Local historian Martyn Taylor tells the story of Bury St Edmunds' water meadows

The Abbey in Bury St Edmunds owned Almoners Farm Barns, near to The Butts and Water Meadows, one of their many manors and granges that provided not only income but produce as well.

The Butts area is indelibly linked to the many water meadows that are part of it, from the Grindle, a ditch on the southern side of the town, via York Bridge to today’s Spread Eagle junction with a bridge known in medieval times as Stanwerpbrigg over the River Linnet.

In days gone by longbow practice was compulsory, hence part of this wetlands area of the town near the Westgate was also known as The Butts. This refers to the mound with a target upon it which archers aimed at. Once a national sport, archery won the battle of Agincourt.

The nearby Westgate had a Lady Chapel conjoined with a Hermitage, pulled down in July 1765. Where this stood, in the 20th century, an ambiguous double mini roundabout was created. Thankfully, a far more sensible single roundabout is there now.

Also here were the dubiously named Hellfire Cottages, along with Butts Place. An apocryphal story on why Hellfire Corner came to be so dubbed, was that the Rev Charles Phipps Eyre, the future vicar of St Peter’s Church, before it was consecrated in 1858, used to hold open air services in the nearby water meadows, preaching ‘hellfire and damnation’ to those who didn’t repent!

In creating the Parkway inner relief road, at the rear of St Peter’s Church in 1977, where once chalk workings were, a Victorian rubbish dump was uncovered and bottle and pot lid collectors descended in their droves.

Water meadows in this area were reached via a small lane called Cullum Road which finished at what is today Corsbie Close, built on the former Atlas Engineering Works site. The main employer on that site was Precision Engineering Products, (PEP ), founded by Frank Woodall in 1947.

The close was named after John Corsbie, a wool merchant who attended the Independent Chapel in Whiting Street in the 18th century along with people such as William Buck while the trade itself was still buoyant. Both lived at one time in Turret Close in today’s Westgate Street, which looked over The Butts.

At the end of World War One some of the water meadows were planted with flax to make linen for aeroplane wings. Unfortunately for the factory the war ended before full production to manufacture the linen got under way. The factory would become a hand laundry and, eventually, Hardwick Industrial Estate – now defunct, housing having been built there.

A relief road linking southern Bury was created in 1972, with Cullum Road no longer a small lane. Members of local society, the Cullum family owned Hardwick House and their name crops up time and time again.

Because of the wet areas, the road had to be built up, with a culvert going under the road taking the River Linnet. Years later Cullum Road controversially hit the headlines when Greene King wanted to build an access road off it. A character called Swampy – and his eco warriors – were very much against it, even to the extent of roping themselves in the trees there, though to no avail, the road opening in 2002.

The terrace houses on the east side of Cullum Road are also now gone, in their place a residential care home called 11 Cullum Road run by Orbit Housing Association. An archaeological dig here in 2000, in preparation for its construction, uncovered shards of Roman pottery from the third and fourth centuries along with animal bones that showed signs of butchering – the first clear evidence of some Roman occupation in the town.

Criss-crossed by small trackways and footpaths, drainage ditches and rivulets, the main artery of the water meadows is the River Linnet, which rises in Ickworth Park.

Close to the Linnet are Holywater Meadows. Hidden here amongst the undergrowth is a World War Two pill box which, surprisingly, is still intact. Nearby is Holywell Close – nothing to do with religion but a spring once called The Holewell.

The diverse ecology of the whole area supports grazing sheep, egrets, herons, kingfishers, water voles, crested newts and deer.

When Watsons timber yard off Southgate Street closed a large development called Saxon Gate was built by Redrow Homes. Due to the instability of some of the site because of its closeness to the adjacent water meadows piling had to be carried out.

Known in antiquity as Great Sextons Meadows, there is a dew pond here. Part of the Saxon Gate Nature Reserve, the pond was evidentially recorded in the past.

A pest house was sited just off meadows. Called Hockwell Went (virtually Barons Road today), those afflicted by malaise, plague or unknown diseases could be isolated there from the rest of the town. This pest house is shown on Warrens map of 1791, as is nearby Market Path that leads to Cullum Road and the unsavoury named Cut-throat Lane.

In 2019, on the western side of Cullum Road, a large part of the Water Meadows, called Harp Meadow – as it looked exactly what it infers – was purchased by the owners of the Crystal Palace property in Friars Lane, Stephen, and Sarah Gull. This was to prevent any development, thus allowing enjoyment for future generations – a magnanimous and generous act.

Just a few minutes away from the town centre, The Butts has a countryside feel to it, a green lung of the town.

Martyn Taylor is a local historian, author and Bury Tour Guide. His latest book, Going Underground: Bury St Edmunds, is widely available.