Medieval Stained Glass - Bury St Edmunds and Beyond
- Next Event
- 19th August 7:00pm
- Event Finishes
- 19th August 9:00pm

About this event
Bury St Edmunds and Beyond by Christopher Parkinson of Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi
Part of the Abbey 1000 Celebrations and the Museum's The Abbey of St Edmund: Artisan and Pilgrimage Exhibition.
Many residents and visitors to Bury St Edmunds will be aware of the town’s churches and their beautiful 19th Century stained glass windows. Perhaps not so well known is the rich heritage of medieval stained glass in many churches of the surrounding villages and towns.
Christopher Parkinson is an author for the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi and is currently preparing a catalogue of Stained Glass up to 1800 in Essex for publication. A frequent visitor to Bury St Edmunds since the 1970’s, Christopher will explore the rich heritage of stained glass in the town and surrounding area.
Examples will be put into historical and artistic context to help in the further appreciation and understanding of this fascinating art which adorns so many of our churches.
Starts: 7pm (doors open 6.30pm)
Tickets: Adult £5, Full Time Student £4
Booking: Essential - use the Book Tickets link above or call 01284 758000.
About the Venue
This beautiful medieval museum in the heart of Bury St Edmunds houses rich and eclectic collections and changing exhibitions, and hosts events ranging from themed craft workshops for all the family to historical talks and lectures.
Steeped in history, Moyse's Hall has looked out over Bury St Edmunds market place for almost 900 years.
The landmark 12th century building rich and varied past has included serving as the town Bridewell, workhouse and police station, first opening as a museum in 1899.
Today the museum offers a fascinating view into the past with collections that document the foundation of the early town - from the creation and dissolution of the Abbey of St Edmund to prison paraphernalia, plus remarkable collections relating to the notorious Red Barn Murder and fascinating insights into local superstitions and witchcraft.
Winner of Suffolk's Family-Friendly Museum of the Year 2017, Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary has helped Moyse’s Hall Museum bring Bury St Edmunds’ gruesome history to life for children.
The Museum's ground floor not only features six Terrible Tales by Terry Deary, best-selling author and creator of the hugely popular Horrible Histories books, but also some grisly and gruesome interactive displays for children and adults. Step inside a gibbet cage (made for the museum by blacksmiths Kingdom Forge), try on a ball and chain for size, experience the smells of history including the wretched tanner’s pits, handle thumbscrews and try on manacles, and pick up a Norman sword. You can even trace the artefacts in The Red Barn Murder including the murder weapon and the disease box where visitors can smell a pus ridden hand is a museum favourite! The Battle of Fornham is told through the eyes of a blacksmith, a nun tending to the body of St Edmund tells of his grisly end. The stories of Mary Tudor, Queen of France (who is buried in St Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds), the Red Barn Murder, the Nichols Murder, witchcraft and Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins, all feature. Every story links back to an artefact, bringing the museum’s stories to life.
Moyse's Hall Museum is also known as home to a world class collection of exquisite collections of clocks and timepieces including rare items bequeathed by musician and clock collector Frederic Greshom-Parkington and fine art by Sir Peter Lely, Angelica Kauffman, James Tissot, and England's first professional female painter Mary Beale.
