Wandering around piles of bricks at Bury St. Edmunds

We took a drive out to Bury St. Edmunds after breakfast to the Abbey.    

History 101
 In 1214, the Barons of England met in the Abbey Church and swore to force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, which was the foundation stone of the Magna Carta.  The Magna Carta was the single most important document ever signed in the UK, it devolved power from the Kings to the people.  Initially it was really only the noblemen and Barons who benefited from the Charter but eventually it affected every citizen on English soil.  It was basically the start of democracy in England, which spread to many other areas of the world. 

The Norman Gateway

The Abbey site at Bury St Edmunds was the burial place of the Anglo-Saxon king, St. Edmund, who was killed by the Danes in 869.  So this area has been a religious place since the 9^th Century.  The original Abbey was first built in the 10^th century.

The plaque in the picture above talks about how the gate was rebuilt in 1347

Chasing ducks - there are loads of ducks and geese wandering all over the place.

 It was a pity that the weather was somewhat rainy today - it was still possible to walk around but it would have made such prettier pictures if the sun had been shining!

 Grey squirrel

He moved SO fast! I think Hayzel took a better picture than this, so I'll try to steal it and post it up here soon.

 How the Abbey would have looked back in the day.

 I'm standing where the Charter of Liberties was signed back in 1214 - eerie place.

 A list of the Barons and Noblemen who signed the Charter of Liberties

 A phantom climbing up the Abbey wall?

 In the Rectory garden.

 Wandering up the street in Bury, after we'd had a nice filling lunch.