Malmesbury
Malmesbury lays claim to being the oldest borough in England.
King Alfred is reported to have granted a charter in 880,
though there is no direct evidence of this.
Athelstan, the first
King of all England in the 13th Century was also buried here..
The grandson of Alfred the Great, Æthelstan succeeded
his father, Edward the Elder, to the throne of Wessex.
He was the first English sovereign ever to be crowned on
the King's Stone at Kingston-upon-Thames in 925. Incorrectly
claimed by some to be the first King of All England, Æthelstan
was a great warrior, nonetheless, whose fame stemmed from
his conquests in Cornwall and Wales, and his defeat of a
combined force of Scots, Welsh and Vikings at the battle
of Brunanburh in 938.
Æthelstan was a patron of monastic communities and
especially supported the monastery at Malmesbury, where his
tomb can be found, today, though it does not contain his
remains.
In 1010 Eilmer, a monk was best remembered
after his attempt to fly. Eilmer made his wings and launched
himself off the abbey roof, breaking both legs but lived
to enjoy a long life.
The Market Cross [above left] is
one of the finest in the country. The Market Cross is located
at the top of the High Street. It was build in the 15th century
to provide shelter from the rain. And still does, as you can
see this picture was taken just after a rain shower...
Tamworth Two
There are peaceful walks beside the River Avon, around the medieval streets and
on the trail of the "Tamworth Two"
pigs. These two pigs who notoriously escaped death when they
broke out of a Wiltshire abattoir and spent a week on the
run in January 1998.
Butch and Sundance fled into the Wiltshire countryside and
it took an army of police, RSPCA workers, volunteers and journalists
to track them down. The Legend of the Tamworth Two, is being
portrayed in a comedy drama for television, which outlines
the real-life adventures of two pigs.  More...
Malmesbury Past
The
town is very conscious of its historic past, numerous monasteries,
fabulous buildings and there are now around 400 listed
properties. It became a conservation area in 1971, and
there continues to be a healthy debate about how to reconcile
these responsibilities with a desire not to be locked in the
past.
Yourguide: www.yourguide.org.uk/malmesbury
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