Chippenham Tourist Information Guide

Chippenham Tourist Information Guide

Chippenham is one of Wiltshire's most dynamic market towns with a population of over 40,000. The combination of the old and the new, the historic architectural gems, modern shopping centres and nearness to some of the country’s greatest houses and historic villages, makes this town midway between Bath and Swindon an ideal location for touring and access to the southern Cotswolds.

Chippenham is set on a prominent crossing of the River Avon and lies between the Malborough Downs to the East, the Cotswolds to the North and West and Salisbury Plain to the South. Surrounding the Town are a number of stone-built Cotswold villages villages, including Lacock (National Trust), Biddestone and Castle Combe. The great house and art treasures of Longleat, Bowood, Lacock Abbey, Sheldon Manor and Corsham Court are within easy reach.

King Alfred The Great (born in Wantage in AD 849), Anglo Saxon King of England, had a palace in Chippenham.

Film location - Pride and Predujice (2005) - The scenes at Longbourn were filmed at Luckington Court, near Chippenham.

Shrove Tuesday heralds the annual Pancake Races in the High Street. The popular annual Folk Festival occurs over the second May Bank Holiday. The bi-annual North Wiltshire Festival brings thousands of visitors into the Town in July, with the annual Children’s Fun Day occurring in August.

September witnesses the Chippenham Open Challenge Fishing Match on the River Avon, together with the Beer Festival. October sees a Classic Car Rally and celebrates 50’s rock with the annual Eddie Cochran Festival.

Guy Fawkes Night (November 5th) is celebrated with spectacular Fireworks and a bonfire in Monkton Park, with the spectacular and increasingly popular Christmas Lights Switch On event lighting up the Town in November.

The Town Market occurs every Friday & Saturday in the Market Place, with ongoing craft shows, antique and book fairs.

Travelling to Chippenham

By Car - The town is just 4 miles south of the M4 motorway, giving easy access to London, Bristol and South Wales. The A4 coach road from London provides an alternative route to Bristol via Bath, and the A420 and B4069 bring you to Bristol and Oxford.

By Rail - Chippenham is on the main line rail route from London Paddington to the West Country and is famous for it’s railway arches and other buildings created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel when he built the Great Western Railway. Bus services to Bath, Calne, Devizes, Trowbridge and Swindon are available.

By Coach - National Coach services connect at Chippenham to London, Wales the South West, Midlands and East Anglia. Cross town mini bus services plus additional local services linking neighbouring villages to the town are provided by a number of private operators.

Chippenham England UK