Old Marlborough tradition of ‘Ale Tasting’ to be revived by the Mayor and Town Council team

Pencil in to the diary on the afternoon of Saturday 7 March – ‘Ale Tasting’. Dating back to the 1300s an important exercise was regularly observed to ensure that the Town’s Ale establishments offered Ale to an exacting standard, i.e. fit enough for the Town Crier to drink. And fit enough for the Mayor, Beadle, Mace Bearers- and for anyone else in the Town who felt the need to ensure that all was well in those vital establishments across the town.

This year it will be led by the Town Mayor, Emily Trow who will be accompanied by Town Crier Emma Kimber, Town Beadle Linda Illsley and Mace Bearers Barry Mercer and Dave Blacklock.

Where to start? Not yet confirmed nor at what time. Details will be published later once announced. This could be interpreted by some as ‘a civic pub crawl’. Maybe that would be not too far from the mark but it sounds like a popular idea all the same. But this time it won’t be just checking the ale on tap, there will also be ‘tastings’ of low alcohol variations as well and who knows – even ‘tastings’ of wine and soft drinks! (All of which was in short supply in the 1300s)

And it won’t be as long now as it would have been if the tradition had been revived last century in the sixties or even seventies. Nowadays there are ten pubs within the town boundaries – including the Castle & Ball, the Oddfellows in Manton and the Roebuck out on London Road near to Elcot Lane. Fifty years ago there were twice as many, with The Parade alone hosting four. Wind back a few decades before and add a further eight or so. Not quite every other door, but not too many paces from one entrance to that of another of Marlborough’s licensed premises. In those days, well before the M4, Marlborough was one of the major staging posts on the Great West Way (now the A4), almost at a point that was halfway between London and Bristol. See it almost as a latter-day Motorway Service Station, a forerunner of the M4’s Leigh Delamere or Membury.

The large and wide High Street made Marlborough a natural staging post on this (then) arterial East-West route and as well as premises selling beer, there were numerous Marlborough breweries creating what was needed to satisfy the thirst of parched travellers. In 1852 the Slaters Directory recorded that there were five brewers, four inns, eighteen taverns/public houses, and seven beer retailers. Hospitality, and serving the travelling public was core to the economy of the town. In many respects, that hasn’t really changed.

So to ensure that visitors and townsfolk alike can rest assured that every time they go and order a pint of ale, the testing team from the Town Council will have gone and checked this first…..