Athelstan 1100 Events

2024 marks the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan becoming king. He was buried in Malmesbury Abbey and has a special relationship with the town. Anne Goodyer sets the scene by looking at where Athelstan features in Malmesbury present and more recent past; you will be surprised! Anne is a member of the Malmesbury History Society and a volunteer at the Athelstan Museum. She is a regular speaker and has presented three short history films about aspects of Malmesbury’s history. One of her specialist subjects is the Pubs of Malmesbury, but she assures us this is from an historical perspective. At the Rausing Building. Tickets for this event are only available from Athelstan Museum https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk/event/finding-athelstan-in-malmesbury/

Oh! Athelstan – a wonderful musical interpretation of events surrounding Athelstan, the first king of all England. Written by John Hughes (music) and Mike Scanlon (lyrics) in the early 1980s, this is a light-hearted approach to history with a little poetic license thrown in for good measure! First performance held in 1982 by students at Malmesbury Secondary School and subsequently by Malmesbury WI, this is the first time the production has been performed this century.  Oh! Athelstan is performed by St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School choir and directed by Debbie Cambray-Smith. Commissioned by MAMS.

What a way to start our opening weekend! Athelstan 1100 is proud to make this priceless event free to attend. Admittance by ticket only. Register now. Donations to support Athelstan 1100 will be welcomed 

Check for Returns. New Date Added 19th July at 3:00pm - Please go to New Event Listing.

Why is Malmesbury making such a fuss about Athelstan? What is his ‘special relationship’ with this small town in North Wiltshire? Tony will explain all! Tony is an educator and writer by profession and a researcher who brings history to life. He has written many school textbooks on different history topics for Cambridge University Press, Harper-Collins and Hodder Education, and his most recent books, ‘The Last Witch Craze’ and ‘The History of Malmesbury Abbey’ have added hugely to the understanding of Malmesbury’s rich and rewarding past. 

Miranda's beautifully illustrated talk takes us on a walk in Malmesbury in the year 924. You will be with a gathering of the faithful setting off from Malmesbury Abbey on a Rogation Day walk into the town and its surrounding countryside. We might visit a local shrine at the roadside, pass by the nearest mill and along the river for a while before walking into the Open Fields and blessing our surroundings as we go. But what might Miranda show us along the way and how might it be different to the landscape, plants and wildlife we know today? We will see the Wild Side - but from the comfort of a chair in the Town Hall. Miranda is the founding Chair of Malmesbury Natural History Society, enjoys anything to do with nature and is an experienced and has a background in marketing and teaching. She helped establish the Royal Wootton Bassett Arts Festival. 

How did Roman Britain become Anglo-Saxon England? Who were the West Saxons? How did Athelstan become king of England? How did he relate to Alfred the Great? This is the Athelstan 1100 backstory talk! Jim has been a British Army officer and is an expert on the nature of military thought, lecturing at staff colleges around the world and and chairing national and international conferences. He has published five books, including the ‘The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of England’, first published in 2016 as ‘King Arthur’s Wars: The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of England’, which has been republished twice.

The first king of all the English, Athelstan (reigned  924-39) is now coming to be seen as the presiding genius of the medieval English state. His short reign initiated many key developments in English law, culture and governance; his new brand of assembly politics is seen now as the origin of the English Parliament. In this richly illustrated talk Michael Wood offers fresh insights into this exciting turning point in English history. An acclaimed historian film maker and broadcaster, Michael has written and presented 120 documentaries, including the BBC series The Story of England ‘the most innovative history series ever on TV’ (Independent). He is the author of several number one best selling books, including In Search of the Dark Ages, now out in a revised and expanded 40th anniversary edition. Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester, Michael’s latest book is China’s Greatest Poet: In the Footsteps of Du Fu. He is at present working on his long promised biography of Athelstan.