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Grove Park, BURY ST. EDMUNDS, IP33 3BQ

Bunny weather vane above the entrance of St.Edmunds primary school Grove road Bury St.Edmunds Suffolk.

Generally known as The Bomb Hole, or The Dip, but more officially titled St. Peter's Pit, this feature is probably a disused chalk working or a collapse where chalk has dissolved in rainwater. As the only public space in Bury St. Edmunds with a steep hill it is a favourite spot with children when it snows. The official name comes from the medieval leprosy hospital that was in this area and has also given its name to St. Peter's House and St. Peter's Villas.

Further major development plans have just been put on hold due to a funding crisis.

This is the favourite sledging spot for Bury St. Edmunds - one of the few steep slopes with public access. St. Peter's pit is basically rectangular, but a fenced off private site occupies one side, and another side is lightly wooded. Despite the use of two routes at right angles there are few collisions. The fence acts as a final stop, and depending on footwear can provide a necessary help on the return climb. As well as plastic, wooden and metal runner sledges, improvised versions included carpet squares, plastic bags (including one girl wearing one like a short skirt), a tarpaulin with 7 riders, a blow-up jetski, crates fixed to real skis, skateboards with wheels removed, surf boards, and the rather unsuccessful bread tray visible here (It's the wrong way round you idiot). What a brilliant way for children to get serious exercise and to very clearly enjoy it. And a great way to socialise. Houses in Grove Park and the West Suffolk College can be seen behind.

The windows of the main building of West Suffolk College reflect a sunset sky, in a snowy scene. The college site is split in two by the tall wall visible to the left, a legacy of the barracks formerly on part of the site.

Overnight heavy snow caused schools to be closed, and by 9 o'clock in the morning children (and parents) were tobogganing on a favourite slope, a former flint pit, adjacent to Out Risbygate. The building behind is part of West Suffolk College.

It was recently announced that the college would like to demolish these 1960s buildings and rebuild, as they are so old that they are no longer fit for purpose. What does that say about the many establishments operating from Victorian buildings, and even more so the colleges in Cambridge and Oxford? The building has now vanished behind a wall of scaffolding and netting. The College certainly does its part to support Bury in Bloom. The large stone near the planter is the so-called plague stone. This appears to be a part of a looted pillar from the abbey and was reputedly used as a wash basin for travellers' coins during the Black Death. This view is the reverse of Image

This tiny park is on the corner of Grove Road and Grove Park. The photo shows about half of it, but until recently there was a link at the back to St. Peters Pit, which appears elsewhere on Geograph. There is now a fence between them, blocking access.

The main building at West Suffolk College has been under wraps for many weeks, and they have now been removed to reveal a new look. Battleship grey is not the most obvious colour to choose but it seems to work. Compare this with Image

Recently revealed. You can see that it only wraps a small distance around the corners of the 1960s building.