Last Updated on December 20, 2023
Possibly England’s oldest hotel – probably the quirkiest
With so many European short-break destinations only a few hours and a cheap flight away, it’s easy to forget the many great places, historic and attractive, right on our doorsteps. Malmesbury in Wiltshire is one such place – a hilltop market town whose fascinating history goes back over 2,000 years – and the highly acclaimed Old Bell Hotel has been right at its heart for over 800 of them.
If you’re looking for a winter break, look no further – come explore this charming and historic town, and enjoy a truly memorable stay at the Old Bell Malmesbury.
The Old Bell Hotel
Malmesbury is the oldest borough in England, with a charter granted around 880, so maybe not surprisingly The Old Bell claims to be the oldest hotel, having been established in 1220 for visitors to Malmesbury Abbey, then an important monastery and seat of learning.
Down the years since then, The Old Bell Hotel has welcomed many, many visitors and has been rewarded with a long list of accolades, four AA Stars, two AA Rosettes for its superb restaurant, Abbey Row, and a rare AA Breakfast Award; the most recent is Muddy Stiletto’s Best Hotel in the UK 2023.
Situated right by the abbey and built around a medieval core, the impressive Grade I-listed, wisteria-clad hotel is a charming mix of architectural styles, mainly Edwardian, but with many traces of its long history, including a fireplace from the early 13th century.
The current custodians of this piece of hospitality heritage are Kim and Whit Hanks from Texas, who bought The Old Bell in 2021 and set about its refurbishment and expansion with great gusto. The result is truly memorable.
As for the interior, the look and feel in 2023 is uniquely, quirkily, and stylishly contemporary. There are statement wallpapers and a host of eccentrically eclectic objects on show, from the stuffed giraffes (yes, seriously) that greet you in the hall, to a full-size wicker motorbike (yes, seriously again) on one of the landings.
The Old Bell puts you in mind of a country house hotel: it’s grand and sophisticated, but not stuffy. It’s alive with guests having a coffee, a beer or afternoon tea in one of the so inviting, so comfortably furnished, three lounges; or in the 1220 Bar, the glass-walled Tyger Bar or the Garden Room. Staff (dressed Texas-style in gingham shirts and jeans) are friendly and attentive. After 800 years, The Old Bell Hotel continues to be a lively hub for Malmesbury and wider Wiltshire.
The 34 delightful bedrooms are each individually named, designed and furnished with bold, colourful wallcoverings. Each has luxury bathrobes, Bramley toiletries, a Dyson hairdryer, a smart screen TV, gooseneck kettle and cafetiere.
There’s a range of accommodation to choose from: at the top end, the two Master Suites are gorgeous – very spacious and very comfortably furnished – but all the room types (Junior Master, Classic, Character, Master Cosy, Cosy and Single) brim with personality, each stylishly crafted.
Dogs are welcome in a number of rooms and in reception areas. The Old Bell’s resident spectre, the Grey Lady, may be a welcome (or unwelcome) feature, depending on your point of view, but not to worry either way: she is reported to be mischievous, rather than malicious).
Not far from the main hotel complex, the self-catering Townhouse Suites let you enjoy all the amenities of the hotel but with more privacy.
An important element in any winter break is great dining, and you will certainly enjoy The Old Bell’s food. You can dine under the heavens without leaving the hotel in the Abbey Row restaurant with its 8000 hand-painted gold stars on the ceiling, or in one of the other cosily plush reception rooms. Wherever you eat, you can be sure of an outstanding meal prepared by acclaimed executive chef Leigh Evans and his team.
His Modern British menu includes starters like Seared Scottish scallops (with smoked ham hock, lime and black treacle, grilled and deep-fried cauliflower, and slivers of Granny Smith apple), altogether a sublime combination of flavours. The untraditional but tasty Crispy Goose Leg Terrine (with pickled celeriac, plum ketchup, sprout flowers and pancetta) was another winner, as was the home-grown Abbey Garden artichokes (stuffed baked artichokes, little gem, salsa Verde), described as a sublime forest on a plate.
From the mains, the Beechridge Duck Breast (with bacon & cranberry jam, parsnip, confit leg hash brown, sprouts, glazed chestnuts) was excellent, as was the Venison loin (mushroom tart, mushroom ketchup, smoked garlic mash, pickled red cabbage).
The quality is uniformly exceptional and is the same whether you opt for the fine dining dishes, the snacks or the bar classics: the Fish & Chips from the latter menu will be one of the best you’ll eat anywhere: cooked with finesse, served with the best tartar sauce, mushy peas and curry sauce.
Desserts feature Crème Caramel and Sticky Toffee Ginger Pudding, but for this diner, the Paris-Brest is an automatic choice, as it’s not found on so many menus: needless to say, it was excellent. The wine list boasts a range of classic labels, with many familiar names and realistically priced.
Emphasising their devotion to Malmesbury, Kim and Whit have also bought the nearby Grade I listed Abbey House & Gardens. The garden (currently closed except for sporadic open days while it is being reimagined) achieved some fame in the 1990s with its transformation by the Naked Gardeners, so-called because that’s how they used to ‘’dress’’ while gardening…
Plans for Abbey House are being developed alongside heritage bodies to retain the property’s history and integrity, but a top-end hotel experience is proposed. Together with the Old Bell it will certainly be one of the most glamorous and luxurious places to stay in Wiltshire.
Malmesbury
The UK isn’t short of great hotels, so why come and stay at one in Malmesbury?
For history lovers, the town is a microcosm in brick and stone of England’s story, featuring saints and kings, eccentrics and entrepreneurs, philosophers and serving maids.
Poet John Betjeman’s “Queen of hilltop towns’’, ‘’a perfect English medieval limestone town” of “great and intimate beauty” is dominated by the romantic ruins of the 12th-century abbey at its heart.
In early Saxon times, Malmesbury was home to St Aldhelm; in 880 the town was made a burgh, part of Alfred the Great’s defensive plan against the Vikings. His grandson, Athelstan became the first king of all England and ruled from Malmesbury. Unlike other Saxon kings who found their resting places in Winchester, Athelstan was buried locally in the old abbey. A new tomb for Athelstan’s remains was made in the 15th century and can also still be seen, but his bones have been lost.
By the 11th century, Malmesbury Abbey was one of Europe’s leading seats of scholarship. A new abbey church was built in the 12th century and was much larger than that seen today (only about a third remains); its spire was higher than Salisbury Cathedral’s. Eroded but still visible today, the carving around the great south porch is among the finest examples to be found in Europe from that time.
There’s many other remarkable people and historical events associated with Malmesbury, so an hour or so in the Athelstan Museum just a short walk from the Old Bell is well worth the trip to find out more.
Who would have thought, for example, that Malmesbury was the scene of an attempt at human flight in the early 11th century: eccentric monk Eilmer tied on his wings and reportedly flew 200 yards from the abbey tower before hitting the ground, breaking both legs. His landing site is in Oliver’s (Eilmer’s) Lane.
Malmesbury was also where in 1703 the unfortunate Hannah Twynnoy became the first person to be killed by a tiger in England. A serving maid at the White Lion Inn (which kept wild animals for exhibition), she was told not to tease the tiger. One day when she was tormenting it, the tiger broke free and “tore her to pieces“. Her tombstone can still be found in the abbey churchyard.
Malmesbury hosts a range of festivals, including WOMAD, Flying Monk Arts Trail and Wessex History week to name but a few. The year 2024 marks the 1100th anniversary of Athelstan’s accession and the town will be celebrating the event with a festival of lectures, theatricals, battles, competitions and feasting! If you want to be more active, there are many walks along the River Avon.
Not far from Bath, Bristol, Cirencester, the Cotswolds, Avebury and Tetbury, nearby are also Westonbirt Arboretum and Cotswold Water Park.
Malmesbury is therefore perfect for an afternoon visit or day trip – or a weekend break, staying at the Old Bell, of course!
The Old Bell Hotel
Abbey Row
Malmesbury
Wiltshire SN16 0BW
01666 822344
Links-
Abbey House Manor
Athelstan Museum
Explore Malmesbury
