Climate and Environment

What you can do

Join a litter pick, or organise your own.

Download a Wiltshire Community Environmental Toolkit - developed with Natural England to allow communities to take the lead in defining & restoring biodiversity in their community: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/3854/Community-Environmental-Toolkit

this page is still under construction

Apple Day, 21 October 2023: four rare, new trees added to Marlborough's thriving Community Orchard. News article here: Apple Day

Interactive Map

Open an online map then click on any item for location

Marlborough Common*

Given to the borough by King John (reigned 1196 to 1216) as pasture for livestock and used today for sport and recreation - a popular spot for dog walking with around 10 acres of open space to enjoy

Victorian Cemetery & Arboretum

A peaceful, natural environment between the Cemetery and the Rugby Clubhouse on the Common. Click the image for more details.

The Friends who look after it have been recognised by South West in Bloom for their natural, seasonal planting

Cooper's Meadow*

Riverside park in the town centre

With benches, picnic tables, a children's play area (opened 2018) as well as open grassy areas for picnics, games, dog walking or just to sit and watch the ducks

Elcot Lane

Open space designated as a village green

The Green

It is believed the Saxon settlement that became Marlborough began here - now an open space surrounded by listed buildings

Jubilee Field*

In the pretty village of Manton, this riverside open space is just under 2 acres in total with benches, play equipment for children up to 12 years old and football goalposts. Dogs welcome

Orchard Road*

There are swings and play equipment for children under 12 in this neighbourhood play area

Plume of Feathers

Tucked away off London Road, this very peaceful small garden (formerly allotments) is leased to Waythrough who keep it looking beautiful for everyone to enjoy

Priory Gardens

Formal riverside garden just off the High Street

Recreation Ground*

A large open space with amenities including a football pitch, skate park and a children's play area with equipment to suit all ages from the very young through to a zipwire and other equipment for more adventurous, older kids

Skatepark

Located at Salisbury Road Recreation Ground, there's a decent selection of obstacles, and the surfaces are smooth and fast, making it a great place to come whether your are a beginner or more experienced skater

Stonebridge Meadow

Water meadow on the eastern edge of town running alongside the River Kennet with open grass, scrub, wild and conservation areas, a wetland, reed beds, boardwalks and a pond dipping platform - a great place to spot wildlife

Ownership and management is shared with local conservation group Action for the River Kennet

Download a map and guide here Map

St Mary's Churchyard

A favourite spot for picnicking (and wedding photos!) and with great views over the High Street and beyond, St Mary's Churchyard is a redundant church yard, now a small public park

Tin Pit

An open space bordering the River Og, accessed via Rabley Wood or the footpath at the end of Tin Pit (off St Martins). Currently leased for grazing, but there's a footpath open to all that leads down to the river. Stout footwear advisable - page coming soon

Wye House*

Wye House Garden is open until dusk all year round and is a hidden gem. Fabulous toddler play area for the under 5s

Allotments

Sites, charges and application form

Football pitches

Locations and hire charges

Cemetery

Cemetery charges & regulations

Find a burial

Nature Trail

A celebration of nature, this family-friendly trail follows the Kennet. You'll be able to enjoy blossom and wildflowers in Spring, pick fruit in Autumn, glimpse the wildlife on the River Kennet and discover the best places to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the local environment in Marlborough's many and varied open spaces. Both trails start and finish in Coopers Meadow so you can choose one or both to make a longer walk.

Hiring charges from 1 April 2025

Click the image for hiring fees starting 1 April 2025.

For areas not listed, please contact us directly.

Hiring charges from 1 April 2026

Click the image for hiring fees starting 1 April 2026.

For areas not listed, please contact us directly.

Our Services

Click here to see our full list of services

What to see and do

Click here for other ideas of places to visit in and around Marlborough and Manton

Contact us

Can't find what you want, or interested in holding your event in one of our open spaces? We'll be happy to help

It's better when you work together

Action for the River Kennet

Making space for wildlife in Stonebridge Meadow and Coopers Meadow

Transition Marlborough

Help yourself to fruit from the Community Orchard trees around town; the Community Fridge avoids food waste.
Transition Marlborough manages Marlborough Community Orchard, the Community Fridge in partnership with the Town Council, and runs a permaculture group and permaculture courses.

North Wessex Downs National Landscape

Partnered to host a Dark Skies festival to highlight the night sky and light pollution

How we can improve the insulation for all our buildings.

Planting more trees, and linking some to the Queen's Green Canopy.

An audit to understand how 'green' we are now, and what we can do about it. This has been completed and the plan received October 2023 - that plan will go forward to our projects list to be agreed for 2025-26

Holding a climate day that everyone can attend - this took place on 4 April 2022.

Holding a Wild Marlborough event for anyone to attend - 6 September 2025

Adding wildflowers at several sites, and bat and hedgehog boxes in 2025-26

Adding rain planters - November 2025

This page is still under construction so please keep checking back for updates!

Wrote to our MP in 2019 to ask the Government to incorporate CCL Carbon Fee and Dividend into policy.

Declared a Climate Emergency in 2020 and in 2021 we adopted our "Environment and Climate Protection Policy Statement".

Held a Dark Skies festival in 2021 to highlight light pollution.

We make compost from our green waste.

Replaced diesel tools with electric, and we're testing electric vehicles.

Supported the Community Orchard project ('town within an orchard').

Partnered with Transition Marlborough to open a Community Fridge to reduce food waste.

We drink tap water, not water from plastic bottles, in Town Council meetings.

We've set up a Climate Emergency Working Party.

We consider climate & environmental impact on all our decisions.

We held a Climate Day in April 2022.

Insulated the roof of the Town Hall in the summer of 2022.

Supported the Great Big Green Week in September 2022.

The Community Fridge was a selected stop for the 2022 #RunningOutOfTime relay as a fantastic example of local communities taking sustainable action

Replaced the 30-year old heating system at the Town Hall in 2023

Conducted a biodiversity audit, and received a plan in 2024 to add 12 wildflower sites, and bat and hedgehog boxes at other sites

Wild Marlborough event - 6 September 2025

Switched to an energy provider that uses 100% renewable power sources

2025: Donated functional IT equipment to Wiltshire Digital Drive so it can be reused

Action for the River Kennet

Flood Dashboard

Recycling

Transition Marlborough

Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

The Woodland Trust

World Wildlife Fund

https://www.earthday.org/

There's no planet b

Everyone has a role in climate action. The United Nations calls on people everywhere to work together to solve climate challenges and realize the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement.