LATEST NEWS
This summer - walk with the Mayor of Malmesbury on the Athelstan 1100 Pilgrim Way Walk to Kingston upon Thames.
It is a great chance to be part of a unique, sociable, symbolic – and fun - community event.
Starting on Monday 18th August, you can join the Mayor of Malmesbury, Cllr Stephen James, on a walk from Malmesbury to Kingston upon Thames. It is taking place to mark the strong connection between both towns and our celebrations of Athelstan becoming king. There are eleven daily stages and many stretches will be on the Thames Path National Trail. The towns along the way are getting involved! Those on the final day will arrive in Kingston at 10:30am on Thursday the 4th September to be part of the events highlighting the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan’s coronation.
You can choose to be on all the stages, some of the stages, one of the stages or part of a stage. It is a great chance to involve family, friends and meet others from Malmesbury and along the way. Have a look at the information sheet and if you are interested just email
Stop Press: The opening walk from Malmesbury to Cricklade on Monday 18th August is 14.25 miles. If that feels like too much but you want to be part of the first day action there will be stopping points at Garsdon (3 miles) and Ravenswood (7 miles).
Save the Date! The finds from Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig have been cleaned and the brilliant team at Cotswold Archaeology are busy assessing them. They’ll all be back on display in Malmesbury Town Hall in a special Athelstan 1100 event on the weekend of
Over 150 first time archaeologists and hundreds of visitors experienced archaeology in practice as part of Malmesbury's Big Athelstan Dig. Thirteen test pits were dug at sites all over Malmesbury under the guidance of professional archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology while visitors could see the digs progressing and the finds being brought back to the Finds Centre in the Town Hall.
At the same time an important announcement was made about recent finds during development work in the centre of Malmesbury. This revealed an unexpected graveyard with dating and finds which Malmesbury based historian and author Tony McAleavy described as 'literally transforming our understanding of the birth of Malmesbury Abbey in the seventh and eight centuries. The BBC report is
We've got a special treat for Athelstan fans on Saturday 24th May at 7:30pm in Malmesbury Abbey. Historian Tony McAleavy is opening Malmesbury's celebration of the 1350th anniversary of Aldhelm becoming the first Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey with a talk 'Aldhelm and his Legacy 675 to 2025'. Aldhelm is special - Michael Wood says he 'was one of the most important people in early English culture' (and, as Tony will show, much more besides). Athelstan certainly thought so, Aldhelm was his hero and a big reason he chose to be buried in Malmesbury.
There is NO ADMISSION CHARGE but you do need a ticket and we will be asking you to give generously to the Malmesbury Abbey Roof Fundraising Appeal. Tickets are at tonymcaleavy.eventbrite.co.uk or our own event listing https://www.athelstan1100.co.uk/events-ticketing/athelstan-1100-events/aldhelm-and-his-legacy-675-to-2025
This is a joint event being organised by Athelstan 1100 and Malmesbury Abbey and is part of Malmesbury's Pride of Place Festival 2025.
Anglo-Saxon Malmesbury proved a great hit and a wonderful conclusion to our month of Athelstan 1100 events this summer. Regia Anglorum created an immersive and memorable Anglo-Saxon village for a weekend on the town's beautiful St Aldhelm's Mead, which was visited by hundreds of engaged visitors and, of course, there was a demonstration of shield walls clashing each afternoon.
DETAILS of 13 sites where archaeological digs will take place this coming weekend in Malmesbury have been revealed as Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig begins. Three other sites of archaeological interest will also be open to visit.
Archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology will be in Malmesbury preparing the various test pit sites for excavation on Thursday and Friday this week with support of students from Malmesbury School who will be learning about the skills and discipline of a dig, the finding, preservation and recording of finds.
Each site will be open to the public from 10.30am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday (July 6 & 7).
The sites
In 2024 Malmesbury in North Wiltshire celebrated the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan beceoming king. On September 4th 2025 Kingston upon Thames is celebrating the 1100th annivesary of Athelstan's coronation as the King of Wessex and Mercia.
To highlight the connection between these events the Athelstan Pilgrim Way, a popular network of footpaths and cycelways across North Wiltshire, is being extended to Kingston for two special events; a symbolic walk with a crown and a cycle from Malmesbury to Kingston, arriving together in Kingston on the anniversary of the coronation.
The walk will take place over 11 days - divided into three blocks of days - and starts on Monday 18th August, and the bike ride is on the 3rd and 4th of September. Might you be interested in taking part? Email us at
This Saturday the 20th and Sunday 21st of July around 200 re-enactors from Regia Anglorum will be living in an Anglo-Saxon village in Malmesbury's beautiful St Aldhelm's Mead. Come and visit between 10:00am and 4:30pm for hands on experiences, demonstrations of Anglo-Saxon life and, at around 3:00pm each day, witness a battle re-enactment! Anglo-Saxon Malmesbury is free to attend.
Hot on the heels of a week long series of features on Ben Prater’s BBC Wiltshire’s Breakfast Show - which has now been summarised into eight delightful minutes,
Last July, hundreds of budding archaeologists and residents took part in a project to dig test pits all over Malmesbury, in a search of the town’s rich history. Called ‘Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig’ in honour of the first King of England who is buried in Malmesbury Abbey, the results exceeded expectations the amazing finds have now been on show.
Over Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th March 2025, hundreds of visitors again flocked to Malmesbury Town Hall, this time to see the site-by-site display with archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology on hand to provide explanations and answer questions.
Martin Watts, Director of Research and Engagement at Cotswold Archaeology said: “The diggers produced finds from every period of Malmesbury’s history except the Roman. We were particularly pleased there was a find from the period of King Athelstan and so many indications of living in Malmesbury across the centuries. We have been very pleased to support Malmesbury’s Big Athelstan Dig and the chance it has given so many people to experience archaeology at close hand.”
Kim Power, who led the Athelstan 1100 team organising the Dig said: “Malmesbury had great fun last summer and this weekend discovering more about the history of Malmesbury and we would really like to thank the site owners, Cotswold Archaeology, the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and all the organisations and volunteers across the town who helped make the Big Dig possible. It will remain as an unforgettable part of Malmesbury’s Athelstan 1100 celebrations.
Visitors were able to nominate their ‘Favourite Find’ and three finds in particular were strongly supported. These were a small medieval key, which probably unlocked a casket, a tiny Victorian terracotta doll called a ‘Frozen Charlotte’ and the overall winner – the single piece of Anglo-Saxon pottery unearthed by the Dig, a rim fragment from a cooking pot from the time of King Athelstan.
The first two editions of 'The Malmesbury Times' are out now. All the news from 924 to 939.
Pick up your free copies at The Anglo-Saxon Style Market in Malmesbury this Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm, Athelstan's Big Picnic this Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00pm and
Hot ticket news!
Acclaimed historian Tom Holland is coming to Malmesbury on Sunday the 30th June to open the Athelstan Pilgrim Way and will be delivering a brand new talk ‘On the trail of the first king of England: Why Athelstan deserves pilgrims’ at 2:00pm. Tickets for his talk are on sale priced £10.00.
Tickets are now available for our great live performances at Malmesbury Abbey, ‘Oh! Athelstan’ on the 29th June and ‘Athelstan – A United Kingdom’ on the 13th and 14th July.