It was a royal vill and probably a royal hunting lodge, under Alfred the Great. We have decided that is no longer its problem.
Chippenham, England
Swindon's Slightly Posher Cousin
"Famous for a Cheese Sandwich Spread Nobody Asked For"
Official Coat of Arms
Argent, a Georgian market cross proudly displayed upon a field of Wiltshire green, flanked by two rampant lorries queuing eternally at a railway crossing. The crest depicts a half-timbered building bravely supporting a branch of Costa, while the motto reads 'We Were Saxon Royalty Once, Honest'.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Came for the Saturday market and the Georgian charm, stayed because the train to Bath was delayed again. The Buttercross is lovely and the Market Place has real character, but every conversation eventually turns to Hardenhuish or the Cocklebury Road level crossing. I waited 14 minutes at those gates and my sat nav asked if I wanted to relocate. The Monkton Park bit was a pleasant surprise, and I did get a cracking bacon roll near the Bath Road."— Graham T., Trowbridge (still waiting at a level crossing)
Property Listing
Nestled in the heart of Wiltshire, this vibrant market town offers unrivalled connectivity to the A350, the M4 and a railway station with direct trains to London. Enjoy a historic Georgian high street, a thriving Saturday market and a level crossing that gives you precious unplanned moments of quiet reflection each day. Ideal for commuters, families, and anyone who enjoys the thrill of not quite knowing which side of Cocklebury Road they'll end up on.
Twinned With
Hoofddorp — Both are small, orderly, well-connected places that have quietly made peace with being famous mainly as somewhere you pass through on the way to somewhere better.
Supporting Evidence
Chippenham was a royal stronghold of King Alfred's Wessex era, and in 878 Viking forces seized it in a surprise winter attack, forcing Alfred into hiding in the Somerset marshes before he mounted his famous comeback.