2-699-833 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

St Mary and St Aldhelm's Abbey Church, Market Cross, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, c1955-1980. Detailed view of the south porch outer entrance, showing the carved inner arches which are heavily decorated with biblical scenes in round borders, alternating with bands of carved patterns. The porch dates to the 12th century and the round-headed arch has three orders, and the inner arches are heavily decorated with carvings of biblical scenes in round borders alternated with simple geometric patters, such as interlocking diamonds. Many of the scenes towards the bottom of the arches are worn, but the figures higher up can still be seen. One of the scenes in the middle of the image seems to show a figure carrying a wheatsheaf, with more at their feet. To the left of this is an inscribed plaque on the wall of the entrance. The church was originally a Benedictine Abbey Church, founded in c637, and the monastery founded during the abbacy of Aldhelm, and is currently used as the parish church. There is no work prior to the 12th century that still survives.