Places to Visit
The town of Malmesbury has much to offer the visitor. The plan of its centre has changed very little over the centuries, and it is well worth exploring and seeing how the ancient town has absorbed the trappings of a modern commercial community.
The following are particularly recommended.
- The Abbey. The present Church is the remains of a Benedictine Abbey completed in 1180. Contact the Abbey Office on 01666 826666 for information about guided tours.
- The Abbey House Gardens.
The Abbey House was built where
once stood the east end of the Abbey. The present owners
have laid out a most attractive garden, including 2000
different roses.
The river flowing through the lower end of The Abbey House Gardens.
Click here for the same view during the October 2000 floods. - Athelstan Museum. This small but attractive museum is located within the Town Hall in Cross Hayes. It gives a fine picture of the life of the town over the centuries. Tel: 01666 829258
- The River Walk. This takes you along the banks of
the Avon and Ingleburn that meet to the south-east of
the town. From this path you can appreciate the beauty of
the town, and the security its old walls and the river
provided.
Regular visitors to the Ingleburn at Malmesbury are these swans, here with their new cygnets - The Abbey Steps. To celebrate the last two and a half thousand years of Malmesbury history, nine bronze plaques have been cast and put in place on the steps leading up from the river to the Abbey. Click here for more details and for pictures of the plaques.
For further information, visit the Tourist Office, located at the side of the Town Hall. Its telephone number is 01666 823748.
The Civic Trust can organise guided tours of the town. Contact Charles Vernon on 01666 824376.
Other recommended
places within easy reach of Malmesbury are:
- The Cotswolds. The market town of Tetbury is just five miles away.
- Cirencester, famous among other things for its Roman remains.
- Westonbirt Arboretum, a very attractive place to spend an afternoon.
- Wiltshire's prehistoric sites, most notably Avebury with its remarkable monuments constructed during the third millenium BC.