Malmesbury, c.1955

Photo ref: M13031

More about this scene

To the right of this pathway is another which leads to the site of the postern gate, which was part of the early 11th- and 12th-century defences of Malmesbury. The steps lead down to the Linolite factory, which incorporated C R Luce`s brewery, and the Postern Mill (which was irresponsibly demolished in 1984). Behind the wall, near the cottage being painted white, is a path leading to Daniel`s Well. Opposite the cottages on the left (beyond the wall on the right), is the area where the early Hermitage may have stood, below the walls, under St Paul`s spire. A pencil drawing of the Hermitage by J Carter dated 1801 is in the British Museum. Christine of Somerford was enclosed in the Hermitage in the mid 13th century. A building known as the Hermitage was demolished in the 19th century. Nowadays, the area has changed. The growth of a tree obscures the view towards Burnivale, although the spire of the Congregational church (now the United Reformed Church) can still be seen in the distance. Houses, known as the Maltings, were built in the 1980s on the site of the Linolite factory.