Marlborough (Wiltshire)
Marlborough is a market town in England in the county of Wiltshire and is located on the A4, the former main highway between London and Bath.
History
The first traces of human settlement in the area was found in a prehistoric grave mound in the grounds of Marlborough College. It probably dates from the same time as the 7.5 km to the west preferred larger hill Silbury Hill.
According to legend, the grave mound in Marlborough supposed to be the burial place of Merlin the Magician and hence the name of the town date. From " Merlin's Barrow " to have become Marlborough. Hence the motto of the city: Ubi nunc sapientis ossa Merlini - Where now are the bones of the wise Merlin.
For more information on early settlement of the area resulted from the discovery of the Marlborough Bucket ", an Iron Age burial vessel with ornaments in the form of human heads and animals on bronze plates.
Remains and coins from the Roman period were found 3 km east of Mildenhall.
In Saxon times there were in the area of "The Green" a settlement and there were two fords over the river at " Isbury Lane " and " Stonebridge Lane ".
The first written sources about Marlborough date from the year 1087 in the Domesday Book.
Town rights in 1204, Marlborough.
In 1067, King William I took control of the area and initially built a Motte castle on the hill prehistoric grave. The castle was completed around 1100 and reinforced around the year 1175 by stone extensions.
Wilhelm also established a mint in the city where the silver pennies bearing the portrait of William I and William II initially, were prepared. On the coins of the city's name is given as " Maerlebi " or " Maerleber ".
The nearby forest of Savernake was a favorite royal hunting ground at the time of William I. and Marlborough Castle, therefore, was also a royal residence. King Henry I spent 1110, the feast of Easter and Henry II negotiated in the castle with the King of Scotland
The castle was then in 1186 his brother Prince John as a gift from King Richard the Lionheart, who is also married there and spent a lot of time. Even a treasury he had set up there. His son and successor, Henry III. also married in Marlborough. Henry III. convened in 1267 a parliament in the city and there also the " Statute of Marlborough " was passed, which transferred rights and privileges of small landowners, and restricting the rights of the king in the land grabbing. This 700 year old statute specifies that " no one should take his neighbor's property to yourself without permission of the court ." It is the oldest currently effective, English law.
In the late 14th century the castle fell, but remained in the possession of the crown. King Edward VI. then left it, including the Seymour family, relatives of his mother.
A document from the year 1204 allowed the city to hold an eight -day festival, beginning on the Assumption, in which " everyone Freedoms and Nachsichtigkeiten learn how they are common in the folk festival in Winchester. " Simultaneously, the city was awarded market rights, to hold markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. These dates have been preserved until today.
1498 Thomas Wolsey was ordained in the Church of St. Peter priest. The church today is no longer used. Later he became a cardinal and Lord Chancellor.
The peaceful times the city ended with the English Civil War in 1642., The castle was held by the royalist family Seymour, while the city was on the side of Parliament.
The king, who had his headquarters in nearby Oxford, then began to deal with the problem. He sat Lord Digby in march to occupy the city. He left Oxford at the head of 400 horsemen on November 24. When he arrived, he at first decided to negotiate, thereby allowing the inhabitants to repair the fortifications and to recruit troops. They managed to dig about 700 poorly armed men. In the following negotiations, the residents of Marlborough expressed in such a way that they would welcome the King welcome if he did not come in warlike intent, but if he intended to deliver the city to the traitor Digby, they would rather die. After some minor skirmishes the royal troops entered via the small streets in the city. The city was conquered and plundered. Many buildings were set on fire. 120 prisoners were chained and had to march to Oxford. After that, the city was abandoned by the king troops again and played no role during the war.
On April 28, 1653 a large fire broke out in the city and destroyed 250 houses. Two other fires broke out in 1679 and 1690. After that, the Parliament passed a law to " ... to prohibit that houses and other buildings are covered in Marlborough with thatched roofs. "
In 1689, King William III. Sir John Churchill, the famous army general, the title of Duke of Marlborough.
Presence
In 2004 the city celebrated the 800th anniversary of the granting of town rights. The heir to the throne Prince Charles also took part in this celebration. After the fire of 1653, which had nearly destroyed the entire city, the High Street was so wide planned that she is the widest urban street in England today. There is still at the two specified days 800 years ago, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the weekly market held.
Each summer, a jazz festival is on a weekend in the city organized to take place live concerts in which, in local pubs, clubs, hotels and other places.
Every October, is on two Saturdays a funfair, the Marlborough Mop Fair, organized. This fair was the former Anwerbeveranstaltung for agricultural workers, but increasingly became folk festival. The right of the city to block the high street for this feast is mentioned in medieval document.
On the north side of the High Street is the '' ' Merchant House ''' which has been built in 1653 after the great fire, and then part of a silk merchant. The restored house, which is open on Fridays and Saturdays open to the public, still has its old layout, which is extremely rare for such a house in the town center. Of particular interest are the wall paintings that have been discovered only in the restoration and had to be carefully preserved. A room that is painted with stripes patterns that should imitate silk wallpaper, is probably unique in England.
Management
The city is administered by the unitary authority of Wiltshire. In the Anglican Church the deanery Marlborough is part of the Diocese of Salisbury and manages the merged districts Marlborough and Preshute, The Whitton, The Ridgeway and the District of The Upper Kennet.
Education
The city is known for one of the leading private schools of England, Marlborough College in the western part of the city. The state comprehensive school with higher grades and St John's School and Community College, also has a good reputation. It was formed from the merger of the Gymnasium and the Realschule.
Traffic
Previously, there were two railway lines, to which the city was connected, the Marlborough Railway (later the Great Western Railway) and the Midland and South Western Junction Railway. Nowadays no railway connection exists. The nearest train station is in Bedwyn and is served by buses.
Culture and Sport
The Marlborough Choral Society held three concerts a year.
The Marlborough Concert Orchestra was founded in 2006 and hosts concerts in the city.
The Marlborough Running Club organized a known endurance running, the " Marlborough Downs Challenge".
Neighboring towns
Neighbouring towns and villages are Devizes, Calne, Tidworth, Hungerford, Newbury, Swindon, Aldbourne, Avebury, Burbage, Fyfield, Great Bedwyn, Locke Ridge, Mildenhall, Pewsey, Milton Lilbourne, Ramsbury, Collingbourne Ducis, Manton, Clatford, Chiseldon, Ogbourne St. George, Ogbourne St. Andrew, Draycot Foliat
Attractions
- Avebury
- Savernake Forest
- Crofton pumping station
- Silbury Hill
- Windmill of Wilton
- Stonehenge
- Stourhead
Personalities
- John Hunt, Baron Hunt (1910-1998), officer, director of the 1953 successful expedition to Mount Everest
- Steven Knight ( born 1959 ), Writer
- William Timothy Gowers ( born 1963 ), mathematician
- Lauren Child (born 1967 ), a picture book artist and writer