New Road Guest House

Chippenham lies in idyllic countryside in the River Avon valley by junction 17 of the M4. We are 94 miles from London, Georgian Bath is 13 miles west of us and the county town of Salisbury is 33 miles south-east.

Chippenham today is a sizable modern town with several “claims to fame”. Brunel designed the large viaduct near the town centre to carry his Great Western Railway, and until Box Tunnel was built, Chippenham was the last station on the line from London. King Alfred, he of the burning cakes, had a country retreat here and other famous residents include Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police, who was MP for Chippenham in 1812.

In 1960 Rock & Roll star Eddie Cochran was killed in a car accident on the A4 leading into town. The annual festival preserves the memory of Eddie and the legends of the 50's & 60's rock-n-roll era and attracts fans and acts from all over the world.

Chippenham was first established in the loop of the River Avon in which the town centre still remains. The original settlement was known as Cyppa's Hamme, from Cyppa, the Saxon nobleman who lived here and Hamme, a piece of low ground lying in a bend of the river. By the time of the Doomesday Book, Cyppa had became Cepen and eventually turned into Chippenham.

The old name is remembered through the out-of-town housing developments at Cepen Park. If you have an interest in local history, not only for Chippenham but the whole of Wiltshire, then a visit to the Swindon and Wiltshire History Centre, the county's repository of historic documents going back 800 years, is a must

The River Avon runs through the town centre and there are walks along the river banks. The town has a variety of building styles, from "black and white" houses, including the Yelde Hall in the market place, through to modern buildings. If you're feeling a little more energetic there are several very good Golf Courses near by or for more excitement there's the Castle Combe Race Circuit.

A full range of shops can be found in the town and the shopping centre, together with a leisure centre and cinema.

The Surrounding Area

Here on the fringes of the Cotswolds, pretty villages of mellow stone cottages are scattered across the rolling downland and wooded river valleys. Among these lie the National Trust village of Lacock and Castle Combe, acclaimed as England's prettiest village.

Abbey House, Pound Hill and Sheldon Manor and their glorious gardens are all within close striking distance. Calne has the Cherhill White Horse carved into the open downland whilst the market towns of Malmesbury, Corsham, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett offer enticing antique shops, local crafts and fresh produce at weekly street and Farmers' markets.

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