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Malmesbury Abbey

church, Malmesbury, England, United Kingdom

Quick Summary

Malmesbury Abbey is a historic church located in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England. It originated as a hermitage around 635 AD and was later rebuilt and endowed by King Athelstan, who is buried there. Following the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reformation, the abbey church was purchased and eventually presented to the townspeople. The town of Malmesbury itself is one of the oldest in England and developed around this abbey. Historically, Malmesbury was known for its cloth manufacture. An abbey, in general, is a complex of buildings housing a monastery or convent, centered on an abbey church, and directed by an abbot or abbess.12

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  1. Malmesbury
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  3. Cistercian style

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