Bury St Edmunds URC
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
As the oldest non conformist church in Bury St Edmunds and one of the oldest in England, the bricks and mortar of this building have born witness to over 350 years of history.
'It would be difficult to find a Non-conformist Chapel of this or any date which could vie with this building built for worship. The designing and execution of details are all excellent, and , architecturally. It is the finest building in the town' Nathanial Lloyd.
The Unitarian Meeting House is highly significant in all pertinent ways. It has an important cultural history which reflects the history of the town and the country. It is an extremely rare survivor of an early non-conformist building from a troubled period of English history. Architecturally it is an extremely rare example of a very finely designed and built English baroque building and also remarkably intact. Its fine brickwork, three tier pulpit, original pews in the gallery and oval window are a rare example of one of the first brick buildings of its kind virtually without alteration.
The building was restored by the Unitarian Trustees with help from English Heritage, Bury Town Trust and the borough in 1991 and now serves various community groups in the Churchgate area as well as the Unitarian congregation.
Most of all it is a building which is deeply loved by very many people who enjoy seeing it and using it and long may it do so.