Broad World and Deep Towns

While many might associate Wiltshire with the ancient mysteries of Stonehenge, the small town of Malmesbury holds its own unique historical charm. Nestled atop a hill, as is common for English towns, Malmesbury presents a picturesque scene straight out of a period drama, complete with the vestiges of its old town walls.

At the heart of Malmesbury stands its magnificent 7th-century abbey, a structure steeped in history. It was within these walls that Athelstan, the first king of England, was laid to rest in 939 AD, though his remains were later lost during religious conflicts. The abbey, however, is also remembered for a more eccentric tale from the early second millennium.

A monk named Eilmer, inspired perhaps by the very birds that soared above, fashioned a cape resembling bat wings and leaped from the abbey's then 131-meter-high bell tower. While his ambition was sky-high, his landing was not. History records that Eilmer broke both his legs in the attempt, a daring feat that, remarkably, lends its name to a local pub. This blend of royal history and eccentric ambition is precisely what makes Malmesbury a place of enduring fascination.