MOST towns have a sacred centre around which they grew up and in Marlborough that special place is called The Green. Sadly this lawned area with its avenue of pollarded lime trees is split in half by the main Swindon-Salisbury road.

If ever the long-promised Marlborough north-south bypass is built, The Green would be a far more pleasant place to sit.

The presence of The Green in the middle of the town has been seen by historians as a sign of Saxon origin. Saxons liked to build their homes around a patch of green.

However, there was never any real evidence of Saxon occupation until December 2004 when a number of graves were found on the edge of the town, with typical Saxon shields still in place over the remains.

In his account of the town's past, the late Marlborough historian Jess Chandler records the likelihood of another Saxon settlement to the west where Marlborough College now stands.

The two settlements grew to become St Peter's parish and St Mary's respectively, until they eventually merged to become one town.

The High Street now famed for being the widest in the country was the link between the two settlements.

The Green has changed little in recent centuries as can be seen from the 19th century oil paintings that hang in the council chamber at the town hall.