SKELETAL REMAINS FROM THE TIME OF ST ALDHELM HAVE BEEN FOUND CLOSE TO MALMESBURY ABBEY

Rare Middle Saxon human remains, some dating back as far as the 7th century, have been found in Malmesbury – the first real evidence of a community active before the Abbey was built.

The news was revealed over the weekend (Saturday July 6) against the backdrop of the Big Athelstan Dig, a community archaeology event, which has formed part of the month-long celebrations of the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan becoming the First King of all England. 

The Big Athelstan dig took place across the weekend, with volunteers working with professional archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology to excavate 13 test pits around the town to delve into the town’s spectacular history. Hundreds of people from Malmesbury and beyond visited the town to be part of the community dig.

Historian Tony McAleavy, an expert and author on Malmesbury’s history and on St Aldhelm and King Athelstan, said: 

"This discovery literally transforms our understanding of the birth of Malmesbury Abbey in the seventh and eighth centuries. The excavation has uncovered skeletal remains of 24 identifiable people- men, women and children- who lived, died and were buried in Malmesbury during the early centuries of Malmesbury Abbey. 

The monastery was initially founded by an Irish holy man called Máel Dub in around 650 and was transformed between 675 and 710 by Saint Aldhelm into one of the leading centres of spirituality and scholarship in western Europe.”

The remains were found during an excavation in the grounds of The Old Bell Hotel which itself goes back to 1220 and is next to Malmesbury Abbey. Project manager for this dig, which took place in 2023, was Alex Thomson. 

He said: “These finds were a huge surprise to us all. This dating is incredibly exciting and adds a huge amount to the story of Saxon Malmesbury. It suggests that the burials were potentially associated with the early establishment of the Benedictine monastery, which is generally dated to the 7th century by documentary sources. The finds represent the first confirmed evidence of 7th–9th century AD activity in Malmesbury. In particular, the nature of the evidence identified can legitimately hint towards the nearby presence of a church predating the Abbey.”

The excavation was coordinated by Dr Elizabeth Pratt, of Pegasus Group, which was tasked by The Old Bell Hotel to oversee and coordinate the excavation as part of a routine planning application. 

Dr Pratt said, “The discoveries are a great example of the public benefits of developer-funded archaeological work undertaken as part of the planning process. 
Excavation and post-excavation analyses have given us valuable new information about Malmesbury in the Middle-Saxon period. I’m hoping we can learn more through further study.”

The announcement came as Malmesbury was buzzing with 100s of visitors taking part in the Big Athelstan Dig aimed at bringing the community together, and welcoming visitors from further afield, allowing them all to embrace living history in the town. In total 13 test pits were dug in various locations, including on private properties, to unearth more of Malmesbury’s past. 

Cllr Campbell Ritchie, who heads up the team of volunteers who have arranged 24 events over 27 days throughout July, said:

“Malmesbury's Big Athelstan Dig has excited the imagination of residents and visitors alike about what lies beneath our feet that can add to our knowledge of the past. The great discovery being described today justifies that excitement, and we would like to thank Kim and Whit Hanks and the team at The Old Bell for their enthusiasm and support towards making this new insight so accessible.”

Kim and Whit Hanks, owners of The Old Bell Hotel, said:

 “We are so excited to be here in Malmesbury, our second home, to share in this wonderful news for the community. The exciting discovery intertwines history with the present, providing a rare insight into the lives of Middle Saxon period Malmesbury residents. As the owners of The Old Bell Hotel, a listed building, we are honoured to act as stewards of local history —a responsibility we take very seriously. We are thrilled about the findings being revealed today. It’s fitting that the earliest remains have been found near the Abbey, on the grounds of England's oldest hotel. 

Our passion for history and ancestral ties to Malmesbury since the 1500s make our involvement in preserving the town’s heritage even more meaningful. We hope the Malmesbury community will benefit from these important historical findings, which reveal clues about the town's past all the way back to the 700s.”

Another well known archaeologist who visited the dig was Dr Phil Harding, who visited many of the dig sites and examined the finds. He said:

“Much of what was found by those digging in Malmesbury was rubbish!  Yet  that’s the point. That’s what archaeology is based on, the study of people’s rubbish…past rubbish tells us about past life-styles. As archaeologists we interpret that rubbish and tell the stories which arise however those stories must be plausible, one thing you cannot do as an archaeologist is to ‘make things up’.”

More Athelstan-themed events are planned this coming weekend including:

*Friday July 12 at 7.30pm a talk by the Revd Sarah Foot ‘Athelstan – First King of Britain?’, tickets now sold out.

*Saturday July 13 – Anglo Saxon food, drink and craft fair from 10am to 4pm at the Cloister Gardens. Also in the Abbey, there will be two live performances of the production ‘Athelstan – A United Kingdom’ at 4pm and 7pm (tickets are free, however they are required as space is limited).

*Sunday July 14 – Big Athelstan Picnic from noon until 4pm in the Cloister Gardens. Also in the Abbey, there will be two more live performances of the production ‘Athelstan – A United Kingdom’ at 4pm and 7pm. 
 

For more information visit https://www.athelstan1100.co.uk/