A HISTORY festival, organised by Malmesbury residents to replace a much-loved BBC event, starts next weekend.

After the BBC History Festival announced it would be moving to Winchester, history lovers in the town were left devastated.

A team of volunteers from Malmesbury decided the show must go on however, and have been hurriedly organising a replacement event called Wessex Week.

Barbara Pollard of Abbey House is behind the festival. She said: “The whole town is very excited about the prospect of having created our own, home-grown festival.

“When I discovered [the BBC] weren’t going to come back, I thought it was a great shame as I loved the buzz it generated in the town.”

The week begins at the offices of the Warden and Freemen in Market Lane at 10am on Sunday (16) where a display of their fascinating archives will be found.

Historian Tom Holland will also be giving a talk at 4pm on the same day at Abbey House Library about the life of King Athelstan, England’s first king who is buried in Malmesbury.

On Saturday (22) at 11am in the abbey there will be a performance of fifteenth century lute music played by Mark Willcocks next to Athelstan’s Tomb to create what should be a truly spectacular medieval atmosphere.

Later in the day Dr Julian Luxford of St Andrews University will give an illuminating talk about the secrets of Athelstan’s Tomb next to the tomb itself.

To top of what promises to be an inspiring week for Malmesbury residents, there will be a guided walk of Kings Heath led by Elizabeth Snell and Graeme Brown at 11am on Sunday (23).

This will be followed by a talk at 2.30pm in the Abbey House Library by the popular Malmesbury historian Tony McAleavy on Henry II and a little known massacre that took place in the town in 1153.

Youngsters haven’t been forgotten about, and there will be Anglo Saxon fun for children at Abbey House Gardens Belvedere on Wednesday (19) and Thursday (20) between 9.30am-3pm.

Children will be dressing up or making medieval crowns and brooches and youngsters could even try their hand at runic writing.

Looking forward, Barbara is hopeful Wessex Week will become a regular occurrence and is looking at commissioning a statue for the town.

“We’re really hopeful about it and we have longer term plans,” she said.

“We are also looking at whether we can commission a sculpture to commemorate Athelstan.

“If anyone wants to give us a donation towards it they can come into Abbey House.”

Cllr Fran Vandelli, chair of community and town promotions committee on Malmesbury Town Council, said it was “absolutely fantastic” that the new festival would have a local focus.

“It’s fabulous we’re going to have something to replace what we lost with the BBC event,” she said.

Tickets for all Wessex Week events must be collected prior to attendance as numbers are limited.

To buy tickets or to find out more about what’s on offer, visit Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury or call 01666 827650.