Discover Malmesbury, Wiltshire

Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MalmesburyMarketCross.jpg
Author: Rodhullandemu


Malmesbury is a market town on the northwestern part of Wiltshire, England. It is said to be the oldest borough in England, as it was established by the Saxon King Alfred the Great as far back as AD 880. The town today has a population of just under 5,000 people (2012 estimate).

Evidence of human habitation in the Malmesbury area goes back to the Stone Age, based on existence of a Neolithic fort and foundations of a wooden Iron Age fort. Malmesbury was a city during the time of the ancient Britons, pre-dating the arrival of the Romans. After the Romans withdrew, the ancient Britons controlled the land until the arrival of the Saxons around 600 AD.

In AD 675, Malmesbury Abbey was established by Maildubh, an Irish monk. It became an important religious site, and a town grew around it. By the time of the Norman Conquest, it was one of the major towns in England, and was listed first in the Wiltshire section of the Domesday Book of 1086.

Built on its tradition as a market town, Malmesbury has a regular weekly market today. It developed a woollen industry in the 16th century, and later became a center for lace making. Today the biggest employer in Malmesbury is Dyson, a company that designs and manufactures vacuum cleaners, hand driers and other appliances.

Abbey Garden in Malmesbury: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abbey_Gardens_along_Avon_River_in_Malmesbury.jpg
Author: John Menard

Visiting Malmesbury

From London take the M4 motorway to Junction 17, then head north on the A429 road until you arrive in Malmesbury,

Places of Interest in Malmesbury

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.