Bury St Edmunds

I spent an hour in Bury St Edmunds recently, on a warm autumn day, and was hugely impressed by the place - and by my own ignorance of it. I had no idea that its ruined Priory was once the 4th largest Benedictine monastic building in Europe - a mighty edifice that would have dwarfed what is now the cathedral and was once a mere chapel to the Priory. I also had no idea that the cathedral has a brand new tower, finished in 2005 and soaring impressively high above the otherwise modest building. It is good to know that we are still capable of doing such things, illogical perhaps when there are so many demands on our money and enthusiasms, but inspiring.