Pictures of England

Search:

Historic Towns & Picturesque Villages

Porlock Weir, Porlock, Somerset

Porlock

a Seaside Town in the county of Somerset

Rotherham

Rotherham

in the county of South Yorkshire

Pictures of Malmesbury

a Historic Market Town in the county of Wiltshire

About Malmesbury

Malmesbury lies in a favoured hill-top position above the River Avon, spanned along this stretch by six bridges. The town stakes its claim to be the oldest borough in England on the fact that it was granted a charter in the year 924 by King Edward.

The town has some notable buildings and these include St.John's Almshouses and the impressive 16th-century fine stone Market Cross. The Green Dragon Inn has a 14th-century window, and the Bell Inn is of interest. Important to the town is the splendid ruins of the 12th-century Benedictine Abbey - all that remains of an Abbey founded here in the 7th-century. The magnificent nave survived the Reformation and became the parish church. The south porch contains fine examples of Romanesque Sculpture and the figures of the apostles surmounted by an angel are perhaps the best to be seen in any English church. The Norman interior has 14th-century lierne vaulting and there is a 15th-century tomb, complete with reclining effigy, said to be King Athelstan. There is a rare watching loft situated above the nave arcade. The church has beautiful stained glass including a window commemorating a monk who broke his legs attempting to fly with home-made wings from the roof of the original abbey in the 11th-century. The church has many other beautiful treasures that are doubtless a legacy of the great wool-trading days from which the town prospered and gained stability.

Interestingly, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes was born here in 1588 and John Aubrey, the country antiquary was educated at the local grammar school in the 17th-century. Apart from wool and textiles, the town also had a lace making industry. This is an old town that is well worth seeing, it has the appearance of timelessness, and is as though modernity had passed it by. The town offers a rich historic experience, it is a conservation area that contains many listed buildings, at the same time it offers excellent shopping and recreational facilities both in the town and the lush green countryside beyond.

Recommended towns & villages near Malmesbury

St. Andrews Church

Castle Combe (203 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire

(8.2 miles, 13.2 km, direction SW of Malmesbury)

Tucked away in the Cotswolds, Castle Combe is a quintessential English village with honey-colored stone houses, a medieval market cross, and a peaceful ambiance. It's an idyllic destination for a relaxing countryside getaway...

Cirencester - Dyer Street - Bingham's

Cirencester (85 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Gloucestershire

(10.8 miles, 17.4 km, direction NE of Malmesbury)

Originally known in Roman times as Corinium Dobunorum, the town of Cirencester in those far off day's was the second largest town in England...

The beautiful village of Bisley from a distance. In the Cotswolds

Bisley (36 Pictures) a Cotswold Village in the county of Gloucestershire

(11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction N of Malmesbury)

The village of Bisley is all charm. It has an excellent collection of very fine buildings as well as some interesting local folklore...

Lacock Bakery

Lacock (150 Pictures) a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire

(12.0 miles, 19.4 km, direction S of Malmesbury)

Gatherings of graceful medieval houses line the streets of Lacock..

Churchyard Yews at Painswick, Gloucestershire.

Painswick (36 Pictures) a Historic Market Town in the county of Gloucestershire

(14.4 miles, 23.2 km, direction N of Malmesbury)

The streets of Painswick are narrow and crammed with fine examples of glowing honey coloured stone buildings from all periods..

All towns & villages in Wiltshire
Complete A to Z of towns & villages in England

Nearby attractions..

Malmesbury Abbey

Malmesbury Abbey (11 Pictures)

(0.2 miles, 0.4 km)

Malmesbury Abbey is built on the site of a former Saxon monastery of AD700, by the 12th-century it was an important Benedictine.....

Abbey House Gardens

Abbey House Gardens (26 Pictures)

(0.2 miles, 0.4 km)

William Stumpe, the wealthy merchant responsible for giving Malmesbury Abbey back to the town following the Dissolution was also.....

Westonbirt Arboretum. Winter Jan 2005

Westonbirt Arboretum (82 Pictures)

(5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction W)

A magnificent arboretum which is a joy to visit at any time of year. It is run by the Forestry Commission and has a dazzling.....

Newark Park Historic House & Garden

Newark Park (2 Pictures)

(9.7 miles, 15.6 km, direction W)

Former Tudor hunting lodge later converted to fashionable home...

The public walkway alongside the golf course at Bowood Estate, Nr. Chippenham, Wiltshire

Bowood House & Gardens (12 Pictures)

(11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction S)

..

Cistery at Lacock Abbey

Lacock Abbey (97 Pictures)

(11.9 miles, 19.1 km, direction S)

Lacock is one of the most beautiful villages in England, with houses dating from the 15th-century to the 18th-century. At the.....

Dyrham Park,  National Trust owned house in Between Bristol and Chippenham

Dyrham Park (8 Pictures)

(13.8 miles, 22.1 km, direction SW)

This engaging house sits serenely in a beautiful wooded Gloucestershire valley, surrounded by an old deer park. It is built of.....


All attractions in Malmesbury
All attractions in Wiltshire
Complete A to Z of attractions in England