| Summary : Nunnery first documented in 603. Monastery founded in the 7th century, possibly circa 637. It became Benedictine in the reign of Edgar and remained so until dissolved in 1539. There are references to Saxon and later churches within the Abbey precinct but their succession is not clear. They were dedicated to Our Saviour, SS Peter and Paul, St Michael, St Laurence and St Mary. The final Abbey Church was built circa 1160-70 and had 13th/14th, and 15th century additions. It was damaged by the fall of a tower before 1539 and in 1541 the nave became the parish church. Another tower fell in the 16th century and further damage is recorded in the 17th century. It was restored in 1830, 1899 and 1927. The cloister and conventual buildings lay to the North of the church and along with the precinct walls and gates were investigated, with some excavation, and planned by Brakspear in 1910. Abbey House (ST98NW66) was built in the 16th century and the major part of its under-croft belongs to the rere-dorter of the abbey. Fragments of architectural detail and walling survive in buildings North and West of the church and burials and Mediaeval material are found from time to time. |
More information : (ST 93288731) St. Mary and St. Aldhelm's Abbey.Ch. (T.U.)
Rems of ABBEY (L.B.) (Benedictine).
(ST 93348736) ABBEY HOUSE (L.B.)
(ST 93348734) GATEWAY (L.B.) (Site of). (1)
The early history of monastic settlement at Malmesbury in uncertain.
There are references to a nunnery founded c603 (3) and the activity
of an Irish monk or hermit, Maeldulbh, c.637 (4). A 'house of monks'
was here in the 7th c. and is associated with Aldhelm from c.675.
Its type is uncertain but it had become a Benedictine establishment
in the 10th c., Watkin quoting 974 (2) and Knowles and Hadcock giving
c.965 (3) as the re-foundation. It continued in the Benedictine
Order until 1539. There are references to Saxon and later churches
within the Abbey precinct but their succession is not clear. They
were dedicated to Our Saviour, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Michael,
St. Laurence and St. Mary. The final Abbey Church was built c.1160-70
and had 13th/14th, and 15th c additions. It was damaged by the fall
of a tower before 1539 and in 1541 the nave became the parish church.
Another tower fell in the 16th c. and further damage is recorded in
the 17th c. It was restored in 1830, 1899 and 1927.
The cloister and conventual buildings lay to the N of the church and
with the precinct walls and gates were investigated, with some
excavation, and planned by Brakspear in 1910 (See Illustrations Card).Abbey House was built in the 16th c. and the major part of its
under-croft belongs to the rere-dorter of the abbey. Fragments of
architectural detail and walling survive in buildings N and W of the
church and burials and Md. material are found from time to time.
(4) (5).
There is a gateway leading to the Abbot's House (Abbey House), small
and with a circular arch beneath a form of coat of arms. (2-6)
The abbey buildings are as described, see G.Ps. The precinct wall
is no longer traceable though present buildings may incorporate
parts of it.
Bird's gateway was not a gatehouse but is certainly that described
on O.S. 25"; the date of demolition is unknown.
Re-used stone from the Abbey may be found throughout Malmesbury.
The 17th c. Abbey House incorporates the undercrofts of frater and
dorter and is of considerable architectural interest.
See document photos. (a-c) (7)
5408 MARKET CROSS
St Mary and St Adhelm's Abbey Church
(formerly listed as Abbey Church)
ST 9387 1/102 18.1.49.
2.
Founded Circa 637 by the Irish hermit Mailduib, the church became
a monastery under the Benedictine rule probably during the abbacy
of Adhelm, the great Saxon scholar (circa 675-705). The existing
building, begun possibly under Bishop Roger (circa 1118-1139),
basically dates to circa 1160-70. The abbey church formerly comprised
nave, aisles, transepts, crossing tower, spire and chancel with C13
Lady Chapel. Nearly all was demolished at the Dissolution except
for 6 bays of the nave and adjacent aisles of limestone ashlar with
slated roofs. Enriched late Norman style with later windows in
Decorated and Perpendicular styles. Nave with Transitional pointed
arcade arches, galleries with triple openings under round arch,
clerestorey and C14 vaulted roof supported by flying buttresses with
pinnacles. Fine south porch with outer doorway of 8 orders of arches
with figured decoration. Opposing carved lunettes inside porch,
and inner doorway with figures of Christ in tympanum. The ruined
remains of the abbey church include the north arch of the crossing,
the west wall of the south transept and the southern part of the
west front with corner turret of 4 stages. The conventual buildings
stood on the north side of the church; for the reredorter and sections of the precinct wall see under Abbey House, Market Cross; for the guest house see under the Bell Hotel, Gloucester Street. The ruined parts of Malmesbury Abbey are a Scheduled Ancient Monument; County No 320 (V.C.H. Wiltshire, Vol 3 pp 210-31).
Aerial photo of abbey and surrounding streets.(11)
Documentary references show that there was a vineyard on the hill to the north of the abbey in the later Anglo-Saxon period. In the
medieval period, approx. 43 acres of land next to the abbey were
set aside for streams, pools, fish-ponds and fruit-trees for the
monks' recreation (12)
In digging foundations at the Bell Inn several stone coffins were found,as well as two (C17?) spurs. (13-14)
Article on the influence of Malmesbury Abbey on late Saxon parochia development in Wiltshire. (15)
Article on the sculpture of the south entrance. (16) |