Housesitting, Housesitting in the UK, Life of adventure

The Marlborough Markets

Suzanne

Our first sunny day in Marlborough, we made the most of it.

With a trip into the township of Marlborough and more specifically to the Farmers Market.  As you might have gathered from previous writings on our food shopping, we do enjoy supporting local markets.  We enjoy the interaction with the grower or producer, it’s a fun way to know local food and where it comes from.  Not forgetting it can be fresher and the availability of niche foods not found at larger establishments.

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One drawback with small markets can be the price, as with small markets or niche products they are on the higher side, and not everyone can afford to do their shopping via this way.  Another factor is time, which many people don’t seem to have much spare time.  This, of course, is not a problem for us as we do have the time to enjoy and mull over what we would like to try and then buy.

Concerning the price, you can imagine our delight when the day we frequented the Saturday market there was a considerable amount of cheese on sale.  Well, this made us more than agreeable to support the local cheesemaker and the UK economy with purchasing more than what was required for two people supposedly watching their weight!

It really was no surprise to us that we had brought way too much cheese.  We simply love cheese. Other food groups needed attention and of course to accompany said bulk cheese purchase, next came bags of vegetables and fruit then the smell of fresh sourdough bread was too much to ignore.

Finally, we dragged ourselves away from yet another stall as it was time to go.  As we wandered off with our bags of goodies, the big question was what were we going to do with our big horde of cheese?  How creative could we get when it came to recipes utilising cheese?

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On the subject of food, we finally indulged in some delicious fish and chips, as we were spoilt with a meal at a local pub famously renowned for its Fish and Chips.  How could we resist?  The pub in question is the Bakers Arms.

Now back to our sunny Saturday morning.

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Just down the road was the Town Hall, a slightly noticeable building when we first set our eyes on the central shopping area.  As well as the Farmers Market we managed to visit the Craft and Gift market that was on in the Town Hall. Well timed on our part.  Without a second thought, we were in the town hall to check out what was on offer.  We were in luck as a few stall holders captured our attention.

Holly Whittaker, a Wildlife and Landscape Artist, who creates the most amazing pictures, was our first stop.  You won’t be able to resist her artwork, it is stunning.

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The second stall was about the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the work they do.  We were greeted by a somewhat happy looking chap, asking if we liked wildlife. Our answer to that question was yes.  In quick procession came the next question, “Which one?”.  The Squire in a playful mood, replied, “A dog”.  The smile returned.  Then the stallholder exclaimed that he couldn’t grasp our accent, the Squire told him we were New Zealanders, to which he replied, “You have all our brown hedgehogs!”, “Excuse me?”, the Squire muttered.  “What can I say, your ancestors brought them out to control the slugs and snails” he replied.  With a smile from the young chap, he answered, “They are nearly extinct here”.  Of course, the extinction is mainly due to the destroying of their habitat.

Want to know more?

Check out: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

This encounter at the market and further reading, lead me to find another website worth a view is: Tiggy Winkles – a hospital for wildlife in Britain.

Another stall that was more for me than the Squire was a lovely couple selling face and hand creams, all homemade, which made the purchase even more enticing.  I can never have enough aromatic face and hand creams.

A list of markets she will be attending is on here: Marthas Garden Skincare

Then came a quick visit to the supermarket for odds and sods that were not sold at the market.  It is not easy entering a new supermarket without spending a ridiculous amount of time perusing food aisles.  With arms full of goodies it was time to head back to Bess and Molly and a walk around a section of a vast 100-acre field.  Though being ladies of a more mature status, our walks aren’t too long though just enough to tire them out plus get that daily constitutional task out of the way.

Back to home base, it was now time for a cuppa to mull over how many combinations we could enjoy with all that cheese we bought at the market!  We may have to share it!

Or perhaps a cheese sandwich in our picnic while we wander over the countryside to visit Avebury Stone Circle?

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Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

42 thoughts on “The Marlborough Markets”

  1. We also love cheese! Can’t get enough of the stuff. Imagine our delight when we found ‘The Cheese Plate’ at our sit here in Buntingford. If you’re ever anywhere near here, you should try it out. And maybe you could make a veggie gratin with some of your treats?

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    1. Thanks, Sam 🙂 I love markets and the handmade stuff is even more tempting than the cheese 🙂

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        1. Carol, it is all about balance, fish and chips once in a while is okay. Life is too damned short to angst too much about a “healthy diet”. Healthy can mean different things to many people,

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          1. Yes I totally agree ..Suzanne which is what I promote in my Tuesday posts…no point in feeling guilty about eating something just adjust over the next few days/week…

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  4. Marlborough is so lovely. You’ve inspired me Suzanne. There’s a local farmers market here in Ilkley one Sunday a month and I’ve never been. This is terrible of me & I was about to say I’m going to go to the next one, but have just realised I’m away haha. But I’ll go to the one after that….oh god I’m away then too. Ok in July I’ll definitely go!

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    1. LOL, Hayley, with them only having one a month, that makes it hard to attend. At least you do try to go 🙂 A Christmas Market is on my to do list, just have to convince my other half that freezing his butt off looking at “stuff” is interesting 🙂 Speaking of markets, its on this morning. Better get my a into g and get going soon! Have a great weekend, the weather is holding 🙂

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  5. so much here to love; we’ve been supporters of Tiggies since my uncle told us a sad hedgehog story about ten years ago. He insisted membership was the only way to remain in the family! And Marlborough is where my urge to write came to in in July 2006 at their fab summer school. It deserves a blue plaque! Does the Polly Tea Room still supply one of the best cream teas going?

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    1. I thought Tiggies definitely deserved a mention! I like the sound of your uncle, another amusing character in your family 🙂 Looks going on in Marlborough and I think we have just scratched the surface. Polly Tea Rooms still have cream teas which we have tried out, would’ve been rude not too. Not use if they are the best in town as we haven’t visited the competition.

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  8. I have not been to Marlborough but it looks like somewhere I would love to visit. I can’t resist cheese either, or bread for that matter!
    How lucky to find that craft market as well, it sounds like you met some interesting and talented characters there. 🙂

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    1. It was fun and there will be more on the woman who did the owl cards 🙂 We are enjoying Marlborough, a lovely sized town, not too busy and just enough to wile away a few hours. 🙂

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  9. I always get a romantic sort of feeling when at a good Farmer’s Market – a feeling that reminds me of food markets in France. That’s a feeling that’s in my imagination though as I’ve only ever been to France for a week-end, and that wasn’t in the provinces. Fresh fruit and veges, a bag full of cheeses, and an armful of sourdough – what more could anyone want. Foods of the Gods.

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    1. I have only been to Glasglow once, the last visit we had to Scotland was for a housesit on the other side. The markets in Turkey, give customers an extra pepper or whatever you have brought. I thought that was a good gesture for making sure of a customers return!

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  11. I used to live around here – in a little village called Beechingstoke! Marlborough is lovely isn’t it – such a stunning Market town and really quite unspoilt. If you get a chance make sure you go West on the Bath road and then travel down to Honey Street and beyond into the vale of Pewsey. There are some special bluebell walks too – one just beyond Honey Street, the other through the Savernake

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    1. Thanks very much for the tips Fiona, I think we will head there today, the sun is shining 🙂 Marlborough is a lovely Market Town, we are enjoying it.

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  12. I often wonder how many farmers there are at farmers’ markets. I also wonder how local the produce is, but that’s my natural scepticism. Wandering around a market is still a good way to spend a morning, especially when the sun’s out.

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    1. Well, you are not the only sceptic around as I have the same thoughts. Back in NZ, it is compulsory that the person selling had to have made or grown the product. Technically the market we went to was not a farmer one, or I should say one that I would term a farmers market. Though the vegetables and some stalls were obviously their own produce. Look at the hands of the people selling 🙂 Not a scientific way of proofing their ethnicity!

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  13. We have a great market here too, St Georges Market, I love having a plunder. That looks like a fabulous market, and seems like you had a great day

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  16. The bread looks devine, and Holly’s drawings are amazing. I visited her site, and the amount of detail she uses is impressive. The Marlborough markets seem to be the type where I could spend an entire day and never get bored. What a lovely post, Suzanne. Thanks so much for sharing.

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