Bury St Edmunds trail to include famous names such as Charles Dickens and James Oakes

A trail of famous names associated with Bury St Edmunds is set to help participants find out more about the town's heritage.

The trail, which begins on May 30, will include around 20 landmarks in the town and follows on from previous activities which have commemorated historic events and honoured the town's theatre stars.

This trail, though, will form part of the Abbey 1000 Celebrations in the town.

The Business Improvement District (BID) Organisation Our Bury St Edmunds has organised the Abbey 1000 Trail in conjunction with local historian and Chairman of The Bury Society, Martyn Taylor.

It has received significant support from Coastline Graphics which, as in previous years, is a creative partner and major sponsor.

Mark Cordell, chief executive of Our Bury St Edmunds, said: "We know that people love following our trails, which are free to take part in, and it really adds something to a visit to the town.

"If followed numerically the trail is about two miles and shouldn’t take more than two hours.

"In a previous year we focussed on the story of St Edmund and this really sparked people’s enthusiasm for the town’s history. This year, as we celebrate 1,000 years of the Abbey, we’ll be including landmarks, blue plaques and specially designed graphics to focus on individuals including Charles Dickens, James Oakes and some of the Abbots from the Abbey.

"The support of a number of BID member businesses who feature in the trail is very much appreciated."

Martyn Taylor added: "There are many notable people connected to Bury St Edmunds over the last 1,000 years as well as, of course, significant events such as the Barons meeting to persuade King John to sign Magna Carta.

"I’m very proud that the Bury Society’s own Blue Plaque scheme features prominently in this trail. When we put up the first seven plaques in 2012, English Heritage who are the arbiters of the scheme noted how unusual it was to have three commemorating women in one phase.

"I am sure that those who complete the trail, whether locals or visitors to Bury, will enjoy looking more closely at familiar landmarks and learning a little about the town’s history too."

The trail can be followed using the Our Bury St Edmunds Loyal Free app or or via a leaflet that can be downloaded from the organisation’s website or found at Tourist Information Points in the town.

The Abbey 1000 trail will run until St Edmund’s Day on November 20.