Malmesbury Abbey and Town

Wiltshire                                                                                 Photos by Hetty

26th April 2022

A visit with the u3a photgraphy group

The river walk starts on the old railway line

 

Old Bell Hotel

In the museum – a ceremonial shovel to start cutting the railway

17th March 2017

First we visited Malmesbury  Abbey with the Stroud U3A church history and architecture group, then afterwards we followed a Malmesbury town trail.  It is a town with over 1,000 years of history

The long stay car park is by the river, which almost encircles the town

The old part of the town is on a flat hill above the river

The Abbey House Gardens weren’t open, so we’ll have to come back another day.

On the steps up to the abbey are plaques with some history – these are the first few

The nave of the Norman abbey became the parish church, after the dissolution of the monasteries

 

 

This end was rebuilt

 

The entrance porch is highly decorated

Inside the porch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each side of the door are apostles

It is very light inside

There is a mirror to look at the ceiling

Cotswold dragons

The crest of Henry VII (top)

15th century tomb of King Athelstan – first king of all England (died AD 939)

15th Century illuminated Bible

Link to more U3A church visits

 

 

Later we walked around the town

 

 

 

 

The tower of St Paul’s Without now serves as the bell tower for the Parish Church

 

The Tolsey Gate, where tolls were collected 1789 – 1854, and later became a lock-up

The Market Cross (1490) – were they still have markets

You can buy flowers at the sign of the watering can

Old Brewery and Water Tower

Tower House

Town hall and museum

Inside the town hall

Silver Street gets its name from the town mint that was here in the 11th and 12th centuries

One of the town gates used to be at the top of Back Hill Steps

Former silk mills

Goose Bridge

Wynyard Mill

This is a very old part of the town

13th century St Johns Hospital and almshouses

St Johns Bridge and former silk mills

Mill workers cottages

Kings House

Weavers cottages in Horsefair

St Mary’s Street

 

St Mary’s church is now a hall

The Triangle – the West Gate used to be here

Abbey Row

The Old Bell claims to be the oldest hotel in England – it originated as accommodation for the abbey in 1220

 

 

Town walls above the river

 

We will have to return on a brighter day to do the river walk

All images on the website copyright of HettyHikes.co.uk

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