Marlborough Mound

The Marlborough Mound, also known as Merlin's Mound or Merlin's Mount, is a Neolithic monument in the town of Marlborough in the English county of Wiltshire. Standing 19 metres (60 ft) tall, it is second only to the nearby Silbury Hill in terms of height for such a monument. Modern study places the construction date around 2400 BC. It was first listed as a Scheduled Monument in 1951. Marlborough Mound is part of a complex of Neolithic monuments in this area, which includes the Avebury Ring, Silbury Hill, and the West Kennet Long Barrow. It is close to the confluence of the River Kennet and lies within the grounds of Marlborough College. It is not accessible to the public, unlike other comparable archaeological sites in Wiltshire. Since construction, the mound has functioned as the motte for a Norman castle, a garden feature for a stately home, and the site for a water tower within Marlborough College. Today, only the earthworks remain; at its base is a grotto which was part of an 18th-century water feature. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the site pertaining to its restoration and preservation as a culturally and historically significant site in Wiltshire. Additionally, its relation to the nearby Silbury Hill has generated scholarly interest in how the mound constitutes part of a larger archaeological complex in Wiltshire.