Local History

Tell us what you think of the vintage photos, and share your memories of Chippenham.

Mark Askew
I used to live in the former White Hart in the Market Place. I lived there with my mom and dad from 1965 to 1968 above the Haberdashery Shop and next to the fish and chip shop. Our lounge was the half moon window with the two bedrooms on the left. We were the last to live there before it was turned into a supermarket. We had access through the archway. A door on the left led us through the shop storerooms to the top of the building. There were four steps up to the big black lounge door (which was 300 years old)and five steps up to the bedrooms. At the end of the cobbled stoned entrance was a secret garden hidden behind a wooden door. I used to go down there and sit on the swing hanging from the tree in the middle of the garden. Another lady lived under the 'arch', Mrs Haines. There were stables down the sides which hadn't changed much since it was the White Hart. I remember every nook and cranny and wish it was still there. I used to go to Corsham Girls School. My father was stationed at RAF Rudloe Manor but decided to come out of married quarters and thats how we ended up in the Market Place. I now live in Birmingham but often come through Chippenham and re-live my memories. Thank you for your website.

Mike Clothier
Grew up in River Street Chippenham in the 40's so these pictures bring back a lot of memories, especially the bridge where a lot of fishing took place.

Mark Askew
I love chippenham!! i think you have done great improvement please keep it up!! yay chippenham AND trowbridge :)

Angela McQueen nee Cook
My Auntie Beryl was married here at Hardenhuish Church in 1950ish.

Angela McQueen nee Cook
My first flat when I left home was in Chippenham Market Place in 1975. It was above the flover shop. In pic 4 it is right of the war memorial in the pictire.

Pamela Lynch (nee Cook)
Phillip Sheldon, I have that Photo ,Roland was my Grandfather , how can I contact you I am in Australia.See genesconnect site

Helen Baker
I am trying to find images of Chippenham in the 1930s so dates on your/more photos would be really helpfull

Danny Parker
spent from 1951 until 1964 hereenjoyed looking at photos

Mark Askew
I think chippenham needes to be a lot better.. i live in trowbridge and the ratings here are great I LOVE TROWBRIDGE!!

angela young
lovely to look back at these old photo's especially the old vehicles as my partner and I have a 1959 A35

harvey
i loved it at the this place cus i learned lots of stuff i went there to day with my skool im 9 years old and my name is well u know my name

philip seldon
it would be nice to see pictures other than the town centre. somewhere there is a photo of my great grandfather (roland cook)with my grandfather (fred cook)as a small child, standing in station hill selling fish and chips from a cart, outside the old palace cinema. has anyone seen or knowledge of this photo? also i am looking for photos of the 'spinks works' area of the causeway.

Carolyn Cunningham
I used to live in the former White Hart in the Market Place. I lived there with my mom and dad from 1965 to 1968 above the Haberdashery Shop and next to the fish and chip shop. Our lounge was the half moon window with the two bedrooms on the left. We were the last to live there before it was turned into a supermarket. We had access through the archway. A door on the left led us through the shop storerooms to the top of the building. There were four steps up to the big black lounge door (which was 300 years old)and five steps up to the bedrooms. At the end of the cobbled stoned entrance was a secret garden hidden behind a wooden door. I used to go down there and sit on the swing hanging from the tree in the middle of the garden. Another lady lived under the 'arch', Mrs Haines. There were stables down the sides which hadn't changed much since it was the White Hart. I remember every nook and cranny and wish it was still there. I used to go to Corsham Girls School. My father was stationed at RAF Rudloe Manor but decided to come out of married quarters and thats how we ended up in the Market Place. I now live in Birmingham but often come through Chippenham and re-live my memories. Thank you for your website.

Rocker
lol me my mate got lost here onece =]

damion
well i was living in chippenham when this was taken but i really do like seeing what our town used to look like. it's a very nice picture

celia webb ( gibson)
Brought back lots of memories,still love it. Its a shame some of the character has gone had some lovely old buildings.

John Ingram
Lovely collection. I was at Chippenham Grammar in the '50's and was a Westinghouse apprentice too. I love the pic of the first suppermarket in Chippenham, I remember the queues outside on opening day. Thanks for happy memories of a still lovely town.

r c meadows fr melksham
very good nice and clear

Sheila Robbins
What wonderful pictures. As a child in the 50's & 60's I remember some of these scenes.What a shame the modern shop fronts haven't got any character to them now.

Janice Reeves nee Freegard
Can still remember the lovely town and too think New Road was two-way traffic, I was born in the 1950s life seemed much calmer then.

Harold Taylor
ahhhhhhh yes lovely pictures, i was born in the late 1930s. I remember the streets well.

Betty Steele
Interesting pictures of old Chippenham. My Grandad had a bootmaker's shop in New Road, near the railway bridge in the late C19, early C20. He told a story about a runaway horse and cart which came down the slope from the railway and crashed into the window of his shop, breaking it. The poor horse had to be put down.

David Britton
Beautiful,pictures, thank you for not putting a copyright on them. There is one place no one seemed to photograph. Thats the bridge going over to the island. I was born in 1944 near Town FC. The bridge used to be lit up on a night. A favourite place for courting couples.

Brian Townsend
Lovely photographs. My g.grandparents lived in Back Lane in the 1850's, so I am particularly interested. Thank you.

John Courtenay Wilcox
Very interesting especiallt the photo with the old biplane.

KIM WRIGHT
What wonderful photographs! How fantastic to see the streets as they were. My children loved them too.Thank you.