The strange death of Hannah Twynnoy [] reminds me that Malmesbury Abbey (the site of Hannah’s memorial) is home to the “Flying Monk”. Around AD 1125 the mediæval historian William of Malmesbury (Deeds of the English Kings) about a fellow monk reputed to be Britain’s first aviator. In about AD 1005 Elmer (sometimes also called Eilmer) allegedly managed to fly (or rather glide) “more than a furlong (201m/660ft) from the Abbey’s tower using a rudimentary type of hang-glider. On landing he is said to have broken both his legs, which left him lame for the rest of his days. Elmer is immortalised in a stained-glass window located in a side room off the main body of the Abbey, where he is depicted holding what looks like a model of his hang-glider.
