Restoration Completed: 2023

The Suffolk Regiment South African War Memorial is a Grade II Listed monument that stands in the middle of Cornhill in the historic market square of Bury St Edmunds. The memorial includes 193 names of men serving in the Suffolk Regiment, who lost their lives in the Boer War between 1899 and 1904. It was dedicated on 11th November 1904  and whilst there are records of the names in the stone being reworked in recent years, there is no historical record of the bronze work ever being significantly restored, nor cleaning of the higher stonework. With money provided through a local donor and Bury Town Council, Richard Rogers Conservation carried out a  restoration of the memorial, with the works completed in November 2023. 

This memorial was ahead of its time in commemoration of the everyday man, with 160 of the 193 names listed being ‘privates’, the lowest ranking soldier. The artist, Arthur Walker, borrows from classical work but uses the style in a more modern interpretation – unlike other memorials of the time Walker conveys a more realistic view of war, with his Suffolk soldier not head bowed and respectful but reflective and battle weary, almost even beaten. The appearance to the bystander is thus a memorial that is easier to engage with, representing a community that was in an agricultural depression at the time of war, where many of the private soldiers had enlisted simply to escape the rural poverty at home. This memorial has a considerable significance, locally and nationally, and  in particular to the town, commemorating  the Suffolk Regiment soldiers in Bury St Edmunds. 

Restoration Completed: 2023

This Grade II house sits within the heart of Bury St Edmunds and is one of the few historic residential buildings within this area, which has been predominantly service areas for commercial and retail.

The building sits within the Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Conservation Area. It has a core and significant historical fabric and plan form dating from the late 15th Century.

The building was changed significantly in the late 16th or early 17th Century when the attic was converted, and stair-cases and chimney stacks were added and much of this fabric survives. In the late 18th or early 19th Centuries there was further remodelling and the first floor layout still survives from this period.

There were other changes from the late 19th/ early 20th Centuries when changes were made in particular to the staircase from the ground to the first floor and a rear extension was rebuilt. Fabric of this period added little to the interest of the building and has no particular quality in itself. Finally there were even more fundamental changes effected in the 1970s when the building was converted to multiple occupancy. In terms of the building’s setting it is an important building in the conservation area and this is particularly as it is evidently the single remaining mediaeval structure in the heart of the street.

With thanks to Members and the Architectural Heritage Fund the Bury St Edmunds Town Trust undertook a complete restoration to a four bedroom, two sitting room house with a new contemporary kitchen/family room extension. The updating included solar panels to the roof of the new extension and a air source heat pump. The house attained a EPC of B reflecting the amount of insulation and sustainable materials added where possible and using no fossil fuels for heating and hot water a significant achievement for a Grade II house.

The House is currently rented.