Malmesbury Abbey

The weather forecast didn't sound too good today but I am glad we ignored it for it was sunny and bright for most of the day.  We decided to go back to Malmesbury as yesterday when we had a quick visit it was dull and raining.  We took our time exploring the Abbey first.  Its a fascinating building and the current one is the third abbey to stand on the site. The first was St Aldhelm’s earliest church, before he oversaw the construction of a larger, stone complex of churches located where the current graveyard lies. The present Abbey dates from 1180, and was added to in the following 200 years with a great spire that was the tallest building in England at the time, with a tower at the West End.  We had assumed that the remains of only part of the abbey were due to Henry VIII but on reading about it online it is said that in the late 15th century – a generation before Henry VIII’s cull of the monasteries – the great spire fell, followed by the tower 100 years later. Only the nave of this once huge abbey remains.


The abbey itself has some amazing ancient architecture including a very elaborate carved Norman porch.  This shot show a small portion of the side of the porch where a flower arrangement has been placed.


After a tour of the town including wandering amongst the old shops and buildings and walking down to the river with its picturesque bridge opposite an old silk mill building we headed back home for a late lunch.


I did pop out late afternoon for a quick visit to the local Designer Outlet before picking up our grandson.  Another enjoyable day.  Its the nature group tonight which fortunately is by zoom.