A free open weekend will give visitors a chance to see inside Bury St Edmunds Guildhall, the town's newest newest attraction.
A new-look and vibrant Bury St Edmunds Guildhall heritage centre prepares to bring 900 years of history to life when it unveils its stunning restoration project this weekend (Saturday 14th July and Sunday 15th July).
A free to the public open weekend will give visitors and the community a taste of what’s to come in Bury St Edmunds' newest visitor attraction. It will also act as a celebration of what has been achieved and a thank you to everyone who has supported the project.
The weekend will have something for all the family. Travel through time and interact with costumed interpreters. Meet Regency gentry, benefactor Jankyn Smyth, World War II Royal Observer Corps, hear music from baroque to swing, taste and prepare Tudor foods and relax with tea and cake in our pop-up cafe or a cool Pimms and strawberries and cream in our beautiful enclosed gardens.
At the same time, groups of dedicated and committed volunteers were taking shape to get ready to ‘meet and greet’ visitors, make costumes and form a crucial part of the learning team ahead of the opening weekend. Their commitment to the project saw them receive special recognition from the High Sheriff of Suffolk.
They hosted their biggest pre-opening event last week when the traditional cake and ale ceremony was held to commemorate the death of Jankyn Smyth, benefactor of the town, who made a bequest to support poor in the community and assist with payment of taxes to the Abbey. His example led to others bequeathing money to the Candlemas Guild which later became the Guildhall Feoffment Trust.
Following next weekend’s open days, a programme of events around the summer holidays has been planned.