A small market town with a nationally significant story

Malmesbury’s story begins three thousand years ago on a fortified hilltop surrounded by rivers, where faith, learning and ingenuity shaped a place that repeatedly became a national first. From Saint Aldhelm, the first Englishman of letters, to Athelstan, the first king of all England, to the monk Eilmer’s daring medieval flight and Thomas Hobbes, the father of modern political theory, Malmesbury’s story blends learning, experiment and statecraft. It also features pioneering women such as Deborah Moody, who left England for New York in 1639 to establish the first New World settlement founded by a woman. Malmesbury-born missionary Alice Seeley-Harris produced in the early 1900s what is regarded as the first photographic campaign to have changed the course of history by exposing the atrocities underpinning King Leopold II’s rule in the Congo Free State. 

Market Cross and the Abbey, Malmesbury (c) Robert Peel

For centuries Malmesbury has been a place of sanctuary, from Celtic pilgrims to the many Ukrainian refugees hosted with local families. Malmesbury takes care of its own, while warmly welcoming incomers and visitors. The needs of those facing hardship and isolation are responded to by a volunteer-run minibus service, family-friendly activities and free tickets to events.

People make culture, encountered daily in Malmesbury on folk nights and in embroidery groups, poetry circles and impromptu jam sessions.  For 2028, we will create a bigger platform for that local creativity and talent.

Malmesbury’s rich history resonates today, reflected in the strength of the town’s artistic community, its environmental activism and engineering prowess, being home to Dyson’s global Research, Design & Development campus, Wiltshire’s only university. As England’s oldest borough and a hilltop engine of ideas, our proposed 2028 programme combines heritage, creativity and engineering to celebrate our national story and widen who makes and enjoys culture here.

We will animate this continuum across people, time and place. The Market Cross, Abbey, historic churches, riverside parks and open spaces, Malmesbury’s heritage crown jewels, become stages for live events, sound‑and‑vision storytelling, and participatory activities that fuse creativity with innovation. Our “Magical History Tour” approach brings Malmesbury’s unique story to life, and scales up into multidimensional, inclusive programming, incorporating everything from all-female morris dancing to experimental music weekends, son et lumière extravaganzas to sensory gardens and river-themed festivals.

The result is a celebration in motion—a six‑month programme of festivity, night‑time spectacles, intimate salons, pop-up events and participatory moments, with a legacy of creative collaborations that empower the next generation of change makers.

With an overall theme of ‘A Town Through Time’, we will draw on regional, national and global contacts and influences to create a 2028 programme full of bold and relevant culture, international perspectives and thought-provoking events. Three provisional ideas are:

Where Two Rivers Meet: a hilltop town at the confluence of two tributaries of the Avon, water has shaped Malmesbury’s identity for centuries. River-themed art installations, exhibitions and participatory activities will raise awareness of the rivers’ significance to community wellbeing and climate impact.

 Illuminations: reflecting Malmesbury’s long history of innovation, a new Sound+Vision festival will present international artwork at the interface between art, science and technology, exploring the relationship between sound, light, performance and media.

 Re-Making England: children and young people near and far will be invited to submit images that capture their idea of national identity. These crowd-sourced images will form a live installation with visitors curating and re-curating different presentations, exploring how people from diverse backgrounds feel a common sense of belonging to England, regardless of birth or ancestry. 

For Malmesbury, in order to scale-up local arts provision and ensure its richness in content, relevance and community accessibility, becoming the UK Town of Culture provides the necessary catalyst, which in turn will leverage public and private investment.  There is an opportunity through culture to enhance the resident and visitor experience of the town, and connectivity between the places where people live, work and take part in cultural activities. Our objective is to extend the use of public spaces and buildings, and foster community pride through imaginative placemaking.