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in the county of Wiltshire

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About Marlborough

Dramatic chalk downs extend from Berkshire into rural Wiltshire, they are particularly rich in pre-historic remains and shelter a wealth of charming market towns and pretty villages, featuring buildings from almost every period of British architectural history.

Marlborough is a market town situated on the old coaching route between London and Bristol, lying between the towns of Hungerford and Calne. The town grew up around an 11th-century Royal castle, it was granted a charter in 1204 by King John who had been married in the castle chapel.

Today, this lovely old town oozes with atmosphere as you walk down a wide High Street lined with Jacobean and Georgian buildings, with projecting upper floors over colannaded walkways. Some of the buildings have bays of mullioned windows, with doorways leading out onto cobbled pathways. Mostly, the buildings date from the middle of the 16th-century when a fire destroyed much of the High Street.

The delightful High Street is flanked at either end by a Church - at the west end lies the lovely Perpendicular Church of St.Peter and St.Paul. In spite of the fact that this church is now redundant, from the exterior it looks very much as it did when Cardinal Wolsey was ordained there in 1498. It is however preserved through a local trust and is open as a tourist centre. The chancel and sanctuary remain as they were at the end of the 19th-century, in the North aisle there is a cafe for visitors, and there is an Arts and Crafts shop. Events are regularly held here, these include a farmers market, art exhibitions and concerts.

St.Mary's Church at the opposite end of the High Street remains Marlborough's parish church. This was mentioned in the Doomsday Book, but the only visible part of the Norman church is the West Door. Parts of the church still show the result of damage from the turbulent days of the Civil war when refuge was sought here by Marlborough's Parliamentarian troops, bullet's found in the framework of the bells when the Tower was being restored in 1884 are a legacy of this time. The church was almost completely rebuilt following the fire of 1653 thus, this is the church we see today.

The town is famous for its college which was founded in 1843, the college buildings stand beside Castle Mound, where there have been discoveries of Stone Age and Roman remains. On the down-lands surrounding the town lie the Iron-Age Hillfort of Banbury Castle, and the White Horse, one mile south-west, is believed to have been cut in 1804.

Marlborough is a lively town where there is much of interest. It has notable hotels, one the Ivy House is a handsome Grade II listed building originally built for the Earl of Aylesbury in 1707 as Marlborough Academy, a school for boys. It is built around a cobbled courtyard, and retains many of its original features.

This town is perfect for exploring the beautiful surrounding Wiltshire countryside, Savernake Forest, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge, and Avebury Stone Circles are all within easy reach. For those that wish it, there is a Sundial Trail which is worth following, it picks out the foremost historic and picturesque sites in the area.

Marlborough offers a good selection of shops, plenty of inns, cafe's and restaurants. It hosts a number of annual events, these are normally published in the town Library and the Tourist Information centre.

Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Marlborough

Barbury Castle Country Park	(4.8 miles, 7.7 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Avebury Ring	(4.9 miles, 7.8 km, direction W)	Pictures
Silbury Hill	(5.6 miles, 9.0 km, direction W)	Pictures
The Alexander Keiller Museum	(5.7 miles, 9.1 km, direction W)	Pictures
Avebury Manor & Garden	(5.9 miles, 9.4 km, direction W)	Pictures
Crofton Beam Engines	(6.1 miles, 9.8 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Coate Water Country Park	(8.5 miles, 13.7 km, direction N)	Pictures
Ashdown House	(9.8 miles, 15.8 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Lydiard House & Park	(11.1 miles, 17.8 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Ludgershall Castle	(11.8 miles, 18.9 km, direction SE)	Pictures
Vale of White Horse	(12.7 miles, 20.5 km, direction N)	Pictures
Stanton Country Park & Nature Reserve	(12.8 miles, 20.6 km, direction N)	Pictures
Bowood House & Gardens	(13.5 miles, 21.7 km, direction W)	Pictures
Tom Browns School Museum	(14.3 miles, 23.1 km, direction NE)	Pictures
Thruxton Motor Racing Circuit	(15.5 miles, 25.0 km, direction S)	Pictures

All attractions in Marlborough
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Recommended towns near Marlborough

Avebury, in the county of Wiltshire (5.5 miles, 8.8 km, direction W)
The village of Avebury is world famous for its spectacular stone circle, which some consider more spectacular than Stonehenge....
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Beckhampton, in the county of Wiltshire (6.1 miles, 9.9 km, direction W)
This delightful hamlet lies in one of the richest natural history area's in England, containing the burial places of people from pre-history and almost unknown centuries.
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Chiseldon, in the county of Wiltshire (6.4 miles, 10.3 km, direction N)
This is an attractive large village lying to the edge of the Marlborough Downs, its inclusion in the Doomsday Book indicates at that time it was a village of some importance.
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Wilton, in the county of Wiltshire (6.7 miles, 10.7 km, direction SE)
A landmark in the area is Wilton Windmill, this is a restored windmill from 1821, it was refurbished in 1976 and stands on a...
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Broad Hinton, in the county of Wiltshire (6.8 miles, 10.9 km, direction NW)
Broad Hinton is found in the spacious countryside a few miles south-west of Swindon, close to the Ridgeway Path.
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Chilton Foliat, in the county of Wiltshire (8.1 miles, 13.0 km, direction E)
A fine example of a typical English country village beside the River Kennet in Wiltshire
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Shalbourne, in the county of Wiltshire (8.4 miles, 13.6 km, direction SE)
The country village of Shalbourne in Wiltshire is marked out by its leafy lanes and clutch of pretty thatched properties.
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Wanborough, in the county of Wiltshire (8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction N)
Historically this is an old village with a history of Saxons and Romans, it was then a village of some importance, unlike today when it has been almost swallowed up by the urban sprawl of Swindon, Wiltshire's largest industrial town.
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Ashbury, in the county of Oxfordshire (10.9 miles, 17.5 km, direction NE)
The village of Ashbury is located in a lovely scenic area where the borders of south Oxfordshire meet with Wiltshire.
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Hannington, in the county of Wiltshire (15.1 miles, 24.3 km, direction N)
The village of Hannington occupies a lovely landscape in the deep countryside between Highworth and the village of Castle Eaton on the Thames Path.
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Cricklade, a Historic Market Town in the county of Wiltshire (16.1 miles, 25.9 km, direction N)
Lying in the northern reaches of Wiltshire, the historic town of Cricklade has many visual delights.
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Crux Easton, in the county of Hampshire (16.6 miles, 26.8 km, direction SE)
Crux Easton is a quiet Hampshire hamlet lying in the shadow of Beacon Hill which rises to 262ft west of the village.
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Castle Eaton, in the county of Wiltshire (16.7 miles, 26.9 km, direction N)
Just as fish abound in the water along this stretch of the Thames, so too, do pretty Cotswold stone cottages and delightful country houses.
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Reybridge, in the county of Wiltshire (16.8 miles, 27.0 km, direction W)
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Lacock, a Picturesque Village in the county of Wiltshire (16.9 miles, 27.2 km, direction W)
Gatherings of graceful medieval houses line the streets of Lacock
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Nearby travel help

Pewsey Station	(5.9 miles, 9.4 km, direction S)
Bedwyn Station	(6.2 miles, 10.0 km, direction E)
M4 Junction 15 (Badbury Roundabout)	(7.4 miles, 11.9 km, direction N)
M4 Junction 16	(10.2 miles, 16.5 km, direction NW)
Southampton Airport	(36.3 miles, 58.4 km, direction SE)
Bristol International Airport	(42.8 miles, 68.9 km, direction W)
Marlborough to London	(69.4 miles, 111.6 km, direction E)

Hotels & Accommodation in Marlborough

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Marlborough center
Castle and Ball	(0.3 miles, 0.4 km)
The Inn With The Well	(3.3 miles, 5.3 km, direction N)
Parklands Hotel	(3.3 miles, 5.3 km, direction N)
Landmark Hotel	(6.6 miles, 10.6 km, direction N)
The Pelican Inn	(7.0 miles, 11.3 km, direction E)
Days Inn Hotel Membury	(8.5 miles, 13.7 km, direction NE)
Holiday Inn Swindon	(8.7 miles, 13.9 km, direction N)
Alexandra House Conference Centre	(8.7 miles, 14.0 km, direction NW)
The Bear Hotel	(9.2 miles, 14.9 km, direction E)
Goddard Arms Hotel	(9.3 miles, 14.9 km, direction N)
All hotels in Marlborough