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Museum is open 6 days per week: Tuesday - Saturday open from 10.30am - 4.30pm, Sunday open 11.30 am - 3.30pm, Monday - Closed
For Bank Holiday openings please see our OPENING HOURS Page
See our shop page to get selected items from the shop by post.
Donate and Hear Me Roar Tyger

Read the story behind our tyger

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Capturing the history of Malmesbury

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  • 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
    • Transport
    • Coins
    • Highlights From Our Collection
    • Malmesbury Images
    • Malmesbury Voices
    • Textiles & Lace
  • Malmesbury History
    • Timeline
    • People
      • Charles James Fox
      • Eilmer The Flying Monk
      • Hannah Twynnoy
      • John Scotus
      • Joseph Addison
      • King Athelstan
      • Princess Eadgyth
      • King Charles I
      • Richard Hatchwell
      • Robin Tanner
      • St Aldhelm
      • St Lullus
      • Thomas Hobbes
      • Walter Powell
      • William of Malmesbury
      • William Stumpe
    • Architecture
      • Early Churches
      • Abbey and Spire
      • Later Churches
      • Aerial View
      • Castle
      • Market Cross
      • Silk Mills
      • Town Walls
    • Community
      • Concert Band
      • Education
      • Sports Clubs
    • Witches of Malmesbury
    • Trade & Industry
    • Transport
      • Rail
      • Road
      • Vehicles
      • Water
    • Governance
  • Learning
malmesbury abbey

Malmesbury History

The old Saxon ‘Burh’ of Malmesbury has a rich and vibrant history going back to it’s time as an Iron Age hilltop fortress and beyond. The town developed as a religious centre with the establishment of a Benedictine Abbey in 675 and is the final resting place of its founder St Aldhelm. Alfred the Great’s grandson Athelstan the first King of All England was also buried in the grounds of the original Saxon Abbey..

Malmesbury boasts being the home of a number of famous names including Eilmer the Flying Monk, the early historian William of Malmesbury and the renowned philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Over the ages Malmesbury has experienced many battles ranging from a Viking invasion , a castle siege during the Anarchy period between King Stephen and Empress Matilda through to the walled town changing hands around six times during the English Civil War.

Follow the links below to find a wealth of information covering topics such as the  MP who tried to fly a hot air balloon from Cross Hayes, The  Malmesbury Witch Trials and the local woman who was killed by a Tyger.  

aerial view of malmesbury

Architecture

Architecture
cross hayes carnival

Community

Community
hillfort

Governance

Governance
charles j fox

People

People
malmesbury abbey

Timeline

Timeline
worker at linolite

Trade & Industry

Trade & Industry
charabanc

Transport

Transport

Witches of Malmesbury

Witches of Malmesbury

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Feed our Tyger

Click the donate button to hear him

Roar

roaring tyger

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

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The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas
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Athelstan Museum
Town Hall, Cross Hayes
Malmesbury
Wiltshire, SN16 9BZ

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

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Collections

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