Brilliant Bookshops: Barn Owl Books

Malmesbury is a delightful town, full of history. Thought to be the first capital of England, it was home to St Aldhelm, the first saint of Wessex, the first king of England, King Athelstan, the first man to fly, one Brother Eilmer, and Thomas Hobbes, known as the father of English philosophy. The beautiful Abbey houses the tomb of King Athelstan and, depicted in stained glass, is Eilmer, the flying monk. Thought to be the first person on record to ever attempt to fly, legend has it that after attaching wings to his hands and feet, he soared in the air for more than a furlong, only to fall to the ground. Undeterred, he wanted to give it another go, but the abbot forbade him. In the churchyard is the grave of Hannah Twynnoy, who worked in the White Lion Inn and teased a tiger in a travelling show with fatal consequences!

Also worth visiting is the Athelstan Museum. Although a small space, it is packed with interesting exhibits, including a silver penny from the reign of Athelstan, a hoard of Roman coins, and a beautiful watercolour of Malmesbury by J.M.W Turner. An exhibition about Malmesbury lace and Annie Goodfield, a local lace maker, also caught my lace-making eye!

Just round the corner from the Museum is Oxford Street and Barn Owl Books- and what a gorgeous bookshop this is! I could have spent hours here! Every section of the shop is beautifully presented, showing a real love of books.

Books are carefully presented in every available nook yet the shop is so relaxing and uncluttered, making it easy to move around and explore. Comfy seating areas allow customers to browse at leisure in these wonderful surroundings- and there are plenty of books to choose from!

Only recently opened, ‘Barn Owl Books’ offers a wonderful range of story times, book clubs and events for its customers to enjoy. The lady in the shop was delightfully warm and welcoming, showing an excellent book-ish knowledge. This is definitely a brilliant bookshop I will be returning to!

Barn Owl Books,

5, Oxford Street,

Malmesbury,

Wiltshire

SN16 9AX