38 Malmesbury. 



It is very much to be regretted that there is no known drawing, 

 ground plan, or even verbal description of what the Abbey and 

 Abbey Church were, when perfect. 1 For many hundred years was 

 that noble church filled with chapels, shrines, altars, stained glass, 

 sepulchres of kings and saints, and yet we have not a trace of its 

 contents, save one solitary relic, the so-called tomb of King Athel- 

 stan. Athelstan died in 941. It is needless to say that this tomb 

 was not erected at that time, or for a long time after. Nor after 

 so many changes is it now easy to guess where exactly is the site 

 of his grave. It was (see p. 42) "at the altar of St. Mary in the 

 tower" wheresoever that may have been. His remains may have 

 been removed hither, or, without meddling with them, the tomb 

 may have been erected to his memory as a testimonial or cenotaph. 

 It was most likely in its present situation at the time of Leland's visit 



1 The dimensions of the church when entire may perhaps be fairly collected 

 from William of Worcester who visited it in the reign of Henry VI. In 

 measuring, he used his own steps ("gressus meos"). The Editors of the New 

 Monasticon state that the " step " of Wm. of Worcester was 19| inches : (Dug- 

 dale, New Monasticon, " Malmesbury," p. 256, Note). According to this scale 

 the dimensions of the church were as follows. 



" Length of the whole church, with the choir : 172 11 gressus" =279 feet. 



" Length of the Cbapel of St. Mary, at the East (of the choir), 36 "gressus "= 

 57 feet. 



" Breadth of the same, 9 11 gressus "=14 feet 7| inches. 

 " Projection of the transepts, beyond the Aisles (ultra alas J, 22 11 gressus" =■ 

 35 feet 9 inches." 



The late Mr. Britton (Archit: Antiq:, vol. i., Y. 10) professed himself unable 

 to draw any conclusions from William of Worcester's " steps:" but he was 

 probably not aware of their equivalent in feet and inches. Mr. Britton also 

 pronounced the proportions of St. Mary's Chapel to be " unusual and awkward." 

 But it is not improbable that St. Mary's Chapel may have been part of Abbot 

 ^lfric's Church, perhaps that church itself, and, there are in Wiltshire, still 

 existing, one or two ancient churches remarkable for being very long and 

 narrow, as for instance, Wily Church, which is 76 feet long and 17^ feet wide, 

 St. Joseph's Chapel also at Glastonbury Abbey, was 110 feet long by 24 wide. 

 So far as the writer of the present Article has been able to judge, his opinion 

 of Wm. of Worcester's accuracy is favourable. For, by actual measurement 

 of the projection (beyond the Aisles) of the South Transept of Malmesbury 

 Abbey Church, its length appears to be as nearly as possible the same as 

 described by that Antiquary. Therefore, if nearly correct in the only part of 

 the church to which it is now possible to apply a test, Wm. of Worcester's 

 statement becomes trustworthy as to those parts which are imperfect. 



