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Charter Square, BURY ST. EDMUNDS, IP33 3FD

Central Walk Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk. The distant view is the eluminated sign of the new Debenhams store in the Arc see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/989128

The central square of the new 'arc' shopping development has been named 'Charter Square' in recognition of the Magna Carta and the various market charters granted to the town. The five ‘Charter Towns’, the places associated with the granting of Magna Carta, are Bury St Edmunds, Runnymede, Canterbury, St. Albans and the City of London. Each town hosts celebrations once every fifteen years; Bury St Edmunds has hosted the commemoration four times, in 1959 when a Magna Carta pageant was held in the Abbey Gardens, in 1974, 1989 and 2004. This photo was taken early in the morning when few people were about; an hour later and the square was crowded with shoppers.

Taken from my attic window in Well Street

The Arc Development Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk. This is part of the new shopping centre called The Arc as seen for the top of the car park next to the Parkway.

The Arc shopping centre. Not only are the buildings of the centre ugly and dull, many of the retailers are moving here from the historic grid, destroying the vibrant city centre. Much of the centre of the town has suffered from redevelopment and most buildings are later than the mid 19th century. There are some uninspiring modern buildings along Parkway and the Arc shopping centre is particularly ugly, especially the building occupied by Debenhams. Bury St Edmunds is a market town which is the cultural and retail centre for West Suffolk and is known for brewing (Greene King) and sugar (British Sugar). There is scattered evidence of earlier activity but essentially Bury St Edmunds began as one of the royal boroughs of the Saxons and a monastery was founded which became the burial place of King Edmund. A new Benedictine abbey was built in 1020 which became rich and powerful and the town was laid out on a grid pattern by Abbot Baldwin. After the dissolution the abbey became ruinous. A new church, later the cathedral, was begun in the early 16th century.

A roundabout outside the Debenhams store in Charter Square, in the heart of the Arc Shopping Centre. December 2010.

The artificial Christmas tree in Charter Square was taken down by Council workmen during the evening.

Bury St Edmunds' new shopping centre opened today, 5 March. It is known as 'arc',http://www.arc-burystedmunds.com/ after the somewhat unusual design of the flagship Debenhams store. The open air centre has been built on the site of the former Cattle Market, and it is that name that most local people prefer to call it.

Bucking the recession, a new shopping centre opened today in the heart of Bury St Edmunds, on the site of the former Cattle Market. This is the flagship store. See also Image The pedestrianised area is already a magnet for schoolchildren in the late afternoon.