On a beautiful, sunny winter’s day I made a visit to nearby Malmesbury, just 22 miles from Swindon along the M4 but an hour by bus, if like me, you don’t drive.

In the 7^th century Malmesbury was already established as a centre for monastic study and by the time of the Norman conquest it was the most important town in Wiltshire with the Domesday Book recording more than a hundred households and a mint!

Work began on the Abbey in c1180 and although today it is much reduced in size the building still has the wow factor. The magnificent spire fell down in the late 15^th century and the tower followed a hundred years later. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury decreed in 1541 that the Abbey should be licensed to replace St Paul’s as the parish church in Malmesbury and so the building was saved from total destruction.

The first abbot, Aldhelm, (later St Aldhelm) priest, poet and performer, engaged the people of Malmesbury in public displays of preaching on the bridges of the town. He was responsible for building several churches locally, including St Michael’s believed to have stood on the site of the present abbey and churchyard and where he was buried in 709.

The tomb of King Athelstan (d.939) in the north aisle is not the actual burial place of the first King of England. Athelstan was the grandson of King Alfred and such was his affection for Malmesbury and his recognition of the loyalty of its townsfolk, that he requested to be buried there. The exact location of his burial place is no longer known but is believed to have been under a long-lost church tower on the abbey site.

During the Civil Wars of the 17^th century Malmesbury was in the thick of the fighting, changing hands between Royalists and Parliamentarians several times. According to antiquarian John Aubrey, raucous celebrations at the time of the Restoration included ‘so many and so great volleys of shot’ that part of the Abbey tower fell down.

Features to look out for – well first of all buy the excellent guide book. (I usually buy a guide book on my way out and then realise all the things I’ve missed once I get home.) Money raised helps towards the upkeep of the Abbey. You will notice the highly decorated Norman porch as you enter the Abbey. The Watching Loft above the south side of the nave was built before the 13^th century when the Abbey attracted a steady stream of pilgrims. It is believed the monks kept an eye out for any tampering with the holy relics from this elevated chamber.

And as usual my special interest was in the headstones and memorial plaques. Most of the legible headstones in the churchyard date from the 19^th century. Plaques in the Abbey are older, such as the memorial to Malmesbury butcher Absalom Thomson (d. 1726) and his wife Mary (d. 1723). Another interesting plaque is to Sarah the daughter of John and Mary Rogers who died in 1741 aged 21 years. Also mentioned on the plaque are Mary her mother who died in 1749 and Margaret Spackman who died in 1819 who I feel sure must be related to the other two women.

A parish church and a vibrant social hub, the Abbey hosts a diverse programme from services to skate boarding events. An active team of volunteers run the bookshop and the café and I can thoroughly recommend a toasted cheese scone!