• 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
malmesbury abbey

Walter Powell

Walter Powell

Benefactor, Philanthropist, M.P. and Balloonist.

Walter Powell was born in Newport Wales into a very wealthy family; his father was reported to be the largest coal exporter in the world. In 1867 he rented Dauntsey House, a big country house four miles south east of Malmesbury and lived there with his widowed mother. Within two years he was elected to Parliament as the conservative M.P. for Malmesbury.

In 1870 he presented to the town a reading room in Silver Street (now the King’s Nursery). This was tastefully decorated with a fine collection of Buck and other horns, skins, etc. There were two rooms; ‘the first room was set apart for the use of the upper classes and tradesmen and the inner room was provided for the lower classes.’ No euphemisms then about social position.

He had built a ‘Ragged school in Burnivale’ in 1873. The school numbered about 180 and ‘an excellent female teacher from London is regularly engaged to teach them.’

The quotes are from James Bird a Victorian clergyman who wrote a history of the town.

Walter also gave prizes for the local fatstock show and there is an account of five wagon loads of children being taken for tea at his new house at Eastcourt (two miles nor-nor-west of Malmesbury) They were preceded by the town band. History does not relate how many children to a wagon nor whether they were more trouble than a wagon load of monkeys.

He was among the first subscribers for the Malmesbury railway and paid for gas lighting in the Abbey. The combustion products of the gas, sulphuric and carbonic acids, cannot have done the delicate stone carvings any good! He distributed fifty tons of coal to the elderly poor each winter plus many other charitable acts.

He was a diligent and popular M.P.. In the 1880 election 917 votes were cast (small electorate not apathy) and he received 607 nearly two thirds, but it is as a balloonist that he is remembered.

Walter Powell's Ballooon

The picture shows the balloon Eclipse about to take off from the Cross Hayes Malmesbury (little changed since save cars now rather than people). The local gas company laid a special pipe to provide the gas. Rumour has it that so much gas was needed that the rest of the town had to do without.

In December 1881 Walter Powell flew his balloon, Saladin, with two friends to take some meteorological observations. They found themselves being blown out to sea and had to make a rapid descent near Chesil Beach. They landed heavily and his two passengers and some ballast were thrown out; one of them breaking his leg. Powell stayed in the basket but the balloon, now much lighter, took off once more. Water Powell was last seen waving to his companions as the balloon disappeared out to sea.

He was never seen again.

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