Marlborough is on the old coach route from London to Bath and is now on the A4 road which used to be the main route for modern traffic from London to Bath until the M4 motorway by-passed it to the north. It is still busy with traffic, however, and traffic queues along the high street are not unusual.

It is a market town and there seem to be market stalls set up in the middle of the High Street on most days although market days, which originate from the charter of 1204, are officially on Wednesday and Saturday.

We stayed at the Castle and Ball Hotel during our visit to Marlborough.

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More of Marlborough

Savernake Forest touches Marlborough's South-East corner and covers about 4,500 acres with the longest axis being about 3 miles. We asked about Savernake Forest in the Tourist Information Centre in Marlborough and were told that it was in private ownership (right) and access to the public was restricted to the paths only (wrong). Access is open with the public being able to walk anywhere they choose except for any fenced off areas.

There is also a drive, Grand Avenue, where you can take your car from one end of the forest to the other.

Knap Hill on Pewsey Down is about 6 miles South-West of Marlborough and is part of the Pewsey Down Nature Reserve. There is a car park nearby and an easy footpath to the top of the hill. The views over Pewsey Vale in good weather are not to be missed.

There are lots of wild flowers although different plants will be in flower at different times of year. There was lots of Scabious, among others, when we were there in July.

Avebury, Silbury Hill and West Kennet Longbarrow are about 6 miles West of Marlborough just North of the A4 road. Avebury is famous for it's stone circle which is larger and older (5500 years) than Stonehenge.

Just 20 miles south of Marlborough standing on Salisbury Plain is Stonehenge. Not as large, or as old, as Avebury this 4800 old monument has dressed stones with a much more uniform shape. The stone from which Stonehenge is made comes from near Marlborough.