Springfield Day Nursery in Bury St Edmunds marks St Edmund’s Day

Young children have learned about the legendary story of a market town’s namesake in celebration of a saint’s day.

Springfield Day Nursery, in Springfield Road, Bury St Edmunds, marked St Edmund’s Day on Monday with storytelling, decorations and mask making.

A wolf is central to the story of St Edmund, the King of East Anglia who was martyred by Danish invaders on November 20, 869, after refusing to denounce his Christianity.

Legend has it that a wolf guarded the king’s head after he was beheaded.

St Edmund was the first patron saint of England.

The nursery said: “The children between the ages of two and four years old all had fun learning the story of St Edmund.

“They all took part in making a wolf mask and commented on how they had seen a wolf in the Abbey Gardens. We decorated the nursery with bunting and flags.”