The Merchant’s House

The Merchant’s House is a fascinating historic houses, right on Marlborough High Street. The beautifully preserved rooms are full of character, but what really stood out were the unusual artefacts and objects displayed throughout the house. Everything from a mousetrap, baby shoes, ice skates to period furniture. Everywhere you look there is something intriguing that helps bring the lives of the former occupants to life.

The rooms feel authentic rather than staged, and the collection of historic items gives a real sense of stepping back in time. Combined with the stunning original features, wall paintings, and period architecture, it creates a wonderfully immersive experience. You can get up close and also touch many things.

The volunteers were really friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the house’s history, helping to explain some of the more unusual finds and their significance. A fascinating visit that exceeded expectations and is well worth making time for when in Marlborough.

I’m so glad there are people that help bring these places back to life. I have so much difficulty imagining what things look like from photos and drawings so these preserved places are so important.

Make sure you step out into the little garden, we did even though it had been raining. It’s charming with the garden plants and fruit trees. Such a shame that the box moth has just destroyed their hedges.

It really was inexpensive to visit £10.50 per adult and we took a good hour to explore it. You can book online. We booked as a group of 4 and we were the only ones at 10am Saturday morning.

The middle of the high Street allows you to park for 2 hours (not when the market is on though) there is also a car park about 5 minutes away. Blue badge holders can park all day in the centre of the High Street. There are restrictions of 1 hour or 30 minutes on the sides of the High Street through.

It’s the place with the most uneven floors I’ve ever visited, which all added to the charm, but just be aware of that when visiting.

Fascinating part of Marlborough history. The trust manager explained a lot to us and the building is very quirky with some of the most uneven floors I’ve ever visited. Entrance was free if you are a member of the historic houses association. Note The house is unheated so felt quite cool on a February day when the temperature outside was 5C.

Hidden behind a nondescript door and the Historic Houses shop, is a fascinating time warp from the war. It’s a small gem but filled with local history. The only downfall (could be for real), would be the stairs, which are not for those with mobility issues. The stair lift was out of action when we visited.