Marlow, Buckinghamshire facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Marlow
Overlooking the River Thames and Marlow
Marlow
Population	14,004 (2011 Census) 14,325 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SU855865
Civil parish	Marlow
Unitary authority	Buckinghamshire
Ceremonial county	Buckinghamshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MARLOW
Postcode district	SL7
Dialling code	01628

Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Buckinghamshire
Ambulance	South Central

EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Beaconsfield
List of places UK England Buckinghamshire 51°34′12″N 0°46′48″W / 51.570°N 0.780°W / 51.570; -0.780

Marlow is a lovely town in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits right on the beautiful River Thames. Marlow is about 4 miles south of High Wycombe and 33 miles west of central London. It's a historic place with a population of around 14,000 people.

What's in a Name? The Story of Marlow's Name

The name "Marlow" comes from an old English word, Mere lafan. This means "Land left after the draining of a pond." It tells us that the area might have looked very different long ago!

For a long time, the town was called "Great Marlow." This helped people tell it apart from a smaller nearby place called Little Marlow. In 1897, the town became known simply as Marlow.

Marlow Through Time: A Brief History

Marlow is mentioned in the famous Domesday Book from 1086. This book was a big survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror.

The land of Marlow was once owned by important families and even queens. Over hundreds of years, it changed hands many times. Eventually, it was bought by the Clayton family in 1736.

Marlow became important because of its spot on the River Thames. It was a good place for roads to cross the river. The town even had its own market by 1227. This is why it was sometimes called "Chipping Marlow," as "chipping" meant "market place."

Did you know? The oldest house in Buckinghamshire is in Marlow! It's called The Old Parsonage and was built in the 14th century.

From 1624 to 1867, Marlow had two Members of Parliament. These people represented the town in the country's government. By 1841, about 4,480 people lived in Great Marlow.

Marlow's Location: Where is it?

Marlow is surrounded by other interesting places. Just a mile north is Marlow Bottom. To the east, you'll find Little Marlow and Bourne End.

If you cross the River Thames to the south, you'll reach Bisham and Cookham Dean. Bisham is home to the historic Bisham Abbey.

Famous Sights: Landmarks in Marlow

Marlow Bridge, a famous landmark

There has been a bridge over the Thames in Marlow since the time of King Edward III. The bridge you see today is a special suspension bridge. It was designed in 1832 and finished in 1835. This bridge is like a smaller version of the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, Hungary!

All Saints Church, Marlow

Right by the bridge is All Saints Church. There has been a church here since the 11th century. The current church was built in the Victorian Era, finished in 1835. It's made of beautiful Bath stone and has a tall spire that reaches 170 feet (about 52 meters) high.

Royal Military College, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, 1810

The Royal Military College, which trains army officers, used to have a part of its school in Marlow. It was located at a large house called Remnantz. Today, the college is based at Sandhurst.

The former Marlow Town Hall

The building that used to be Marlow Town Hall was completed in 1807. It later became a hotel and then a shop.

The Hand & Flowers has earned 2 Michelin stars

Marlow is home to The Hand & Flowers, a very famous restaurant. It's the first pub to ever earn two Michelin stars for its amazing food! You can also find pubs in Marlow that serve award-winning beers from the local Rebellion Beer Company.

Marlow also has its own Marlow Lock on the River Thames. Locks help boats move up and down the river when the water level changes.

Friends Around the World: Town Twinning

Sign on the bridge to Marlow

Marlow is "twinned" with two other places. This means they have a special friendship and often visit each other.

Marly-le-Roi, France (since 1980)
Budavár, a part of Budapest, Hungary

Getting Around: Transport in Marlow

Marlow has good road connections. The A4155 road goes through the town centre. Major motorways like the M40 motorway and M4 motorway are also nearby.

The town has its own railway station. It's the end of a train line that comes from Maidenhead. The train service is even known as the "Marlow Donkey." This was the nickname for the old steam trains that used to run on the line! There's also a pub called "The Marlow Donkey" near the station.

Bus services connect Marlow to nearby towns like High Wycombe, Henley-on-Thames, and Reading.

Learning in Marlow: Education

Marlow has several schools for children of all ages. Here are some of them:

Great Marlow School (for ages 11–18)
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School (for ages 11–18)
Burford School (for ages 4–11)
Danesfield School (for ages 4–11)
Foxes Piece School (for ages 4–11)
Holy Trinity Church of England School (for ages 7–11)
Marlow Church of England Infant School (for ages 4–7)
Spinfield School (for ages 4–11)
St Peter's Catholic Primary School (for ages 4–11)

How Marlow is Run: Local Government

Marlow has two main levels of local government. These are the groups that help run the town and the wider area.

Marlow Town Council: This council looks after local things in Marlow itself.
Buckinghamshire Council: This is a bigger council that looks after the whole area of Buckinghamshire.

Court Garden, Pound Lane: Council offices since 1934.

The Marlow Town Council was started in 1974. They work from a building called Court Garden House. People in Marlow vote for their town councillors. There are twelve councillors in total, elected from three different areas (called wards) in the town.

Sports in Marlow: Get Active!

Marlow is a great place for sports!

Rowing: A Champion Town

Statue of Sir Steve Redgrave in Higginson Park

Marlow Rowing Club is one of the best rowing clubs in Britain. It was started in 1871. Many Olympic rowers have come from this club, including the famous Sir Steve Redgrave. He won gold medals in five Olympic Games! There's even a statue of him in Higginson Park, looking out over the river.

Football: A Long History

Marlow F.C. is the oldest football club in town. It has been playing since 1871! They are the only football club in England to have entered the FA Cup every single season since it began.

The very first captain of the England football team, Cuthbert Ottaway, played for Marlow F.C. He led the England team in the first official international football match in 1872.

Rugby: On the Field

Marlow Rugby Club was founded in 1947. They have teams for adults, young people, and even mini-rugby for younger kids.

Cricket: Bat and Ball

Marlow has two cricket clubs. Marlow Cricket Club started way back in 1829! It's now part of the Marlow Sports Club.

Tennis: On the Court

Marlow Tennis Club was founded in 1899. They have great courts and teams for men, women, and mixed groups.

Other Sports: Something for Everyone

Marlow Sports Club also offers other activities like field hockey, running (with the Marlow Striders group), cycling (Marlow Riders), junior football, and petanque.

Regattas: Boat Races on the Thames

Marlow is famous for its boat races, called regattas. There are two main ones:

Marlow Town Regatta: This is the original regatta, held on the River Thames in Marlow every June. Records show it's been happening since 1855!
Marlow International Regatta: This bigger event moved to a special lake called Dorney Lake in 2003.

Staying Connected: Local Media

Television

Marlow gets its TV signals from London.

Radio

You can listen to several radio stations in Marlow:

BBC Radio Berkshire
Heart Thames Valley
Marlow FM: This is a local community radio station that started in 2011. It gives local news and travel updates.

Newspapers

The local newspaper for Marlow is called the Bucks Free Press.

Famous Faces: Notable People from Marlow

Many interesting people have lived in Marlow!

Sir William Borlase: He was a politician in the 1600s. He founded Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow.
Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley: This famous writing couple lived in Marlow in 1816. Percy wrote a long poem called The Revolt of Islam here. Mary worked on her famous novel Frankenstein while living in Marlow!

Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley's house in Marlow

Cuthbert Ottaway: He was the first captain of the England football team and played for Marlow F.C.
Jerome K. Jerome: He wrote parts of his funny book Three Men in a Boat at a local pub in Marlow called the Two Brewers.
T. S. Eliot: This famous poet lived in Marlow during the First World War.
Sir Steve Redgrave: The amazing Olympic rower, who won five gold medals, lives in Marlow Bottom.
Heston Blumenthal: A very famous chef, known for his creative cooking, used to live in Marlow.
Naomi Riches: She lives in Marlow and won a gold medal in adaptive rowing at the London 2012 Paralympics. There's a special gold postbox in the High Street to celebrate her win!
Ricky Gervais: The well-known actor and writer owns a property in Marlow.
Shakin' Stevens: The famous singer also lives in Marlow.