Marlborough High Street 1940s 1940s In the 1940s, Marlborough was a thriving town, as it still is today. If you look closely you can spot the black local taxis parked in the middle of the High Street which were owned and run by Herd and Leader, the garage on the lefthand side of the High Street. High Street, Marlborough Marlborough High Street 1950s 1950s The buildings in the High Street have not changed much since the 1940s. The original Cinema is the building with the 4 arches on the lefthand side of the High Street and it was a thriving business. Today it is a Waitrose supermarket. The facade is unchanged except for the first floor which now has windows. High Street, Marlborough 1960s Marlborough High Street 1960s The Town Hall, built in 1902, has the Borough coat of arms carved in stone above the balcony. St Mary's Church is on the left. The church was rebuilt after the Great Fire of Marlborough in 1653. This fire destroyed all the buildings in this area of the High Street. High Street, Marlborough 1970s Marlborough High Street 1970s Looking towards the west end of Marlborough High Street is St Peter's Church which became a redundant church in the 1970s. Among the shops and cafes on the right was a petrol station (Herd and Leader) which served petrol across the pavement. This highly dangerous practice ended shortly after this photograph was taken! High Street, Marlborough Marlborough High Street 1980 – copyright Ian Dobson 1980s In the 1980s parking in the High Street was becoming a problem due to the number of vehicles. Parking restrictions were introduced and enforced during this time. The original Post Office is on the lefthand side before it moved across the road. The whole building of The Merlin was originally a hotel at this time before the ground floor became retail units. High Street, Marlborough 1990s Marlborough High Street 1990s This is an unusual sight of Marlborough High Street without any cars. It is probably on a Sunday morning after a Mop Fair has cleared out and before the road has been reopened. Mop Fairs occur in the High Street twice a year on the Saturdays before and after the 11th October. The annual Marlborough Mop Fair tradition stretches back over 800 years to the 1204 charter. High Street, Marlborough 2020s Marlborough High Street 2020s Looking east from the top of St Peter's Church tower gives a good view of the High Street which is one of the widest High Streets in the country. At the far end is the Town Hall with St Mary's Church behind. The High Street is the A4 trunk road and is always busy with traffic. High Street, Marlborough

Welcome

The Marlborough History Society was founded in 2001 with the purpose of researching and informing about the history of Marlborough, Wiltshire and wider topics of interest. We support local history projects and present talks by respected speakers on the third Thursday of every month (except June, July August and December). We also gather local research for publication here on this website, and carry out our own projects from time to time.

Visitors and new members are always welcome.

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MEMBERSHIP

Join today and become a member of the MHS. From lectures to outings, its a great way to find out more about Marlborough’s extensive history.

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History of Marlborough

HISTORY

Interesting and insightful articles on the rich history of Marlborough from the Neolithic period through the ages up to the 20th Century.

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Photographic Collections

COLLECTIONS

A fascinating and varied collection of old photographs of Marlborough and the surrounding area, all from a bygone era.

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What’s On

  • 17 Oct

  • Marlborough by Gaslight: the Victorian Age

  • SPEAKER: Nick Baxter

    Nick Baxter (MA) lectures widely on local history subjects and leads guided walks. For the past three years he has tutored on Discovering Marlborough’s History for Marlborough College Summer School.

    Topic:
    On December 2nd 1997 a “Victorian Extravaganza” was held in Marlborough High Street. Late night shopping was made available and a variety of stalls, displays and street entertainment provided. Just before the event, the Retort house, the last surviving part of the old Victorian gasworks, was unceremoniously demolished reflecting what the town really thought about its 19th century heritage.

    Victorian Marlborough was a very different place to what it is now. The gasworks, prison, workhouse, tanneries, breweries, rope works and railway stations are all gone but they continue to cast a shadow.

    • VIEW ALL EVENTS

    LATEST ARTICLES

    MHS Archive

    One of the objectives of our society is to make available to researchers as much local history of Marlborough as we can. A search of the MHS Archive will cover our own project work and also provide links to other sources which we consider could be useful.

    We shall be adding to this archive over time, and we are always happy to hear from anyone who wishes to publish their work.

    London Road, Marlborough

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