When I began to research this entry I was convinced there was someone in English history who was drowned in a butt of Malmesbury. I knew it wasn't Horiatio Nelson - his body was preserved in a barrel of rum after the Battle of Trafalgar. I struggled to find connections between the town and wine-making, or for that matter, wine-drinking.
I confess I was wrong .... it was Malmsey. The Duke of Clarence was drowned in a butt of Malmsey, a strong wine having absolutely no connection with this small market town in the south of the Cotswold area. You can order a glass of Malmesbury with the total assurance that no member of the Royal Family has been pickled in it. If your local hostelry claims not to have Malmesbury and offers you Malmsey instead, sneer knowingly. You don't know what you might find in it.
According to the 16th. century writer Leland "The toun of Malmesbyri stondith on the very toppe of a greate slaty rok, and ys wonderfully defended by nature". It most certainlie ys. The River Avon and a tributary almost completely surround the town and form a natural defense against anything smaller than 40 ton trucks en-route to Swindon. The beautiful, 15th. century octagonal market cross (above right) forms another obstacle, but the trucks are gradually wearing it away and you are advised to view early to avoid disappointment.
Because it was a natural strongpoint the Saxons occupied the hill at an early date and an Irish monk Maildulph formed a hermitage close to the castle in 642. King Ina of Wessex sent his son Aldhelm to be educated by Maildulph, and after continuing his education in Canterbury and Rome, Aldhelm founded a monastery according to to the Rule of St. Benedict at Malmesbury in 676. It is interesting to realise that only 250 years after the Roman legions left Britain the son of a Saxon king was being educated in Rome - I don't suppose the Dark Ages were so dark if you were alive at the time. According to the historian William of Malmesbury, Aldulph and his abbey at Malmesbury were known throughout Europe and Aldulph's reputation was comparable with the Venerable Bede at Lindisfarne (Bede mentions Aldhelm in his Ecclesiastical History and praises his writings and learning, but the short paragraph he devotes to Adhelm suggests that Bede was more interested in ecclesiastical miracles than scholars).
William of Malmesbury also tells of an 11th.C monk called Elmer who made himself wings and launched himself from the tower of the abbey, flying about 200 metres before crashing and seriously injuring himself. Elmer is remembered, along with Aldhelm, William and Maildulph, in some very attractive stained glass hidden away inside the Abbey in a room now used largely for storage.
The Abbey church as it remains has had a remarkable history. Much of what remains dates back to the 12th.C, and by the 14th.C the church was as large as a cathedral with two towers and a massive spire. Both towers collapsed, badly damaging the building. The abbey was sold by Henry VIII's commissioners in 1539 for the (then) massive sum of £1517 15s 2p to William Stumpe, a clothier, who used the building briefly for business purposes and then presented it to the people of Malmesbury as their church. The church that survives is only a two thirds of the nave of the orginal, surrounded by the ruins of the abbey, and even so reduced it is impressive in size.
The massive Norman south porch (left) has a heavily carved arch depicting scenes from the Bible. Sadly and predictably, the limestone is weathering, but inside the porch the carvings are considered to be among the finest examples of their type in England. Inside the church is the tomb of the Saxon King Althelstan who died in 939 A.D.
The important English philosopher Thomas Hobbes was born in Malmesbury in 1588. He lived through one of the most turbulent times in British history, following the execution of King Charles I by Parliament, and Hobbes' political and philosophical views won him few friends. He spent many years in exile on the Continent, and became mathematics tutor to the Prince of Wales, also in exile, later to become King Charles II. Hobbes met many important intellectuals of his day, including Galileo and Descarte.
Malmesbury itself is a busy and attractive little town with much in common with nearby Tetbury. It is on the southern fringe of the Cotswold area, and the architecture shows more variety than the northern Cotswold towns. Some of the buildings around the market square have attractive enclosed inner courtyards with balconies which are worth looking out for.
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The great Norman arch of the South Porch entrance to Malmesbury Abbey.
The concentric arches are a mass of detailed carving and show many scenes from the Old and
New Testaments. 
Norman carvings of the Apostles inside the South Porch, considered to be
among the finest in England. 
Stained glass in the nave of Malmesbury Abbey by William Morris & Co, the designs by Sir E.
Burne-Jones. 
Malmesbury Abbey from the River Avon. Return to Contents
In most cases further information can be found in Things to See.
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Marsh Farm Hotel is a beautiful and prestigious grade 2 listed Victorian farmhouse that has been tastefully restored and converted into a luxury country hotel. Located near Wotton Basset.
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