Marlborough (Wiltshire)

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Marlborough
Coordinates 51 ° 25 ′  N , 1 ° 44 ′  W Coordinates: 51 ° 25 ′  N , 1 ° 44 ′  W
Marlborough (England)
Marlborough
Marlborough
Residents 8009 (as of 2001 Census)
administration
Part of the country England
region South West England
Ceremonial county Wiltshire
Unitary authority Wiltshire
British Parliament Devizes

Marlborough is a market town in England in the county of Wiltshire . It is on the A4 road , the former main route between London and Bath . The River Kennet flows through the city and the River Og flows on the eastern edge of the village to its confluence with the River Kennet.

history

The first traces of human habitation in the area were found in a prehistoric burial mound on the grounds of Marlborough College. It probably dates from the same time as the larger Silbury Hill, 7.5 km to the west . According to legend, the burial mound in Marlborough is said to be the burial place of the magician Merlin and hence the name of the town. “Merlin's Barrow” is said to have become “Marlborough” - hence the city's motto: Ubi nunc sapientis ossa Merlini - where the bones of the wise Merlin are now .

Further evidence of early settlement in the area came from the discovery of the Marlborough Bucket , an Iron Age burial cauldron with decorations in the form of human heads and animals on sheet bronze. Remains and coins from Roman times have been found three kilometers east in Mildenhall. In Saxon times there was a settlement and two fords across the river at “Isbury Lane” and “Stonebridge Lane” in the area of ​​“The Green ”.

The first written sources about Marlborough come from the Domesday Book in 1087 . Marlborough was granted town charter in 1204. In 1067 King Wilhelm I took control of the area and first built a mottled castle on the prehistoric burial mound. The castle was completed around 1100 and reinforced by stone extensions around 1175. Wilhelm also founded a mint in the city, from which the silver pennies with the portrait of Wilhelm I and initially Wilhelm II were made. The name of the city is indicated on the coins as “Maerlebi” or “Maerleber”.

The nearby forest of Savernake was a preferred royal hunting ground in the times of William I and Marlborough Castle became a royal residence. King Henry I spent Easter here in 1110 and Henry II negotiated with the King of Scotland in the castle . The castle was given in 1186 by King Richard the Lionheart to his brother Prince John , who also married and spent a lot of time there. He had a treasury set up there. His son and successor Heinrich III. also married in Marlborough.

Henry III. convened the town's parliament in 1267. It was also there that the Marlborough Statute was passed, conferring rights and privileges on small landowners and restricting the rights of the king in taking land. This 700 year old statute stipulates that “no one may take property of his neighbor without the permission of the court”. It is the oldest English law still in force today. Towards the end of the 14th century the castle fell into disrepair, but remained in the possession of the crown. King Edward VI. then finally left it to the Seymour family, relatives of his mother's.

A deed from 1204 allowed the city to hold an eight-day festival, beginning on the Assumption of the Virgin, in which "everyone experiences the liberties and indulgences that are customary at the Winchester festival ." At the same time, the city was also granted market rights, to hold markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. These dates have been preserved to this day. In 1498 Thomas Wolsey was ordained a priest in St. Peter's Church. The church is no longer in use these days. He later became a cardinal and lord chancellor .

The town's peaceful times ended with the English Civil War in 1642. The castle was held by the loyal Seymour family while the town was on the side of Parliament. The King, who had his headquarters in nearby Oxford, then began to concern himself with the problem. He made Lord Digby march to take the city. He left Oxford at the head of 400 riders on November 24th. In front of the city, he first decided to negotiate, thereby enabling the residents to repair the fortifications and recruit troops. They managed to dig in about 700 poorly armed men. In the negotiations that followed, the people of Marlborough said they would welcome the king if he did not come with warlike intentions, but if he intended to hand the city over to the traitor Digby, they would rather die. After a few minor skirmishes, the royal troops entered the city through the narrow streets. The city was conquered and sacked. Many buildings were set on fire. 120 prisoners were put in chains and had to march to Oxford. After that the city was abandoned by the royal troops and played no role during the war.

On April 28, 1653, a great fire broke out in the city and destroyed 250 houses. Two more fires broke out in 1679 and 1690. Thereafter, Parliament passed a law "... forbidding houses and other buildings in Marlborough from being thatched." In 1689, King William III awarded Sir John Churchill , the famous Army General, the title of Duke of Marlborough .

present

In 2004, the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the city charter. The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, also took part in this celebration. After the fire of 1653 that destroyed most of the city, the High Street was designed so wide that it is now the widest inner-city street in England. The weekly market is still held there on the two days established 800 years ago, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

A weekend jazz festival is held in the city every summer, with live concerts held in local pubs , clubs, hotels and other locations.

A fun fair, the Marlborough Mop Fair, is held on two Saturdays every October. This fair used to serve as a recruitment event for agricultural workers, but has increasingly become a popular festival. The right of the city to close the High Street for this festival is mentioned in the medieval document.

On the north side of the High Street is the “Merchant House”, which was built in 1653 after the great fire and then belonged to a silk merchant. The restored house, which is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays, still has its old floor plan, which is extremely rare for such a house in a city center. Of particular interest are the wall paintings, which were only discovered during the restoration and had to be carefully preserved. A room painted with striped patterns that silk wallpaper was meant to imitate is likely unique in England.

administration

The city is administered by the Unitary Authority of Wiltshire . In the Anglican Church, the Marlborough Deanery is part of the Diocese of Salisbury and administers the merged districts of Marlborough and Preshute, The Whitton, The Ridgeway and The Upper Kennet.

education

The city is known for one of the leading private schools in England, Marlborough College in the west of the city. St John's School and Community College, the state-owned comprehensive school, also has a good reputation. It arose from the merging of the grammar school and the secondary school.

traffic

There used to be two railway lines to which the city was connected, the Marlborough Railway (later Great Western Railway ) and the Midland and South Western Junction Railway . Today there is no longer a railway connection. The nearest train station is in Bedwyn and is served by buses.

Culture and sport

The Marlborough Choral Society hosts three concerts a year.

The Marlborough Concert Orchestra was founded in 2006 and performs concerts in the city.

The Marlborough Running Club organizes a well-known endurance run, the "Marlborough Downs Challenge".

Neighboring places

Neighboring towns and villages are Devizes , Calne , Tidworth , Hungerford , Newbury , Swindon , Aldbourne , Avebury , Burbage , Fyfield , Great Bedwyn , Lockeridge , Mildenhall , Pewsey , Milton Lilbourne , Ramsbury , Collingbourne Ducis , Manton , Clatford , Chiseldon , Ogbourne St George , Ogbourne St. Andrew , Draycot Foliat

Sights in the area

Personalities

Web links

Commons : Marlborough  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files