By Tim Lambert
Early Marlborough
Marlborough began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. We are not sure what its name meant, but ‘borough’ is probably a corruption of ‘beorg’ meaning hill or mound. The ‘marl’ may have come from a man’s name. Maybe it was Mærla’s mound. Or it may be from an old word for genitan. Perhaps it was the mound where genitan grew.
By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Marlborough was probably a small town. The Normans built a motte and bailey castle in the town. St Mary’s Church was first built in the 12th century. St Peter’s Church was built in the 15th century.
In 1204, King John granted the town a charter, giving the townspeople the right to hold markets and fairs. In the Middle Ages, Marlborough flourished. Marlborough Royal Free Grammar School was founded in 1550.
In 1642, the Civil War between the King and Parliament began. The town of Marlborough supported parliament. However, in December 1642, the Royalists captured it. In 1653, the town was devastated by a fire, but it was rebuilt. The Merchant’s House on the High Street was built at that time. Unfortunately, Marlborough suffered more fires in 1679 and 1690. This time, thatched roofs were banned as it was a fire hazard.
In the late 18th century, Marlborough became a stagecoaching town, but that ended with the advent of railways in the 19th century.
Modern Marlborough
In 1801, the population of Marlborough was 2,367. By the standards of the time it was a small market town. In 1901, it had risen to 3,046. Marlborough College opened in 1843.
The railway reached Marlborough in 1864. However, the train station closed in 1964. The present Town Hall was built in 1902. A new fire station opened in 1952. The present library opened in 1965, and Parade Cinema opened in 2021.
Today, Marlborough is still a flourishing town. Tourism is an important industry. In 2025, the population of Marlborough was 9,000.