Malmesbury dates from at least 800BC, when it was an Iron Age city. In 880AD Malmesbury became England's oldest borough.  Its also the was the place man first flew (we kid you not!).  Born in 980 AD Eilmer 'the handgliding monk', made his maiden (and last) flight by jumping from a tower of the then church.  He managed to cover a distance of around 200 metres. But it seems that it suddenly dawned on him what a risk he had taken, whereupon he panicked and came down with a bump, breaking both his legs. The strength of the wind also might have caused the sudden end to his adventure, but interestingly he also believed that he would have had more stability if he had provided himself with a tail.

He set about rectifying this shortcoming, and was making plans for a second flight when his abbot placed an embargo on any further attempts, and that was that. For more than half a century after these events, the limping Eilmer was a familiar sight around the community of Malmesbury, where he became a distinguished scholar.  If you want to know more of Eilmer we suggest you purchase Eilmer, The Flight and The Comet from the abbey gift shop.
The abbey itself contains the tomb of King Althestan, the first King of all England.

Outside in the churchyard, try to find one of the most unusual gravestones - that of Hannah Twynnoy, who was killed by a tiger in 1703!

Her tombstone reads:
"In bloom of life
She's snatched from hence
She had not room to make defence
For Tyger fierce took life away
And here she lies in bed of clay
Until the Resurrection Day."

As well as the abbey, it has one of the best examples of a Market Cross in England, dating from 1490, a Saxon street plan and you can visit the Abbey House Gardens, a 12th century garden next to the abbey.

In more relatively modern times Malmesbury have been the home of William of Malmesbury father of English history (11th Century), Thomas Hobbes and the father of modern English philosophy.

Today Malmesbury is a pretty market town, well worth wandering round during a tour of Wiltshire. Filled with antique and speciality shops.