England, Garden Walks, Housesitting in the UK, Life of adventure, Travel

The Abbey Gardens – Malmesbury

Suzanne

On the border of the Cotswold region lies Malmesbury.

The mellow hilltop town of Malmesbury is peppered with ancient buildings constructed out of honey-coloured Cotswold stone. It’s the oldest borough in England, having been awarded that status in AD 880, and boasts one of the county’s finest market crosses – a 15th-century crownlike structure built to shelter the poor from the rain.

The most recognisable icon is the famous Abbey.  A mixture of working order and ruins a sight seen from most aspects of this small village.  It is gorgeous and impressive.

The Abbey

Malmesbury Abbey (St. Mary), Benedictine, founded in the 7th Century.  The photograph above is of the east elevation and the location of the west town including the remains of the south transept.

The Abbey Gardens

Malmesbury Gardens1

First things first, it was the Abbey Gardens that we needed to visit. 

I say “we” in a very loose way, though we both admire gardens, I am the one that has a love of all things flowery.  Gardens are still such a passion of mine.  Very much from a spectators view.

Though I don’t need to see the more public ones on a regular basis to appreciate nature in a more structured way as I have mentioned before, we have been fortunate enough to have wandered around attractive neighbourhoods.  Full of colour and a quintessentially English design.

Lucky for us or unlucky depending on how you view it, the day we visited The Abbey Gardens, it was not an optional clothes day.

Places and gardens to have “Clothing Optional Days”

Time for a Cuppa

Some places have a wonderful indelible feel to them, Malmesbury was one such place.  The cafes on the day we visited were heaving with visitors, most looking like walkers who have placed themselves down to replenish their energy levels.

Us two included in that description.

Surprisingly the cost wasn’t eye-watering as most Cafes have been while exploring around the UK in the more popular areas.

There ends another great day out, skipping from one county to another though still staying in the Cotswold region.

For more information before you visit:

https://www.cotswolds.info/places/malmesbury.shtml

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

31 thoughts on “The Abbey Gardens – Malmesbury”

  3. Looks like a great place to explore! Your photo of the garden is so beautiful. I would be just as captivated by the remains. It’s amazing to be able to walk through a place with so much history. If only the walls could talk!

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    1. Thanks Celia, if the walls could talk I have a feeling that history would need to be written again. It is extraordinary that people in our time can walk around the same area as another community did hundreds of years ago. That’s one of the things we love about being over here in the UK and Europe is the history. Something we don’t have in NZ, well, not as ancient as here!

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    1. Nilla, we have found it more expensive this year than previous ones. Less than a week to go before we leave. Italy in December. Marches area for Christmas 😊

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  7. Good grief! I had no idea The Abbey had optional nudist days! I would be quite boggled if I met a naked person wandering, I think. Not my cup of tea but that slice of cake looks very attractive indeed!!

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        1. Haha 😊 I used to train along a local beach back in NZ I had to go past a few nudists. At 7am in the morning I’m not kidding. It was my motivation to walk faster than have any more images of nude chubby elderly men!

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          1. I always think of Grouch Marx who, invited to the opening night of ‘Hair’ on Broadway wandered into his bathroom at the Waldorf Astoria which was entirely mirrored – catching sight of his own naked form, he promptly rang and gave his apologies ‘I have no desire to see all that dangling flesh exposed’ he explained to the Secretary. I concur!

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    1. So sorry Anabel that I never replied to your welcome comment. Some how got lost!! Anyway, never thought of the sensitive places getting sunburnt!! The mind does boggle now!

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