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A church has stood on the site of the cathedral since at least 1065, when St Denis's Church was built within the precincts of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. In the early 12th century St Denis's was rebuilt and the new church was dedicated to Saint James. This church was largely rebuilt, starting in 1503, with more alterations in the 18th and 19th centuries.

St James’s served as the parish church for the north side of Bury St Edmunds until it was made a cathedral in 1914. Little of note was done to enlarge the church to fit its new role, apart from repairs, until the 1960s.

The first phase of enlargement of the church began in 1960 with the rebuilding of the chancel and the creation of transepts and side chapels. The Millennium Tower, a striking Gothic revival tower was built between 2000 and 2005; until then, the building was the last unfinished cathedral in Britain.

The Cathedral is a Grade I listed building (Link Images of England)

Taken from the French word “banniere” and late Latin bandum, banners are defined as a cloth out of which a flag is made. Church banners have a history literally rooted in scripture.
“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples: he will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel" Isaiah 11:10-12

Ancient church banners served as a visible reminder of a community's identify. It was at the head of the "Beating the Bounds", an annual procession around the whole parish boundary. Today church banners often combine the Word of God with picturesque landscapes and creative designs to encourage and inspire.