The Diocese of Bristol is pleased to announce that Malmesbury Abbey has become a recipient of a special Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust Anniversary Grant. The Trust is celebrating its 70th Anniversary throughout 2023 and 2024 through events and by awarding unique grants to select churches.
Last November, Trustees awarded an additional £100,000 to three standout churches for crucial fabric repairs. These churches - Malmesbury Abbey, All Saints Chapel, Wardour and St Peter, Clyffe Pypard - were selected by Trustees from all church applications in 2023.
Malmesbury Abbey received a 70th Anniversary Grant of £70,000, which was in addition to a normal Trust grant of £10,000. This award will support the Abbey with major fabric repairs that are planned for 2024 onwards.
Mark Everall, Chairman of Trustees said: “Wiltshire is fortunate to have a wide variety of beautiful churches and chapels of national and international historic and architectural significance that are at the heart of our local communities. As the Trust celebrates its 70th Anniversary of supporting places of worship with much-needed grants to help with repairs and modernisation, Trustees decided that three special grants should be made. Over and above the annual 2023 contribution of the Trust to 40 churches and chapels of all denominations, in its 70th year, the Trust has granted an additional £100,000 to help with the most significant applications.”
The Ven Christopher Bryan, Archdeacon of Malmesbury said: “Malmesbury Abbey is an immensely historic building of national significance. This 12th-century beauty hosts a vibrant 21st-century community, but the small town faces a bill of over a million to repair the roof and restore the stunning archways. I'm very grateful to Wiltshire Historic Churches for their generous grant which gets our appeal off to a flying start.”