Leland describing the town in the mid 16th century describes the walls and gates as follows: "In the towne be four gates by the name of Est, West, North and South, ruinous alle, the walls in many places stond full up but now very feeble." These must have been repaired however as they withstood several seiges afterwards, but few remains of the original walls are still showing, and one has to know where the original parts exist. The last gate, the East, on the Cirencester Road, was pulled down by order of the Turnpike Commissioners in 1778, but the bastions and part of the old Mediaeval Wall still survive. Other remains can be seen at the turn of the Town Hill at the bottom of the town, on the left hand side.

There was another small, but extremely interesting little gate, called the Postern Gate, of which the site and purpose of same, only remain. This is the opening by the "cautionary traffic mirror" opposite the steeple, leading down a steep hill towards what was then the Postern Mill (now Linolite factory, which contains a fine 16th century fireplace in the old part). As this gate was the only entrance to the town at night after the main gates were shut, there was obviously a Guard House for safety and inspection, and the houses on the Abbey side of the modern "mirror" show evidence of this. Underneath the "modern" cellar, there is a beautiful old early English one with a finely vaulted roof of Saxon type; a flight of steps and an ancient window.

At the bottom of the steps there is the usual well as found in all houses in the old parts of Malmesbury. This is some forty feet deep, and about half way down there is a stone flag across it, and an underground passage leading underneath Gloucester Street towards the Abbey. I have seen this myself, but the top is now covered over for safety's sake. Relics of what appear to be a stair leading down to a lower level were recently discovered. Beneath a private house, next to Avis the grocer and florist, is the famous Well of St. Aldhelm.

This is really a small grotto where Aldhelm was said to have meditated. It is prettily covered with ferns and has a pool which never changes in depth, nor temperature, all the year round. It has a fascination in the fact that no one knows where the water comes from or where it goes to, as it is sited some sixty feet above the level of the river. Tales are told that small fishes suddenly appear from "nowhere" but vanish as mysteriously. Small goldfish have been put in the pool but have likewise disappeared. The latter might be due to the depredations of cats, as this is on floor level and open to the outside world, but how did the extraneous fish arrive, and from where?