A Hotel With History

Today many of the rooms at The Old Bell Hotel are named after people who played a part in its remarkable story. Behind each name is a fascinating piece of Malmesbury’s past. 

Here are five you might like to discover during your stay. 

One of the most important figures in the history of The Old Bell Hotel is Abbot Walter Loring. 

In 1216, Loring persuaded King John to sell Malmesbury Castle to the monks. Once the castle was in their possession, it was swiftly demolished and its stone reused to build a guesthouse for visitors to the Abbey! 

That guesthouse is widely believed to have formed the foundations of what later became The Old Bell Hotel. So when you stay in the Loring Room, you’re sleeping in a space connected to the moment that helped create England’s oldest hotel. 

Few room names carry the weight of history quite like Athelstan. 

King Athelstan ruled England from 924 to 939 and is widely regarded as the first ruler to unite England under one crown. But his connection to Malmesbury was deeply personal. 

He was devoted to Malmesbury Abbey and made generous gifts to the monastery during his lifetime. His bond with the town was so strong that he instructed that after his death he should be buried at Malmesbury Abbey. 

The Athelstan Room at The Old Bell Hotel honours this powerful early king whose legacy still echoes through the town today. 

While the story of The Old Bell Hotel stretches back centuries, the building we recognise today owes much to architect Harold Brakspear. 

Between 1906 and 1908 he transformed the property by combining the Bell Inn and neighbouring Castle House into a single unified hotel. This ambitious redesign helped shape the layout guests experience today. 

Brakspear was also an archaeologist with a passion for history, and he wrote a definitive study of Malmesbury Abbey, ensuring the town’s medieval heritage would not be forgotten. 

Some of the names at The Old Bell Hotel connect to moments that changed the course of English history. 

The Danvers family owned the Manor of Malmesbury in the 17th century, including the land where The Old Bell Hotel stands today. Sir John Danvers, a Member of Parliament and supporter of Oliver Cromwell, played a dramatic role during the English Civil War. 

In 1649 he signed the death warrant of King Charles I, placing him at the centre of one of the most turbulent moments in British history. 

It’s certainly one of the more dramatic stories behind a hotel room name. 

Behind some of the most important moments in the story of The Old Bell Hotel are individuals whose decisions quietly shaped its future. 

Susan Hollis Luce owned Castle House, a neighbouring property beside the Bell Inn. After her death in 1905, the building was sold to Joseph Moore, who was then able to combine the two properties. 

This transformation created the extended The Old Bell Hotel, bringing together the Bell Inn and Castle House into the historic hotel guests enjoy today.