The Story of Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum : an Elegant Structure and its Persons of Quality

The Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum proudly overlooks Angel Hill. The present building was one of the first Georgian Assembly Houses in East Anglia, but at its heart is a deeper story – one of Tudor lives and more than four hundred years of transformations.

The story of Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum: from Tudor townhouse to Georgian icon The Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum proudly overlooks Angel Hill. The present building was one of the first Georgian Assembly Houses in East Anglia, but at its heart is a deeper story – one of Tudor lives and more than four hundred years of transformations.  During its long life, The Athenaeum has also been a Subscription Rooms, a Victorian literary institute, a Great War cinema, a World War II Services Club, A TV and film set and, in more recent times, a venue for dinners, conferences, balls and weddings.  Many ‘Persons of Quality’ have a place in its story, from social reformers to literary and musical giants including Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Jenny Lind, Bob Marley and the prominent suffragist Millicent Fawcett.  This is the story of the distinctive landmark and the people who have helped shape its many lives. *Praise for Adrian Tindall*'Highly recommended!''A little gem'About the author: Adrian Tindall is an archaeologist and accredited Bury St Edmunds Green Badge Tour Guide. He has worked in the field for more than forty years and served as county archaeologist for three regions of the UK. He is the author of two guidebooks celebrating the landmarks of the town - The Story of Bury St Edmunds Market Cross and The Story of Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum.