...and the western flank of the Marlborough Downs.
Half way between Swindon and Bath, Chippenham is only four miles south of the M4 motorway and boasts historic architectural gems, excellent shops and beautiful surrounding countryside.
Referred to as Cepen in the Domesday Book, King Alfred had a country retreat here. Queen Mary gave the town its first charter in the early 1550s, the immediate consequence of which was the building of the first stone bridge. Alas, in 1060,
this was replaced with the bridge you see today.
When Isambard Kingdom Brunel arrived in Chippenham with his Great Western Railway, he built a magnificent viaduct to carry the line across the town on its way to Bath. Chippenham was, in fact, the terminus of the railway until the box tunnel was completed. The railway brought new life to Chippenham, especially engineering. Railway signals and points, iron bridges and rolling stock were all once manufactured in the town.
Robert Peel became Tory MP for Chippenham in 1809 and in 1829 set up the Metropolitan Police, "Bobbies" or
"Peelers" as they became known.
Chippenham has so many claims to fame and is well worth a visit when staying at Beechfield House country hotel.
Other places to visit in Wiltshire include Bath, Bowood House, Bradford-on-Avon, Caen Hill Locks, Calne, Castle Combe, Cheddar Caves, Corsham Court, Devizes, film locations, Lacock,
Longleat Safari Park, National Trust, Peto Garden, The Cotswolds, Wookey Hole
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