Blue Plaques
The Bury St Edmunds Society CIO would like to thank all the building owners and the many supporters and contributors to the Blue Plaque Scheme of Bury St Edmunds.
You can now download an audio version of our blue plaque trail here https://www.ourburystedmunds.com/app-trails
1. Charles Dickens 1812-1870
Famous Victorian novelist stayed at the Angel Hotel as did his eponymous hero Samuel Pickwick. This Blue Plaque the first of the Bury scheme was put up in 2012 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth.
2. Rose Mead 1867-1946
Capable local artist and responsible for the design of 1907 Bury pageant costumes. One of 3 ladies featured in the scheme, so unusual said English Heritage.
3. Lewis Nockalls Cottingham 1787-1847
Architect, drew up the specification to restore the crumbling Norman Tower and designed adjacent Norman Tower House a Savings Bank in 1846.
4. James Oakes 1741-1829
Mr Bury St Edmunds of his day. A wool merchant who moved successfully into banking and kept a wonderful diary of life in Georgian Bury for nearly 50 years.
5. Sybil Andrews 1898-1992
Acclaimed artist who eventually moved to Canada where she produced her much sought-after lino cuts. Made a wonderful banner of St Edmund’s death, now in St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
6. Frederic Gershom Parkington 1886-1952
Accomplished cellist born above his father’s military tailors shop in Abbeygate Street. Left a fabulous clock collection to the people of Bury St Edmunds in memory of his son killed in WW2.
7. Norah Lofts 1904-1983
Nationally well-known author who lived in and loved Northgate House 1955-1983. Wrote many historical novels some loosely based on Bury St Edmunds. This was the last 2012 plaque to be put up.
8. Zeppelin Air Raid 1915
This was put up in 2015 to commemorate the 100 years after a Zeppelin dropped bombs on Bury. In 1916 seven innocent people died in another attack, both events acknowledged on the Blue Plaque.
