Marlborough is a growing market town and civil parish in the county of Wiltshire, on the Old Bath Road. With an increasing population of around 9,129 people.
The town is situated on the River Kennet, 24 miles north of Salisbury and 10 miles south east of Swindon.
Marlborough town has a long history, reaching back all the way to the middle ages.
Over recent years, Marlborough has become an increasingly popular choice for Londoners, due to its direct access via the M4, as well as other close transport links into the city.
Th town is small enough to house a close knit, active community, whilst being large enough to allow you to mind your own business. Marlborough’s high street has a serious reputation for a great place to shop. It was recently ranked as the second best place to shop in England by The Harper Dennis Hobbs annual vitality rankings. You’ll find many big name chains, and an extensive choice of highly individual shops selling all kinds of stuff. Marlborough has an excellent choice of jewellers, gift shops, hairdressers and beauticians.
Here’s just a few of some great shops you’ll be able to find in Marlborough’s high street.
The Whitehorse Bookshop
The Whitehorse is an independent bookshop, founded over 75 years ago, and still running successfully to this day. They sell thousands of titles and also have an extensive art department with a wide range of high quality artist’s materials.
The Cat Whiskers
The Cat Whiskers supply quality antique vintage accessories for your home! Spread over 2 floors, with a pretty little courtyard crammed with gardenalia at the rear, they offer a constantly changing range of home décor items.
Their shop is the perfect place for anyone wishing to furnish their home stylishly on a budget, to give an individual touch to a garden.
Beauty Full-Time
Beauty Full-Time is a one of a kind discounted make-up, fragrance and gift shop located on Marlborough high street. They stock a wide range of premium and high street products across all ranges and are constantly sourcing new products.
Radish Loves
After something for the younger ones in your family? Radish Loves are an independent, family owned store, run by a small team who are passionate about their little store.
You will find a large and inspiring range of childrens gifts and toys from babies through to teens.
Perhaps you are looking to freshen up your wardrobe. There are plenty of options for you. Here are just a few chains you will be able to find up and down the Marlborough high street.
- Crew Clothing
- Jigsaw
- Mistral Clothing
- Mini Velvet Marlborough
- White Stuff
That’s just a small handful of the many different shops found in Marlborough, that have made it such a desired place to shop in recent years.
Places To Eat
Looking to grab a bite to eat somewhere local?
Here’s a list of some of the best rated places to eat in and around Marlborough.
Pino’s Restaurant
Established in 2003, located just-off the Marlborough high street, they are a family run restaurant that aims to serve fresh, great and simple Italian food. They make their own pasta and pizza bases fresh every day from scratch. They pride themselves on the quality and freshness of their ingredients.
Mercer’s Of Marlborough
Mercers is a local coffee shop offering fresh sandwiches, cakes and other delicious treats.
Check them out on Facebook here>>
Dan’s at The Crown
Dan’s is one of the few independent restaurants of Marlborough and are all about doing the simple things well. Their outdoor space is great for a summer cocktail or a light lunch and their upstairs restaurant is great for small weddings and get togethers.
Check out a sample menu here>>
Rick Stein’s
Rick Stein’s Marlborough restaurant brings a taste of Cornwall to the heart of Wiltshire.
Located on the beautiful high street of Marlborough, you can enjoy a combination of classic dishes, excellent wines and coastal charm. Enjoy the freshest ingredients, simply cooked to Rick’s favourite recipe.
The Royal Oak
Originally a coaching inn. The Royal Oak is believed to have housed a number of the King’s troops during the civil war. Though modified over the years, it still retains it’s place as the proud heart of Europe’s second widest High Street.
Find out more about the Royal Oak here>>
Things To Do
Also on Marlborough’s high street is St Peter’s Church, now a local community centre. At certain times, visitors can do a tower tour for great views of the town.
The Merchants House is one of the finest 17th Century middle-class homes open to visitors in England. The house can also be found along the high street, and contains a wealth of period features.
The Parade Cinema, which opened in September 2021, adds to an already lively entertainment scene in the town.
Among Marlborough’s many claims to fame is the mysterious Merlin’s Mound, which can be found within the grounds of Marlborough College, and is the reputed burial place of the wizard Merlin.
Want to get outside? Walkers will enjoy the nearby Savernake Forest, known for it’s beautiful bluebells throughout spring, as well as its fantastic and breath-taking colours during the Autumn. The North Wessex Downs Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty encompasses much of the countryside around Marlborough and there are ample walking and cycling routes through this area.
The Avebury World Heritage Site is also nearby, and could well be worth checking out. The area around Avebury contains an extraordinary cluster of monuments dating back to the Bronze Age. These sites include Windmill Hill; the largest known Neolithic causewayed enclosures in Britain. Silbury Hill; the largest artificial prehistoric mound in Europe and Avebury Henge and Stone circles; one of the most complex of Britain’s surviving Neolithic Henge monuments.
Here’s a few annual events to keep an eye out for in Marlborough…
- International Jazz Festival: A weekend of jazz music in ad hoc venues across the town.
- Spring Fair: A fundraising event with over 60 stalls selling food and goods.
- Literature Festival: An autumn event, supporting good writing from across the world.
- Feast Of Food: The best food and rink festival in the west of England every October.
- Mop Fair: The ancient hiring fair has now become a funfair that takes over the Marlborough high street for the first weekend in October.
- Horse Trials: A cross country event held in the Barbury Castle Estate.
Travel And Transport
Trying to get out and about? There are a number of different transport options available in and around Marlborough.
Travel by Bus: Bus services are available to and from a number of surrounding towns and villages. You can find a great route planner here to help you get from A to B.
Travel by Rail: There is no railway station in Marlborough. Nearby railway links include Great Bedwyn, Pewsey, Hungerford and Swindon.
Car Parks: There is plenty of on street parking available through Marlborough, as well as a number of pay and display car parks.
Bicycles: There are plenty of cycle racks dotted around town for you to take advantage of.
Taxis: There is a taxi rank in the High Street next to the Castle and Ball Hotel, as well as a number of private hire taxi firms that are based in town.
Hopefully the relocation guide has given you a few ideas to help you get settled into your new area!
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