• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

The Museum is open 6 days per week:
Monday – Closed, Tuesday – FRIDAY open 10.30am – 4.30pm,
SATURDAY OPEN 10.30AM – 4.00PM, Sunday open 11.30am – 3.30pm,
bank Holiday OPening Hours


See our Online Shop to get items by post.

Donate and Hear Me Roar Tyger

Read the story behind our tyger

Athelstan logo

Athelstan Museum

Capturing the history of Malmesbury

  • Home
  • Shop
  • Venue Hire
  • About Us
    • Our Museum History
    • Museum Organisation Structure
    • Museum Collection Policy
    • Museum Support
    • Volunteers
    • News & Newsletters
    • Useful Web Links
  • Support Us
    • Make a Donation
    • Become a Member
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Legacy Donations
    • Fundraising
    • Volunteering
  • Contact
  • Visit
    • Opening Hours
    • Getting Here
    • Inside the Museum
    • Accessibility
    • Shop
    • Explore Malmesbury
  • What’s On
    • Current Events
    • Past Events
    • Exhibitions
  • Our Collection
    • Agriculture & Industry
    • Art Gallery
    • Coins
    • Highlights From Our Collection
    • Malmesbury Images
    • Malmesbury Voices
    • Textiles & Lace
    • Transport
  • Malmesbury History
    • Timeline
    • People
      • King Athelstan
      • King Charles I
      • Princess Eadgyth
      • St Aldhelm
      • St Lullus
      • Charles James Fox
      • Eilmer The Flying Monk
      • Hannah Twynnoy
      • John Scotus
      • Joseph Addison
      • Richard Hatchwell
      • Robin Tanner
      • Thomas Hobbes
      • Walter Powell
      • William of Malmesbury
      • William Stumpe
    • Architecture
      • Early Churches
      • Malmesbury Abbey
      • Later Churches
      • Aerial View
      • The Old Bell Hotel
      • Castle
      • Market Cross
      • Silk Mills
      • Town Walls
    • Community
      • Concert Band
      • Education
      • Sports Clubs
    • Witches of Malmesbury
    • Trade & Industry
      • Ratcliffe and Son, Engineers
    • Transport
      • Rail
      • Road
      • Vehicles
      • Water
    • Governance
  • Learning
  • Search

Welcome to Athelstan Museum,

Malmesbury

Plan your visit

Athelstan Museum is situated in the heart of the ancient town of Malmesbury. This hill-top site has been occupied since at least the Iron Age period, and the museum displays a large range of items spanning the period from that time up to the present day. The museum is run entirely by volunteers and is a registered charity.

The Museum is named after King Athelstan, first King of all England who is buried in Malmesbury. Much more about Athelstan can be found on our King Athelstan and Athelstan 1100 Exhibition pages.

Some key exhibits are a fine silver penny from the reign of King Athelstan, a hoard of Roman coins, and a watercolour of Malmesbury by J.M.W Turner.

The museum’s collection is on display in the Town Hall building, which can be found facing the Cross Hayes car park in the centre of town. Entry to the Museum is free and donations are welcomed.

The museum also owns the Julia and Hans Rausing Building, a converted Moravian Church, used for special museum events and can also be hired for other purposes.

News

Warden and Freemen of Malmesbury

Our new exhibition opened on 29th April and runs until 30th September 2025.

The Warden and Freemen have played a key role in the history of Malmesbury. We are delighted to host this exhibition that tells their story and their unique, continuing contribution to the town.

Exhibits on display that have been loaned to us, by the Warden and Freemen, have not been seen before outside their own archives.

Come along and discover their story including the origins of the Borough Coat of Arms shown right. Highlights of the exhibition can be seen on our Exhibition page.

OGILBY MAP ON SALE

Copies of the 17th century Ogilby map of the route from Oxford to Bristol are now on sale in the Museum Shop.

To learn more about the significance of this map to Malmesbury have a look at our Roads page.

TURNER 250

Turner painting of Malmesbury Abbey

2025 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of JMW Turner. Events are planned all over the country as described by the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9nvl42x2go

Do come and visit our very own Turner painting and read all about it here.

5

Our Collection

Tool check

Agriculture & Industry

Turner painting of Malmesbury Abbey

Art Gallery

Ancient coin hoard

Coins

Iron Age quernstones

Highlights From Our Collection

Malmesbury High Street in the 1920s

Malmesbury Images

Town Crier

Malmesbury Voices

Malmesbury lace pillow and bobbins

Textiles & Lace

Tricycle, hand-driven and foot-steered, mid 19th century.

Transport

What’s On

Exhibition
28 Apr 2025 – 30 Sep 2025
Athelstan Museum

Warden and Freemen of Malmesbury

Read moreWarden and Freemen of Malmesbury
Talk
21 May 2025 | 2.30pm
Rausing Building

The Lost Language of Wiltshire : the everyday speech of Jackdaws and Moonrakers

Read moreThe Lost Language of Wiltshire : the everyday speech of Jackdaws and Moonrakers
Workshop
24 May 2025 | 10.30 – 12.30
Rausing Building

History Club for Children aged 6-10yrs

Read moreHistory Club for Children aged 6-10yrs
Outside of Rausing Building

Rausing Building Venue Hire

Our recently refurbished venue, The Julia & Hans Rausing Building (formerly The Moravian Church) is available for hire throughout the year for talks, concerts, workshops, meetings or conferences.

This modern, light and spacious hall provides excellent audio and visual equipment which includes projector, sound (including a loop for the hard of hearing) and variable lighting modes. Tables can be arranged conference, workshop or theatre style for your event. Kitchen facilities are available.

More Information

Feed our Tyger

Click the donate button to hear him…

Roar…

tyger roaring

Hannah Twynnoy is possibly the first person to be killed by a tiger in England, but why was this possible? What happened to cause her death?

Donate and Hear Me Roar Tyger
Heritage Fund Logo
ArtFund Logo
South West Museum Development Program logo
European Flag

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

Defra Logo
Wiltshire Council logo
Vale Action
Leader logo
athelstan logo

Athelstan Museum
Town Hall, Cross Hayes
Malmesbury
Wiltshire, SN16 9BZ

Tel: 01666 829258
Email: info@athelstanmuseum.org.uk

  • Facebook
  • Bluesky
  • Instagram

Collections

  • Agriculture & Industry
  • Art Gallery
  • Coins
  • The Henry Weight Frame Clock
  • Highlights From Our Collection
  • Malmesbury Images
  • Malmesbury Voices
  • Textiles & Lace
  • Transport

Become a Member

Friends of Athelstan Museum members are the backbone of the museum.

Become a member

Make a Donation

We rely heavily on donations to allow us to continue our invaluable work in the community and surrounding villages.

Make a donation

Copyright © 2025 · Athelstan Museum Malmesbury| Registered Charity: 1174110 | Data Protection Policy | Website Accessibility | Site Map | Website by Callia Web