Chippenham, Wiltshire
Encyclopedia
Chippenham is a market town
in Wiltshire
, England
, located 21 km (13 mi) east of Bath and 163 km (101.3 mi) west of London
. In the 2001 census
the population of the town was recorded as 28,065.
The town was established on a crossing of the River Avon
and is believed to have existed as some form of settlement since before Roman
times. It was a royal vill
, and probably a royal hunting lodge, under Alfred the Great
.
The town continued to grow when the Great Western Railway
arrived in 1841, and while historically a market town the economy has changed to that of a commuter town
.
Chippenham is twinned with La Flèche
in France and Friedberg
in Germany. The town motto is "Unity and Loyalty".
and lies between the Marlborough Downs to the east, the Cotswolds
to the north and west and Salisbury Plain
to the south.
The town is surrounded by sparse countryside
and there are several woodland
s in or in close proximity to the town, for example, Bird's Marsh, Vincients Wood
and Briars Wood.
, Frogwell, Hardenhuish, Rowden Hill, Derriads, Lowden, The Folly, Redlands, Queen's Crescent, Lackham, Fenway Park, and Hill Rise; these loosely correspond to local government wards.
Chippenham lies 7 km (4.3 mi) south of the M4 motorway
, which links the town to Bristol
, Swindon
, South Wales
and London
. The A4 former coach road, A420
and B4069 provide further road links to Bristol and Oxford.
The town is bypassed to the west by the A350, which links the M4 motorway with Chippenham and nearby towns to the south, such as Melksham
and Trowbridge
.
The A4 national route crosses the southern part of the town, and residents have called for an eastern extension linking the A4 to the A350 north of Cepen Park.
Chippenham railway station
is on the main line rail route from London Paddington to the West Country
and is famous for its railway arches and other buildings engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
as part of the Great Western Railway
development. National Coach services connect at Chippenham to London, Wales
, South West England
, the Midlands
and East Anglia
. Bus and minibus services connect the town to Bath, Calne
, Devizes
, Trowbridge
, Swindon
, and nearby villages.
The original Buttercross
, a stone structure, was erected in c. 1570 and stood in the current location of Barclays Bank, where it served as the centre of the Shambles. The Buttercross was used for the sale of meat and dairy products.
In 1889 Mr E.C. Lowndes bought the Buttercross for £6. He re-erected it as a gazebo
in the kitchen garden of the Castle Combe
Manor House, where it subsequently fell into disrepair.
The Buttercross was re-erected in 1995 by the Chippenham Civic Society with funding provided by a wide range of local individuals and organisations. It currently stands as the centre-piece of the pedestrianised area of the town centre, where a market is held each Friday and Saturday.
The Yelde Hall is currently the site of the Tourist Information Centre in Chippenham. It is run jointly by Chippenham Town and North Wiltshire District Councils and is the largest Tourist Information Centre in North Wiltshire.
The hall is one of very few remaining medieval timber framed
buildings in the town. It was originally divided up internally for use as a market hall. Both the hall and its meeting room upstairs were used by the burgess and bailiff
for a variety of meetings and trials as well as being used for Council meetings. The space under the Council Chamber was used as the town gaol. The hall was also used in this time for fund raising events for the local church.
After the Council and Burgess (now Mayor) moved to the Town Hall (High Street, Chippenham) in 1841 the hall had many different uses:
, approximately 24 hectares (59.3 acre) in size, to the north of the town. It is home to many kinds of wildlife
, and a popular place for walkers, due to its fairly large size and surrounding countryside. One entrance into Bird's Marsh can be found through a field close to the Morrisons
supermarket
, just south of the roundabout on the A350 Malmesbury Road. There are also access points off Hill Corner Road (via fields) and Jacksom's Lane.
Although not technically a marsh
, the ground can be very boggy off the well-marked paths, a feature which has protected this area from housing development.
In 2008, developers made a planning enquiry about building 800 homes around the Bird's Marsh area.
Chippenham's population has grown rapidly in recent years to 28,065 (2001 census), an increase of 11% from the 1991 figure of 25,376. This rapid expansion can be attributed to the development of large housing estate
s (indeed, entirely new suburb
s) such as the vast Cepen Park district to the west of the town, and the Pewsham development to the east (Pewsham is also the name of a small village just to the east of Chippenham). Further housing developments are also currently progressing, though on a smaller scale. Chippenham's population in 2007 was estimated at about 35,000 inhabitants. This makes Chippenham Wiltshire's third largest town.
times. Remains of Romano-British
settlements are visible in the wall behind the former magistrates court
and recent redevelopments of the town have shown up other evidence of the earliest settlements.
records the town as Cippanhamme and this could refer to Cippa who had his Hamm, an enclosure in a river meadow. An alternative theory suggests that the name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Ceap, meaning market. The name is recorded variously as Cippanhamm (878), Cepen (1042), Cheppeham (1155), Chippenham (1227), Shippenham (1319) and Chippyngham (1541). On John Speed
's map of Wiltshire
(1611), the name is spelt both Chippenham (for the hundred) and Chipnam (for the town itself). (There is another Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
and Cippenham
, Berkshire
near Slough).
) married the King of Mercia in Chippenham. Alfred was then a boy of four and the wedding is believed to have been held on the site of St. Andrew's church. According to Bishop Asser
's Life of King Alfred Chippenham was, under Alfred's reign, a royal vill; historians have also argued, from its proximity to the royal forests at Melksham and Barden, that it was probably a hunting lodge. Alfred's daughter was also married in Chippenham.
Chippenham was successfully besieged by Danish Viking
s in 878, though Alfred escaped. Later that year Alfred decisively defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ethandun, whose forces then surrendered to Alfred at Chippenham (ushering in the establishment of the Danelaw
).
In 1042 the Royal holding in Chippenham makes mention of a church. The Domesday Book
listed Chippenham as Cepen, with a population of 600-700 people in 1086.
times the Royal properties were separated into the manors
of Cheldon, Rowden and Lowden. Records show that the town expanded into Langstret (now the Causeway) from 1245 onwards and in 1406 onwards the town pushed into Le Newstret (now the New Road) area of town. Throughout this period Chippenham continued to have a thriving market in the town centre.
The A4 that runs through Chippenham (from London to Bristol) incorporates parts of the 14th century medieval road network that linked London to Bristol through Chippenham. This was an important road for the English cloth trade and its upkeep was funded in part by cloth merchants from Bristol due to its importance to the trade.
Chippenham was represented in the Parliament of England
from 1295 onwards and Queen Mary granted the town a Charter of Incorporation in 1554.
Analysis of the wood used to build the Yelde Hall indicates that the market hall was built after 1458. The Shambles and Buttercross
were built after 1570. The Shambles were destroyed in a fire in 1856 and the Yelde Hall survived.
The parish of Chippenham Without
encompasses the deserted medieval village of Sheldon, devastated by plague
; all that remains today is Sheldon Manor
, Wiltshire's oldest inhabited manor house, dating from 1282.
industry, and a drop in corn production in 1622 and 1623, caused massive hardship for the town's population. The trade in cloth faced further problems during the English Civil War
due to a Royalist proclamation that prohibited the sale of cloth to the Parliamentarian controlled London.
In 1747 a bribery and corruption scandal (involving two members of parliament for Chippenham) led to the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole's government.
The arrival of the railway promoted the growth of industrial agricultural businesses. In the middle of the 19th century Chippenham was a major centre for the production of dairy and ham products; this led, later, to Nestle
and Matteson's to have factories in the town centre. The railway also led to the growth of railway engineering works in Chippenham. The first of these was Roland Brotherhood
in 1842. A variety of companies then took over part or all of the business on the site until in 1935 Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
took over the business site fully. The signalling side of the business remains at the Chippenham site and is now owned by Invensys Rail Group; the brakes business was taken over by the German company Knorr-Bremse , and is based at a site in nearby Melksham
.
The singer Eddie Cochran
and Gene Vincent
were involved in a car crash in Chippenham on 17 April 1960 on Rowden Hill. Cochran died as a result of the crash. A memorial sits near the crash site and Chippenham hosts an Eddie Cochran festival annually (see below).
On 13 February 1998, two unexploded bombs
from World War II
were discovered in the field behind Hardens Mead during preparations for the building of Abbeyfield School. About 1,100 residents living in the east
of Chippenham had to be evacuated for two nights to friends and relatives or emergency accommodation until the Army
carried out a controlled explosion
. The Army initially attempted to defuse the larger 750 kg (1,653.5 lb) device but it was decided that owing to the bomb's orientation in the ground it would be too dangerous.
were based in the town until 2009, when the council was merged with four other Wiltshire local authorities. The offices in Monkton Park were adopted by the replacement unitary Wiltshire Council
, which is based in Trowbridge
.
The office of Town Mayor
was established in 1835: prior to that Chippenham was governed by a Bailiff supported by Burgesses. The Mayor is nowadays elected annually by the Town Council
The Mayor is generally appointed to office in May of each year (at the "Mayor Making" ceremony) and acts as the first citizen of the town acting in a promotional way representing Chippenham. At the beginning of a Mayor's term of office he/she names a charity that they will support throughout the year. The Mayor also undertakes many specific tasks throughout the year such as presiding over Town council meetings and acting as the President of a variety of local organisations such as the Twinning Association
and the Sea Cadets
. The current Mayor is Mr David Powell (Liberal Democrat)
Until 2010, the town of Chippenham was within the parliamentary
constituency of North Wiltshire
.
North Wiltshire, which was also known as Chippenham, is a traditionally Conservative
seat although in the 19th century, Liberal
members were also elected. In 1812 Sir Robert Peel
became the MP
for Chippenham.
Boundary changes for the 2010 general election created a new Chippenham constituency
from parts of three neighbouring constituencies. Duncan Hames
(Liberal Democrat) became the new Member of Parliament for Chippenham, and James Gray
(Conservative) was re-elected in his North Wiltshire constituency,
The town holds an annual festival to mark the death of singer Eddie Cochran
, who died on 17 April 1960 following a car crash in Chippenham.
From 25 October 1963 until 1999, the Town Museum was housed in the Yelde Hall. The museum had, by this time, outgrown the site and moved to the former Magistrates' Court in the Market Place (opening on 23 March 2000).
The museum charts the history of the town from Neolithic times until today. By 2005, the museum had attracted over 90,000 visitors.
Chippenham is well served with sports clubs and leisure facilities. The Olympiad Centre caters for a wide range of interests and has a variety of swimming pools and full gym facilities. It also plays host to many events including the popular annual CAMRA beer festival.
Chippenham Sports Club http://www.ChippenhamSportsClub.com located on the Bristol Road is a members sports club. The Sports Club facilities include a two storey pavilion that overlooks the six hard surface Floodlit Tennis Courts and the cricket square and field
. A newly built Bowls pavilion accompanies the best bowling green in the county that hosts the Wiltshire Middleton Cup Team. The all weather hockey pitches support thriving ladies' and men's teams. The latest sports club development, due to complete in May 2009, is an indoor, all year round, sports inflated dome that will provide much needed amenities for ladies netball, the cricket sections Winter nets and a 5-a-side indoor football league to name but a few.
Next door to the sports club is Chippenham Town F.C.
The football club was established in 1873, and played in the last ever FA Vase
final at the old Wembley Stadium in 2000. The manager of the club in 2000, Thomas Saunders, remains, at the age of 28, the youngest ever manager to lead a side in an FA final. Chippenham Rugby Club is on the western outskirts next to the A350 bypass. Chippenham Golf Club is situated on the Northern edge of the town very close to the A350. The club was formed in 1896 and is looking forward to a bright future with plans for a new clubhouse and redeveloped course well underway.
There is also a small cinema on the western edge of the town centre. However, Chippenham has been identified as a perfect location for a future major multiplex
complex as it is central to an area covering the towns of Trowbridge, Calne, Melksham, Corsham and Malmesbury which are all devoid of cinemas, the alternative being to travel to congested Bath or further-afield Swindon.
The Severn and Thames cycle route (part of Route 4) of the Sustrans
National Cycle Network
passes through the town.
There is also a night-life scene, with the New Inn, Elevens, Jax and Karma(Formerly known has Buds2000), being late-night venues, although many people travel to Bath, 21 km (13 mi) to the west.
Historically a market town
, Chippenham's economy has since changed to that of a commuter town
with residents travelling to workplaces in Bath, Bristol, Swindon and London.
Several large businesses have been located in the region, with the biggest former employer being Westinghouse
, now owned by Invensys
, whose factory complex lies next to the railway station. The company undertakes railway signal
ling contracts for Network Rail
, London Underground
as well as railway operators is other parts of the world, e.g. Beijing Subway
, Oslo Public Transport Administration
, SMRT Corporation
, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
, MTR Corporation
and many others. Parts of the Westinghouse site are occupied by a range of companies. There are a number of other industrial sites around the town, Bumpers Farm being the largest. It is home to many businesses of all sizes, including IT Solutions Ltd(ITS), CPI Antony Rowe Ltd.http://www.cpi-group.nethttp://www.antonyrowe.co.uk, Bechtle Direct Ltd, The Web Usability Partnership Ltd, De Marchi Engineering, Multiquip, Blade, Chippenham Accident Repairs, Bathwick Tyres, LF Windows, Avon Rubber, "Home James" taxis and Norman E Webb.
In 2005, Europe's second largest logistics organisation, Wincanton PLC
, consolidated its head office operations and moved to the newly developed Methuen Park office development in west Chippenham, where it employs around 350 people.
Retail parks, such as the Hathaway Retail Park, are located on the edge of town containing larger superstores and fast-food outlets, including a McDonalds and a small Burger King
.
Local shoppers founded Chippenham Co-operative Society in 1890, and for most of the twentieth century, its department store dominated the lower end of the High Street. The building now is occupied by a large Wilkinson
shop.
In the 1960s, it united with other co-operatives in the district to merge with a national co-operative, that later formed The Co-operative Group
. As of 2008, the co-operative operates a convenience store
in the Broomfield district.
, with street markets taking place most Fridays and Saturdays around Market Place and along the pedestrianised High Street. A Farmers' Market
for the sale of fresh, locally produced foodstuffs is also held here once a fortnight. The original Cattle Market, which closed in 2004, is now being redeveloped by Linden Homes Western Limited as one of the UK's largest eco-housing projects.
(National Trust
), Biddestone
, Bremhill
and Castle Combe
. The great house and art treasures of Longleat
, Bowood House
, Lacock Abbey
, Sheldon Manor and Corsham Court
are within easy reach.
with La Flèche
in France and Friedberg
in Germany.
La Flèche lies on the banks of the Loir
, 42 km (26.1 mi) from Le Mans
and 72 km (44.7 mi) from Tours
. Set amongst woods and farmland, La Flèche offers a wealth of recreational facilities including a zoological park. "Le Prytane Militaire" public school dates back to the time of the French King Henri IV
and consequently La Flèche enjoys the status of a University Town. In 1630, people from La Flèche founded Montreal
in Canada.
Friedberg is 64 km (39.8 mi) from Munich
and the Bavarian Alps. Herzog Ludwig the severe
and his nephew Conradin
founded the town in 1264. The magnificent Town Hall follows the architectural style of Elias Holl
's Town Hall, built in 1674, in neighbouring Augsburg. Friedberg is a walled town, renowned for its many sporting and cultural events such as the 17th century Street Festival.
, 16 percent said they were of no religion and 7 percent did not state a religion.
Closed churches
campus at Claverton Down, situated 19 km / 12 miles to the west of Chippenham.
initiative.
s cater for students from year 7 through sixth form
.
The oldest is Ivy Lane. Westmead Junior School held this record until it closed in 1989. It originally opened in 1858 whilst the infants school opened 50 years later.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, located 21 km (13 mi) east of Bath and 163 km (101.3 mi) west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the population of the town was recorded as 28,065.
The town was established on a crossing of the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
and is believed to have existed as some form of settlement since before Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times. It was a royal vill
Vill
Vill is a term used in English history to describe a land unit which might otherwise be described as a parish, manor or tithing.The term is used in the period immediately after the Norman conquest and into the late medieval. Land units in Domesday are frequently referred to as vills, although the...
, and probably a royal hunting lodge, under Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
.
The town continued to grow when the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
arrived in 1841, and while historically a market town the economy has changed to that of a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
.
Chippenham is twinned with La Flèche
La Flèche
La Flèche is a municipality located in the French department of Sarthe and the region of Pays de la Loire in the Loire Valley. This is the sub-prefecture of the South-Sarthe, the chief district and the chief city of a canton. This is the second most populous city of the department. The city is part...
in France and Friedberg
Friedberg, Bavaria
Friedberg is a city in the district Aichach-Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany, with some 30,000 inhabitants. It is located next to Augsburg at the Lech river...
in Germany. The town motto is "Unity and Loyalty".
Situation
Chippenham is set on a prominent crossing of the River AvonRiver Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
and lies between the Marlborough Downs to the east, the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
to the north and west and Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
to the south.
The town is surrounded by sparse countryside
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
and there are several woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s in or in close proximity to the town, for example, Bird's Marsh, Vincients Wood
Vincients Wood
Vincients Wood is a small nature reserve, a 12 acre area of semi-natural broadleaved woodland located on the far west of the town of Chippenham, Wiltshire....
and Briars Wood.
Suburbs
Suburbs of Chippenham include Cepen Park (North & South), Pew Hill, Monkton, PewshamPewsham
Pewsham is a small village of approximately 100 residents located on the A4 national route between Chippenham and Calne in Wiltshire, southwestern England....
, Frogwell, Hardenhuish, Rowden Hill, Derriads, Lowden, The Folly, Redlands, Queen's Crescent, Lackham, Fenway Park, and Hill Rise; these loosely correspond to local government wards.
Transport
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, which links the town to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The A4 former coach road, A420
A420 road
The A420 is a road between Bristol and Oxford in England. Between Swindon and Oxford it is a primary route.-Present route:Since the opening of the M4 motorway, the road is in two sections. The first section begins on Old Market Street near the centre of Bristol, it passes through Kingswood before...
and B4069 provide further road links to Bristol and Oxford.
The town is bypassed to the west by the A350, which links the M4 motorway with Chippenham and nearby towns to the south, such as Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
and Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
.
The A4 national route crosses the southern part of the town, and residents have called for an eastern extension linking the A4 to the A350 north of Cepen Park.
Chippenham railway station
Chippenham railway station
Chippenham railway station serves the market town of Chippenham in Wiltshire, England. The station is on the Great Western Main Line, in between and , and is served by First Great Western main line services between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, and a smaller First Great Western local...
is on the main line rail route from London Paddington to the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and is famous for its railway arches and other buildings engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
as part of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
development. National Coach services connect at Chippenham to London, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. Bus and minibus services connect the town to Bath, Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
, Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, and nearby villages.
Landmarks
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where people from neighbouring villages would gather to buy locally produced...
, a stone structure, was erected in c. 1570 and stood in the current location of Barclays Bank, where it served as the centre of the Shambles. The Buttercross was used for the sale of meat and dairy products.
In 1889 Mr E.C. Lowndes bought the Buttercross for £6. He re-erected it as a gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
in the kitchen garden of the Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
Manor House, where it subsequently fell into disrepair.
The Buttercross was re-erected in 1995 by the Chippenham Civic Society with funding provided by a wide range of local individuals and organisations. It currently stands as the centre-piece of the pedestrianised area of the town centre, where a market is held each Friday and Saturday.
The Yelde Hall is currently the site of the Tourist Information Centre in Chippenham. It is run jointly by Chippenham Town and North Wiltshire District Councils and is the largest Tourist Information Centre in North Wiltshire.
The hall is one of very few remaining medieval timber framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
buildings in the town. It was originally divided up internally for use as a market hall. Both the hall and its meeting room upstairs were used by the burgess and bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
for a variety of meetings and trials as well as being used for Council meetings. The space under the Council Chamber was used as the town gaol. The hall was also used in this time for fund raising events for the local church.
After the Council and Burgess (now Mayor) moved to the Town Hall (High Street, Chippenham) in 1841 the hall had many different uses:
- Chippenham Savings Bank
- Chippenham Volunteer Rifle Corps (stationed in Chippenham from 1846 to 1911)
- Chippenham Fire Station (from around 1910 until 1945 when they moved to their current location in Dallas Road) this led to substantial changes to the interior structure to accommodate the engines and the addition of two large doors to the end gable
- Chippenham Museum (the Borough Council started work on this in the 1950s but the museum didn't open until 25 October 1963. The museum outgrew the site and closed in this location in 1999)
- North Wiltshire Tourist Information Centre (since March 2003 following substantial restorations)
Bird's Marsh
Bird's Marsh is a large woodlandWoodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, approximately 24 hectares (59.3 acre) in size, to the north of the town. It is home to many kinds of wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
, and a popular place for walkers, due to its fairly large size and surrounding countryside. One entrance into Bird's Marsh can be found through a field close to the Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, just south of the roundabout on the A350 Malmesbury Road. There are also access points off Hill Corner Road (via fields) and Jacksom's Lane.
Although not technically a marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, the ground can be very boggy off the well-marked paths, a feature which has protected this area from housing development.
In 2008, developers made a planning enquiry about building 800 homes around the Bird's Marsh area.
Population and demographics
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
s (indeed, entirely new suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s) such as the vast Cepen Park district to the west of the town, and the Pewsham development to the east (Pewsham is also the name of a small village just to the east of Chippenham). Further housing developments are also currently progressing, though on a smaller scale. Chippenham's population in 2007 was estimated at about 35,000 inhabitants. This makes Chippenham Wiltshire's third largest town.
History
There are believed to have been settlements in the Chippenham region since before RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
times. Remains of Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
settlements are visible in the wall behind the former magistrates court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
and recent redevelopments of the town have shown up other evidence of the earliest settlements.
Toponymy
The town proper was believed to have been founded by Anglo Saxons around 600. The Anglo-Saxon ChronicleAnglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
records the town as Cippanhamme and this could refer to Cippa who had his Hamm, an enclosure in a river meadow. An alternative theory suggests that the name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Ceap, meaning market. The name is recorded variously as Cippanhamm (878), Cepen (1042), Cheppeham (1155), Chippenham (1227), Shippenham (1319) and Chippyngham (1541). On John Speed
John Speed
John Speed was an English historian and cartographer.-Life:He was born at Farndon, Cheshire, and went into his father's tailoring business where he worked until he was about 50...
's map of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
(1611), the name is spelt both Chippenham (for the hundred) and Chipnam (for the town itself). (There is another Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Chippenham, Cambridgeshire
Chippenham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, part of East Cambridgeshire district around north-east of Newmarket and north-east of Cambridge.-History:The parish of Chippenham covers at the eastern end of Cambridgeshire...
and Cippenham
Cippenham
Cippenham is a suburb of the unitary authority of Slough in the county of Berkshire, England. It was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire in 1974.The name, Cippenham derives from the old English Cippan-ham, meaning Cippa's homestead....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
near Slough).
Early Medieval
In AD 853, Ethelswitha (sister to Alfred the GreatAlfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
) married the King of Mercia in Chippenham. Alfred was then a boy of four and the wedding is believed to have been held on the site of St. Andrew's church. According to Bishop Asser
Asser
Asser was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his court...
's Life of King Alfred Chippenham was, under Alfred's reign, a royal vill; historians have also argued, from its proximity to the royal forests at Melksham and Barden, that it was probably a hunting lodge. Alfred's daughter was also married in Chippenham.
Chippenham was successfully besieged by Danish Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s in 878, though Alfred escaped. Later that year Alfred decisively defeated the Danes at the Battle of Ethandun, whose forces then surrendered to Alfred at Chippenham (ushering in the establishment of the Danelaw
Danelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
).
In 1042 the Royal holding in Chippenham makes mention of a church. The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
listed Chippenham as Cepen, with a population of 600-700 people in 1086.
High and Late Medieval
In NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times the Royal properties were separated into the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Cheldon, Rowden and Lowden. Records show that the town expanded into Langstret (now the Causeway) from 1245 onwards and in 1406 onwards the town pushed into Le Newstret (now the New Road) area of town. Throughout this period Chippenham continued to have a thriving market in the town centre.
The A4 that runs through Chippenham (from London to Bristol) incorporates parts of the 14th century medieval road network that linked London to Bristol through Chippenham. This was an important road for the English cloth trade and its upkeep was funded in part by cloth merchants from Bristol due to its importance to the trade.
Chippenham was represented in the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
from 1295 onwards and Queen Mary granted the town a Charter of Incorporation in 1554.
Buttercross
A buttercross, also known as butter cross, is a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originates from the fact that they were located at the market place, where people from neighbouring villages would gather to buy locally produced...
were built after 1570. The Shambles were destroyed in a fire in 1856 and the Yelde Hall survived.
The parish of Chippenham Without
Chippenham Without
Chippenham Without is a civil parish in Wiltshire, England, created as a separate entity from the parish of Chippenham by the Local Government Act 1894 and largely consists of the farmland from the west of Chippenham to Biddestone...
encompasses the deserted medieval village of Sheldon, devastated by plague
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
; all that remains today is Sheldon Manor
Sheldon Manor
Sheldon Manor near Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, is Wiltshire's oldest inhabited manor house and dates back to Saxon times. Its structure is mostly 17th century and it is a Grade I listed building.- History :...
, Wiltshire's oldest inhabited manor house, dating from 1282.
16th to 18th centuries
The wool industry took off in the 16th century due, in part, to the river. The plague hit the town hard in 1611 and 1636. This, a recession in the woollenWoolen
Woolen or woollen is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn...
industry, and a drop in corn production in 1622 and 1623, caused massive hardship for the town's population. The trade in cloth faced further problems during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
due to a Royalist proclamation that prohibited the sale of cloth to the Parliamentarian controlled London.
In 1747 a bribery and corruption scandal (involving two members of parliament for Chippenham) led to the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole's government.
19th and 20th centuries
A spur off the Wilts & Berks Canal was built to Chippenham in 1798 with a wharf at the current site of the bus station (Timber Street) with the main commodity traded being coal. Pewsham Way now follows the line of the old canal. The Great Western Railway arrived in Chippenham in 1841 which in turn attracted many new businesses to Chippenham. The arrival of these businesses required new housing which led to the expansion of Chippenham into the land north of the railway line, which in turn led to the growth of further industries to support the building work.The arrival of the railway promoted the growth of industrial agricultural businesses. In the middle of the 19th century Chippenham was a major centre for the production of dairy and ham products; this led, later, to Nestle
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
and Matteson's to have factories in the town centre. The railway also led to the growth of railway engineering works in Chippenham. The first of these was Roland Brotherhood
Roland Brotherhood
Rowland Brotherhood was a British engineer. He was born in Middlesex in 1812 and died in Bristol in 1883. He married Priscilla Penton in 1835 and they had 14 children, one also called Rowland who played cricket for Gloucestershire, another called Peter...
in 1842. A variety of companies then took over part or all of the business on the site until in 1935 Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company Ltd
The Westinghouse Brake & Signal Company Ltd was created in 1935 when the Westinghouse Brake & Saxby Signal Company Ltd, dropped the 'Saxby' from their title...
took over the business site fully. The signalling side of the business remains at the Chippenham site and is now owned by Invensys Rail Group; the brakes business was taken over by the German company Knorr-Bremse , and is based at a site in nearby Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
.
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
and Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
were involved in a car crash in Chippenham on 17 April 1960 on Rowden Hill. Cochran died as a result of the crash. A memorial sits near the crash site and Chippenham hosts an Eddie Cochran festival annually (see below).
On 13 February 1998, two unexploded bombs
Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...
from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were discovered in the field behind Hardens Mead during preparations for the building of Abbeyfield School. About 1,100 residents living in the east
East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
of Chippenham had to be evacuated for two nights to friends and relatives or emergency accommodation until the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
carried out a controlled explosion
Controlled explosion
A controlled explosion is a method for detonating or disabling a suspected explosive device.Methods which are used to set off a controlled explosion include emptying out the area and moving the package into a confined space such as a telephone booth.Another classic method of controlled explosion...
. The Army initially attempted to defuse the larger 750 kg (1,653.5 lb) device but it was decided that owing to the bomb's orientation in the ground it would be too dangerous.
Governance
The offices of North Wiltshire District CouncilNorth Wiltshire
North Wiltshire was a local government district in Wiltshire, England, formed on 1 April 1974, by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, and Malmesbury along with Calne and Chippenham Rural District, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett Rural District and Malmesbury Rural District...
were based in the town until 2009, when the council was merged with four other Wiltshire local authorities. The offices in Monkton Park were adopted by the replacement unitary Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire Council is the unitary authority for most of the county of Wiltshire, in the West of England, the successor authority to Wiltshire County Council and to four districts—Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury, and West Wiltshire—all of which had been created in 1973 and were...
, which is based in Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
.
The office of Town Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
was established in 1835: prior to that Chippenham was governed by a Bailiff supported by Burgesses. The Mayor is nowadays elected annually by the Town Council
Town council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
The Mayor is generally appointed to office in May of each year (at the "Mayor Making" ceremony) and acts as the first citizen of the town acting in a promotional way representing Chippenham. At the beginning of a Mayor's term of office he/she names a charity that they will support throughout the year. The Mayor also undertakes many specific tasks throughout the year such as presiding over Town council meetings and acting as the President of a variety of local organisations such as the Twinning Association
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
and the Sea Cadets
Sea Cadets
Sea Cadets are generally members of a Sea Cadet Corps, a formal uniformed youth organisation for young people with an interest in water borne activities and or the national Navy. The organisation may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Navy, Navy League or Naval supporter's organisation...
. The current Mayor is Mr David Powell (Liberal Democrat)
Until 2010, the town of Chippenham was within the parliamentary
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
constituency of North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Wiltshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until 1983, it was known as Chippenham.- Boundaries :As the name suggests, the constituency covers most of north Wiltshire...
.
North Wiltshire, which was also known as Chippenham, is a traditionally Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
seat although in the 19th century, Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
members were also elected. In 1812 Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
became the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Chippenham.
Boundary changes for the 2010 general election created a new Chippenham constituency
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
from parts of three neighbouring constituencies. Duncan Hames
Duncan Hames
Duncan John Hames is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for the Chippenham constituency in Wiltshire since the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
(Liberal Democrat) became the new Member of Parliament for Chippenham, and James Gray
James Gray (UK politician)
James Whiteside Gray is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for North Wiltshire.-Early life:Born in Scotland, Gray is the son of the late Rev...
(Conservative) was re-elected in his North Wiltshire constituency,
Culture
The Chippenham Folk Festival takes place every year, usually over the Whitsuntide weekend.The town holds an annual festival to mark the death of singer Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
, who died on 17 April 1960 following a car crash in Chippenham.
From 25 October 1963 until 1999, the Town Museum was housed in the Yelde Hall. The museum had, by this time, outgrown the site and moved to the former Magistrates' Court in the Market Place (opening on 23 March 2000).
The museum charts the history of the town from Neolithic times until today. By 2005, the museum had attracted over 90,000 visitors.
Sport and leisure
Chippenham Sports Club http://www.ChippenhamSportsClub.com located on the Bristol Road is a members sports club. The Sports Club facilities include a two storey pavilion that overlooks the six hard surface Floodlit Tennis Courts and the cricket square and field
Hardenhuish Park Cricket Ground
Hardenhuish Park is a cricket ground in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The ground is located behind the football ground used by Chippenham Town F.C.. Hardenhuish Park hosted its first cricket match in 1902 when Wiltshire played Dorset in the Minor Counties Championship. The ground was used on-and-off by...
. A newly built Bowls pavilion accompanies the best bowling green in the county that hosts the Wiltshire Middleton Cup Team. The all weather hockey pitches support thriving ladies' and men's teams. The latest sports club development, due to complete in May 2009, is an indoor, all year round, sports inflated dome that will provide much needed amenities for ladies netball, the cricket sections Winter nets and a 5-a-side indoor football league to name but a few.
Next door to the sports club is Chippenham Town F.C.
Chippenham Town F.C.
Chippenham Town are an English football club based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division. They are nicknamed the Bluebirds and they play their home matches at Hardenhuish Park. Their home kit consists of a blue shirt, blue shorts and blue socks...
The football club was established in 1873, and played in the last ever FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
final at the old Wembley Stadium in 2000. The manager of the club in 2000, Thomas Saunders, remains, at the age of 28, the youngest ever manager to lead a side in an FA final. Chippenham Rugby Club is on the western outskirts next to the A350 bypass. Chippenham Golf Club is situated on the Northern edge of the town very close to the A350. The club was formed in 1896 and is looking forward to a bright future with plans for a new clubhouse and redeveloped course well underway.
There is also a small cinema on the western edge of the town centre. However, Chippenham has been identified as a perfect location for a future major multiplex
Multiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
complex as it is central to an area covering the towns of Trowbridge, Calne, Melksham, Corsham and Malmesbury which are all devoid of cinemas, the alternative being to travel to congested Bath or further-afield Swindon.
The Severn and Thames cycle route (part of Route 4) of the Sustrans
Sustrans
Sustrans is a British charity to promote sustainable transport. The charity is currently working on a number of practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport, to give people the choice of "travelling in ways that benefit their health and the environment"...
National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
passes through the town.
There is also a night-life scene, with the New Inn, Elevens, Jax and Karma(Formerly known has Buds2000), being late-night venues, although many people travel to Bath, 21 km (13 mi) to the west.
Economy
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, Chippenham's economy has since changed to that of a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
with residents travelling to workplaces in Bath, Bristol, Swindon and London.
Several large businesses have been located in the region, with the biggest former employer being Westinghouse
Westinghouse Rail Systems
Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd is a British supplier of railway signalling and control equipment to the rail industry worldwide. Its head office is in Chippenham, Wiltshire, where it manufactures a variety of mechanical and electrical/electronic railway signalling equipment...
, now owned by Invensys
Invensys
Invensys plc is a global engineering and information technology company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It was formed in 1999 through the merger of BTR plc and Siebe plc. It has offices in more than 50 countries and its products are sold in around 180 countries.Invensys is organised into...
, whose factory complex lies next to the railway station. The company undertakes railway signal
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
ling contracts for Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
, London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
as well as railway operators is other parts of the world, e.g. Beijing Subway
Beijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is a rapid transit rail network that serves the urban and suburban districts of Beijing municipality. It is owned by the city of Beijing and has two operators, the wholly state owned Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates 12 lines, and the Beijing MTR...
, Oslo Public Transport Administration
Oslo Public Transport Administration
AS Oslo Sporveier or the Oslo Public Transport Administration is a municipally owned limited company that is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Oslo, Norway...
, SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation is a public transport operator incorporated on March 6, 2000, as a result of an industry overhaul to form multi-modal public-transport operators in Singapore. It is the second-largest public-transport company in Singapore after ComfortDelGro...
, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation
The Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation was established in 1982 under the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance for the purposes of operating the Kowloon–Canton Railway , and to construct and operate other new railways...
, MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
and many others. Parts of the Westinghouse site are occupied by a range of companies. There are a number of other industrial sites around the town, Bumpers Farm being the largest. It is home to many businesses of all sizes, including IT Solutions Ltd(ITS), CPI Antony Rowe Ltd.http://www.cpi-group.nethttp://www.antonyrowe.co.uk, Bechtle Direct Ltd, The Web Usability Partnership Ltd, De Marchi Engineering, Multiquip, Blade, Chippenham Accident Repairs, Bathwick Tyres, LF Windows, Avon Rubber, "Home James" taxis and Norman E Webb.
In 2005, Europe's second largest logistics organisation, Wincanton PLC
Wincanton PLC
Wincanton plc is a British provider of logistics with its origins in milk haulage. The company provides transport and logistics services including specialist automated high bay, high capacity warehouses, and supply chain management for businesses. Wincanton's specialist markets include water,...
, consolidated its head office operations and moved to the newly developed Methuen Park office development in west Chippenham, where it employs around 350 people.
Shopping
Chippenham's major retail area surrounds the pedestrianised High Street and Market Place, which consists of numerous shops of various categories. Two shopping centres lie on either side of the High Street; the enclosed Emery Gate Shopping Centre and the open air Borough Parade Shopping Centre http://www.boroughparade.co.uk. Of all the shops in the High Street and nearby alleys there are very few independent stores as franchises dominate, however some independent stores (Jewellers, Nail Bars, Florists, Bridal Gowns, Hairdressers) are located along The Causeway and the Upper Market Place.Retail parks, such as the Hathaway Retail Park, are located on the edge of town containing larger superstores and fast-food outlets, including a McDonalds and a small Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
.
Local shoppers founded Chippenham Co-operative Society in 1890, and for most of the twentieth century, its department store dominated the lower end of the High Street. The building now is occupied by a large Wilkinson
Wilkinson
-Places:In the United States:* Wilkinson, Indiana, a town in Hancock County* Wilkinson, Wisconsin, a town in Rusk County* Wilkinson County, Georgia* Wilkinson County, Mississippi* Wilkinson Heights, South Carolina* Wilkinson Station, North Carolina...
shop.
In the 1960s, it united with other co-operatives in the district to merge with a national co-operative, that later formed The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
. As of 2008, the co-operative operates a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
in the Broomfield district.
Market
Chippenham is a market townMarket town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, with street markets taking place most Fridays and Saturdays around Market Place and along the pedestrianised High Street. A Farmers' Market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
for the sale of fresh, locally produced foodstuffs is also held here once a fortnight. The original Cattle Market, which closed in 2004, is now being redeveloped by Linden Homes Western Limited as one of the UK's largest eco-housing projects.
Tourism
Surrounding the town are a number of stone-built villages, including LacockLacock
Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust, and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.-History:...
(National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
), Biddestone
Biddestone
Biddestone is a small, rural and rather picturesque Cotswold village in north west Wiltshire, England, with a population of 457 in 2001. It is situated near Castle Combe, Corsham, Giddeahall and Chippenham....
, Bremhill
Bremhill
Bremhill is a village located between Calne and Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is notable in particular as one of the termini of Maud Heath's Causeway. Chippenham is the other, the causeway passes through Langley Burrell en route. It was also the home of the notable poet, clergyman and critic, William...
and Castle Combe
Castle Combe
Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. The 14th century market cross, erected when the privilege to hold a weekly market in Castle Combe was...
. The great house and art treasures of Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
, Bowood House
Bowood House
Bowood is a grade I listed Georgian country house with interiors by Robert Adam and a garden designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. It is adjacent to the village of Derry Hill, halfway between Calne and Chippenham in Wiltshire, England...
, Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, was founded in the early 13th century by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, as a nunnery of the Augustinian order.- History :...
, Sheldon Manor and Corsham Court
Corsham Court
Corsham Court is an English country house in a park designed by Capability Brown. It is in the town of Corsham, 3 miles west of Chippenham, Wiltshire and is notable for its fine art collection, based on the nucleus of paintings inherited in 1757 by Paul Methuen from his uncle, Sir Paul...
are within easy reach.
Twinned towns
Chippenham is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with La Flèche
La Flèche
La Flèche is a municipality located in the French department of Sarthe and the region of Pays de la Loire in the Loire Valley. This is the sub-prefecture of the South-Sarthe, the chief district and the chief city of a canton. This is the second most populous city of the department. The city is part...
in France and Friedberg
Friedberg, Bavaria
Friedberg is a city in the district Aichach-Friedberg, Bavaria, Germany, with some 30,000 inhabitants. It is located next to Augsburg at the Lech river...
in Germany.
La Flèche lies on the banks of the Loir
Loir
The Loir is a river in western France. It is a left tributary of the Sarthe River. Its source is in the Eure-et-Loir département, north of Illiers-Combray...
, 42 km (26.1 mi) from Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
and 72 km (44.7 mi) from Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
. Set amongst woods and farmland, La Flèche offers a wealth of recreational facilities including a zoological park. "Le Prytane Militaire" public school dates back to the time of the French King Henri IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
and consequently La Flèche enjoys the status of a University Town. In 1630, people from La Flèche founded Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in Canada.
Friedberg is 64 km (39.8 mi) from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and the Bavarian Alps. Herzog Ludwig the severe
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
and his nephew Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
founded the town in 1264. The magnificent Town Hall follows the architectural style of Elias Holl
Elias Holl
Elias Holl was the most important architect of early German Baroque architecture.-Life:...
's Town Hall, built in 1674, in neighbouring Augsburg. Friedberg is a walled town, renowned for its many sporting and cultural events such as the 17th century Street Festival.
Religion
In the 2001 census, 76 percent of the population in North Wiltshire defined themselves as ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, 16 percent said they were of no religion and 7 percent did not state a religion.
Church of England
- St Andrew's ChippenhamSt Andrew's ChippenhamSt Andrew's Chippenham, in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, is a parish church. It is one of three Anglican parish churches in the town, and serves the south and east of Chippenham. The church itself is situated in the town centre, in the Market Place. It maintains an enviable musical tradition...
parish churchParish churchA parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
is believed to have been built on the site of an Anglo Saxon church. Many features of the present church are NormanNorman architectureAbout|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
(with the chancelChancelIn church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch being completed in c.1120). There are a wide variety of features on the different facets of the church. The church spireSpireA spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
was completed in 1633 although the 8 bells currently present were not added until 1734 and the back-lit clock and chimes in 1858. The organ has a case front dating from the 18th century. The church registers date from 1578. There was a Victorian eraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
restoration of the interior of the church in 1875 - 1878 and again in the 1990s. - St. Nicholas church was built in 1779 and replaced an older medieval church that had previously stood on the same site. The church was designed by John Wood the Elder of Bath. The church registers date from 1730.
- St. Paul's church was built in 1854/5 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and was consecrated on 18 April 1855 and has registers dating from then.
- St. Peter's original build started in 1885 and opened on 19 November 1886 as a stone and red brick building. The church was replaced by the current church in 1968. The newer St Peter's is a modern design six sided design, originally with a copper roof (now tiled)and a fibre glass spire and no internal supports.
Roman Catholic
Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Church was originally situated in Saint Mary's Place and was built in 1855. A new church was built on Station Hill in 1935 which replaced the original on 29 February 1936.Non-Conformist
- Ascension Church [Pentecostal] formerly Bethel Pentecostal Church. Affiliated to the Assemblies of God, International Fellowship AGIF
- Central Methodist church was built in 1909 to mark the centenary of Methodism in Chippenham. It was originally called Monkton Hill Methodist Church but was renamed after it joined parishes with that of The Causeway Methodist Church that closed in the late 1980s.
- Chippenham Christian Fellowship
- Dayspring Church for North Wiltshire
- Elim Pentecostal Church
- Emmanuel Evangelical Church was founded in April 2005, and meets at Hardenhuish SchoolHardenhuish SchoolHardenhuish School is an 11-18 co-educational comprehensive school and sixth form in Chippenham, Wiltshire.-Admissions:The school is sited in the former Hardenhuish Manor and Chippenham Grammar School. The school holds specialist Mathematics and Computing College status. It has newly added a...
on Sundays and other locations during the week. It is affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical ChurchesFellowship of Independent Evangelical ChurchesThe Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches is a network of over 500 independent, evangelical churches mainly in the United Kingdom that preach an evangelical faith...
. - Ladyfield Evangelical Church is affiliated to the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical ChurchesFellowship of Independent Evangelical ChurchesThe Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches is a network of over 500 independent, evangelical churches mainly in the United Kingdom that preach an evangelical faith...
. - Oasis Church, founded April 2004 by Pastors Ralph and Heather Burden of the Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, the Oasis Church focuses on younger worshippers, meeting on Saturday evenings and featuring rock-based worship. - The Old Baptist Chapel opened on 10 June 1804 but was not registered until 1810. The internal baptistry was added in 1818.
- Religious Society of Friends
- The Salvation Army Citadel was originally opened in 1903 in Bath road but was later sold to Pictons, after which the Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
moved into the Co-op hall in Foghamshire. - Sheldon Road Methodist Church was built in 1901.
- Station Hill Baptist Chapel was built in 1855.
- Tabernacle United Reformed Church was built in 1770 but replaced in 1826 and refitted in 1889. The church had substantial internal renovations in the 1990s.
Closed churches
- Cepen Park Methodist church held services in two local schools and closed in 2005.
- Causeway Methodist Chapel opened in 1896 replacing an older chapel on the same site. The older chapel is believed to have been built in around 1835 and still stands to the rear of the newer building (and served as a school room for it). It closed in the late 1980s although the buildings remain.
Education
In his will of 1661 a Richard Scott directed that his house in Cooke's Street should be used as a school, and William Woodruffe gave an annuity of £5 in 1664 for the teaching of ten poor boys. In 1713 it was re-opened with a benefaction of £10 per annum for 24 boys.Modern
The closest higher education / university-level institution is the University of BathUniversity of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
campus at Claverton Down, situated 19 km / 12 miles to the west of Chippenham.
Tertiary
The former Chippenham Technical College is now part of the Wiltshire CollegeWiltshire College
Wiltshire College is a tertiary college of education founded in 2002 by the merger of Chippenham Technical College, Lackham College and Trowbridge College. Consolidation will be completed with the merger of Salisbury College, which commenced in January 2008...
initiative.
Secondary
Three secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s cater for students from year 7 through sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
.
- Abbeyfield SchoolAbbeyfield SchoolAbbeyfield School is a secondary mixed comprehensive school in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, for children aged 11 to 18.There are 953 pupils on its roll. The current headteacher is James Fox who has held the post since 1st September 2010.- History :...
, Stanley Lane, a specialist Business and Enterprise CollegeBusiness and Enterprise CollegeBusiness and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
which opened in 2000. - Hardenhuish SchoolHardenhuish SchoolHardenhuish School is an 11-18 co-educational comprehensive school and sixth form in Chippenham, Wiltshire.-Admissions:The school is sited in the former Hardenhuish Manor and Chippenham Grammar School. The school holds specialist Mathematics and Computing College status. It has newly added a...
, Hardenhuish Lane. Originally, from 1956, a girls' secondary modern schoolSecondary modern schoolA secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
a specialist Maths, Computing and Science, Hardenhuish Lane; the site also hosts a special educational needs unit. The school has opted to join the new government scheme, and gain it's academy status. - Sheldon SchoolSheldon schoolSheldon School is a large mixed comprehensive school in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK for children aged 11–18 and is the largest school in Wiltshire. It is one of three in Chippenham, the others being Abbeyfield and Hardenhuish...
, Hardenhuish Lane. From 1959, a boys' secondary modern schoolSecondary modern schoolA secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
, then a comprehensiveComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
from 1975, and now a specialist Science CollegeScience CollegeScience Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics...
, Sports CollegeSports CollegeSports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
and Language CollegeLanguage CollegeLanguage Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
.
Primary
There are ten primary schools in the town:- Charter School - Wood Lane
- Frogwell
- Ivy Lane - Ivy Lane
- King's Lodge - Pewsham estate
- St Mary's R.C. - Rowden Hill
- Monkton Park - Sadlers Mead
- St Paul's - The Oaks
- St Peter's CofE - Lord's Mead
- Redland - Brook Street
- Queen's Crescent - Queen's Crescent
The oldest is Ivy Lane. Westmead Junior School held this record until it closed in 1989. It originally opened in 1858 whilst the infants school opened 50 years later.
Notable people
- Alfred The GreatAlfred the GreatAlfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
- King of Wessex - Roland BrotherhoodRoland BrotherhoodRowland Brotherhood was a British engineer. He was born in Middlesex in 1812 and died in Bristol in 1883. He married Priscilla Penton in 1835 and they had 14 children, one also called Rowland who played cricket for Gloucestershire, another called Peter...
- railway engineer - David Bishop (athlete)David Bishop (athlete)David Bishop is a British middle-distance athlete, Scottish U20 and U23 International and an All-American at the University of New Mexico...
- track athlete - Isambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
- built the Great Western Railway through Chippenham - Robert PeelRobert PeelSir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
- Prime Minister and police reformer, was MP for a short time - Francis KilvertFrancis KilvertRobert Francis Kilvert , always known as Francis, or Frank, was born at The Rectory, Hardenhuish Lane, near Chippenham, Wiltshire, to the Rev. Robert Kilvert, Rector of Langley Burrell, Wiltshire, and Thermuthis, daughter of Walter Coleman and Thermuthis Ashe...
- diarist, born in Hardenhuish and lived in nearby Langley Burrell - Robin HobbsRobin HobbsRobin Nicholas Stuart Hobbs is a former English cricketer, who played in seven Tests for England from 1967 to 1971. He played first-class cricket for both Essex and Glamorgan....
- England test cricketer, born in Chippenham, remains Wiltshire's most capped test cricketer - Wil HodgsonWil HodgsonWil Hodgson is an English comedian. He has lived in Chippenham his whole life and began performing comedy in 2003. Prior to this he had worked part time as a lecturer at Wiltshire College and had a stint training to be a wrestler during which he participated in 30 man "Battle Royals".Hodgson is...
- comedian, winner Perrier Best Newcomer 2004 - Darren EadieDarren EadieDarren Malcolm Eadie is a former professional footballer, who made his name as a pacey left-sided midfielder with Norwich City. He later played for Leicester City.-Norwich City:...
- Former Norwich City Football Club player.