500 single use plastic bottle bases, decorated by families, care home residents and others and added to discarded tennis rackets, empty tin cans, bottle tops and chicken wire to produce a winning entry
The Crafty Foxes invited people to decorate floral jewels using plastic bottle bases – and received more than 500.
Inspired by the crown of St Edmund, these have been joined to create the two metre sculpture.


July - The Abbey 1000 sculpture displayed on the plinth in the crypt of the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund is by Suffolk wood Carver John Williams and called Abbey of Edmund Pilgrims


Abbey Of Edmund Pilgrims

The sculpture shows a variety of Medieval pilgrims who came through the centuries to visit the shrine of St Edmund in the Abbey, John has created the shape of the sculpture to reflect the contours of the ruins. John Williams said: ‘I carved an Edmund figure before lock-down and after that experience I really wanted to be with people not in my little isolated studio, so I jumped at the opportunity to go back to the Abbey Gardens and make a whole new people-based carving.


August - The Abbey 1000 sculpture displayed on the plinth in the crypt of the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund for this month was created by West Suffolk College students and called St Edmund`s Head.



St Edmund`s Head

Created by West Suffolk College students aged 14- 19, the two metre sculpture is made from coloured electrical cabling. Madeleine Roberts, artist and West Suffolk College art and design lecturer, worked with students on the sculpture, which is inspired by local artist Sybil Andrews’s tapestry on display in the cathedral, work by the artist Giacometti and medieval paintings.


September - The Abbey 1000 sculpture displayed on the plinth in the crypt of the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund for this month - The Wolf Crown.





The Wolf Crown.

Students from two Bury St Edmunds schools have created sculptures influenced by the legend of St Edmund and the wolf to be displayed in the Abbey of St Edmund.
Pupils aged between 13 to 15 from King Edward VI School and County Upper School have made two sculptures as part of the Abbey of St Edmund's 1,000th-anniversary celebrations.
King Edward VI School students created the 'Wolf Crown' sculpture, which is inspired by royal crests and family insignias. Sara Pickett, subject leader for design technology at King Edward VI School, said: "I was delighted when several of our students volunteered to make the wolf crown.
The crown is covered with a layer of material meant to echo fur to represent the wolf's protection of King Edmund in the forest. It is made from recycled aluminium cans.


October - The penultimate one of the Abbey 1000 sculptures displayed on the plinth in the crypt of the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund for this month. This one is St Edmund`s Wolf



 St Edmund`s Wolf

The wolf is part of the legend of St Edmund. Luke carved the life-sized wolf from a fallen 170-year-old Douglas fir. It took over 30 hours by artist Luke Chapman


November - And then we come to the last of the sculptures - only to find that it is the Monk - the sculpture that started the series!


The Monk

It has been a great series to watch unfold and shows some extraordinary talent in the making of them.

  Index of posts 


Location: Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Bury Saint Edmunds IP33 1LS, UK

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