St Edmunds Memorial Chapel Hunstanton

Built as a memorial chapel to King Edmund by the Monks of Bury in 1272 to comemorate the landing place of Edmund. It was continually used for worship for around 400 years until it fell into ruin and neglect. Edmund supposedly landed at this point in 855 AD.

Little is left of the chapel apart from the south door and wall however there is a peacful garden around the chapel creating a nice little area of relaxtion and transquility near the main cliff top road at Hunstanton. I had been past this wall several times during visits to Hunstanton and one day stopped the car and got out to take a look.

The memorial garden or Garden of rest that is now incorperated into the site was established by Reverend A.A. Toms in 1918 in memory of local men who fell in action during World War 1.

Edmund inherited his kingdom of East Anglia when he was young, he was crowned at Bures in Suffolk. He reigned for several years peacefully however towards the end of his reign he had to defend his kingdom against the invading Danes, he was regretably defeated during at battle at Thetford where he was taken prisoner.

Legends says that Edmund died as a martyr at the age of 29 having been shot by arrows while he was bound to a tree on 20th November 870AD. The location of his death is said to be Hoxne in Suffolk. 

He was canonised as King and Martyr becoming the first patron saint of England after being entombed in Bury St Edmunds where his shrine became a place of pilgrimage.