In so very many ways, Malmesbury is a fascinating place.
For starters, the first king of all England (Athelstan, 893-939) made the town his capital and was buried at the Abbey, where – incidentally – Hannah Twynnoy, the first person to be killed by a tiger in Britain (1703), was also laid to rest. You’ll have heard of William of Malmesbury, of course – the prominent 12th-century historian who was educated and worked at the Abbey; and the influential philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) of Leviathan fame was born and raised here. Not quirky enough? What about Eilmer, the Benedictine monk who attempted to fly from the Abbey tower in the early 11th century, making it one of the earliest recorded attempts at human flight. Now I’ve got your attention, let’s bring our list of notable figures into the 21st century with Sir James Dyson (born 1947) whose famous company has its headquarters in the Wiltshire town.
Hannah Twynnoy – killed by a tiger on October 23, 1703 in Malmesbury. Photo: Candia McKormack I’m really only scratching the surface of what makes this such a remarkable place, though, and to add to its allure I’d like to introduce the family name of Hanks that goes back to before 1500 here. That connection could well be what unwittingly drew Texan Whit Hanks and his wife Kim back to the town time and time again, and it was only after they’d purchased The Old Bell Hotel in March 2021 – and later Abbey House & Gardens – they discovered the ancestral link.
Local historians – including Sir Richard Luce and Tony McAleavy – believe that the Hanks surname evolved from the Old English term “Hand-Seax”, which meant “short sword” or “dagger”, suggesting that ancestors were likely manufacturers of weaponry during the Anglo-Saxon period. And the plot thickens, as title deeds to The Old Bell Hotel revealed that distant relatives of Kim and Whit owned part of the hotel over 150 years ago, with the 1841 census recording a Mark Pleydell Hanks residing at Abbey House. Henry Garlick Hanks served several times as Alderman, and was a talented silversmith and clockmaker (one of his clocks is displayed in Malmesbury’s Athelstan Museum, and he and his wife Sarah lived at The Old Bell Hotel in the 1860s). And there’s more: pioneering Malmesbury industrialist, Walter Hanks, operated a mill below The Old Bell Hotel on the River Avon in the late 1100s.
As Kim so poetically puts it, ‘There’s a siren song that kept bringing my husband back here.’ And, to put to rest that burning question many of you may be asking… yes, actor Tom Hanks is a relative, and is Whit’s cousin.
Work on neighbouring Grade I-listed Abbey House & Gardens continues slowly and sympathetically, working closely with Historic England to ensure the property’s history and integrity are protected. Four years on, and the beautiful house and its five acres (once famously the home of ‘The Naked Gardeners’ Barbara and Ian Pollard) are still some way off being the 24-bedroom luxury hotel with formal and kitchen gardens they’re destined to be. But these things, quite rightly, take time.
It’s evident Kim and Whit are relishing re-establishing their roots with Malmesbury and The Old Bell, and they are determined for this mullion-windowed, wisteria-clad beauty to continue to serve visitors and residents as it has for the past 800 years.
‘We’re committed to Southern hospitality,’ concludes Kim. ‘We like to think it’s like being part of the family coming to the hotel.’
Cotswold Life readers’ afternoon at The Old Bell Hotel on Wednesday, July 16
Cotswold Life readers are invited to join an exclusive gathering at The Old Bell Hotel to experience all that this stunning 12th-century building in the heart of historic Malmesbury has to offer.
Taking place on Wednesday, July 16, 2-5pm, our reader event will be hosted by Cotswold Life editor, Candia McKormack, alongside The Old Bell Hotel’s owners, Whit and Kim Hanks; local historian Tony McAleavy; and general manager Helen Bath.
The cost is £65 per person, to include the following:
• Glass of Camp Lucy Sparkling Rosé in The Tyger Bar on arrival, from Whit and Kim’s own Texas vineyard.
• Full afternoon tea will be served in The Garden Room – a light, airy space overlooking the property’s garden and the beautiful folly known as The Belvedere. Local historian Tony McAleavy and owners Kim and Whit Hanks, who will share stories and anecdotes relating to the hotel and the town.
• History tour of the hotel: The group will be taken on a tour of the hotel by general manager Helen Bath, as she shares interesting historical facts and figures about the property’s past.
• Tour of Abbey House Manor Gardens: Formerly owned by the Naked Gardeners, who appeared on Gardeners’ World with Alan Titchmarsh, the grounds of this property were transformed into a fabulous series of garden areas before Kim and Whit Hanks bought it. The actual Abbey House Manor is set to be transformed into a luxury boutique hotel, and so for now the gardens are only open for private views, beautifully maintained by two gardeners, with vegetable plots, herb gardens and more for guests to view only on special occasions.
• An Old Bell Hotel goodie bag
Guests attending the event can enjoy 20% off the bed and breakfast rate should they wish to extend their stay at The Old Bell Hotel.
Tickets are strictly limited, and advance booking is required.
Booking:
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