The Merchant’s House

A history of The Merchant’s House

In 1991, following an initiative by the newly-formed Merchant’s House Trust, Marlborough Town Council purchased the freehold of no. 132 and leased it to the Trust at a peppercorn rent, a continuing contribution from the Town Council which is gratefully acknowledged.  Since 1991 the Trust has been actively engaged in the conservation, restoration and furnishing of this remarkable building.

Many original features survive.  These include a largely unaltered room system, panelling, a grand oak staircase and stone chimney-pieces.  What makes the building exceptional was the discovery in the 1990s of the polychrome wall paintings comprising fictive balustrading on the walls of the grand staircase and a richly coloured striped wall design which is thought to be unique in this country.  This is all the more remarkable in a house occupied by the “middling sort”, a social stratum with which many people can identify, and especially unusual in a high street house of a prosperous market town with the never-ending commercial pressure to be updated or even completely redeveloped because of its valuable location.  The quality of the building was recognised by its inclusion in Simon Jenkins’ England’s 1000 Best Houses (2003).

From the start the Trust has endeavoured to conserve and restore to the highest standards, employing specialist craftsmen trained in traditional techniques (as in the case of plastering and woodwork) and the most up-to-date methods of conservation (as in the case of the wall paintings).  At the same time it has relied heavily on a corps of volunteers to undertake a large proportion of the Trust’s activities.  This is partly to save money but also to maximise local interest and participation.