[2] The building, which was built with financial support from the wealthy Bury St Edmunds Abbey, dates back to 1220.

[4] The oldest part is the thirteenth-century stone entrance arch,[2] within the highly decorative porch was added in the late 15th century.

[10][11] The project was undertaken at a cost of £2 million, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund,[12] and the works, which involved access improvements and a new lift as well as repairs to the roof, walls and ceilings, were completed in 2018.

[13] The project enabled visitors to see the newly refurbished courtroom, the banqueting hall, the Royal Observer Corps operations room and the Tudor kitchen.

[13] In 2019, dating of the roof and entrance door was requested by Historic England to inform on-going restoration work.