| Melksham | |
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  Melksham shown within Wiltshire |
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| Population | 21,000 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Melksham |
| District | West Wiltshire |
| Shire county | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Melksham |
| Postcode district | SN12 |
| Dialling code | 01225 |
| Police | Wiltshire |
| Fire | Wiltshire |
| Ambulance | Great Western |
| European Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Devizes |
| List of places: UK • England • Wiltshire | |
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Swindon postcode area, is a group of postal districts around The Swindon Urban Area The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Wiltshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Wiltshire and Swindon in south-west England. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the Ceremonial county of Wiltshire The Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS is UK National Health Service (NHS trust providing emergency and non emergency South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Devizes is an English Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities towns and villages in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire, England A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower It lies in the north of the West Wiltshire district, in the county of Wiltshire. The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye
It is situated 19 km (12 miles) southeast of the city of Bath, 11 km (7 miles) south of Chippenham, 13 km (8 miles) west of Devizes and 21 km (14 miles) north of Warminster on the A350 national route. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Devizes is a small Market town and Civil parish in the heart of the English county of Wiltshire, in the southern United Kingdom Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000 inhabitants, including sizeable environs such as Bowerhill and Berryfield. As such it is Wiltshire's fifth-largest town by population after Swindon, Salisbury, Chippenham and Trowbridge. Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Salisbury (ˈsɒlzbri ˈsɔːlzbri ('Solzbry' or ˈzɔːwzbri ('Zawzbry' — moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in the Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast
Contents |
History
The town of Melksham developed at a ford across the River Avon and the name is presumed to derive from MEOLC, the Old English for milk and from HAM, a village. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower It was a royal estate at the time of the Norman Conquest. In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a Property portfolio associated with the monarchy.
In 1539 the Prioress and Nuns of Amesbury surrendered their Melksham estates to the King, which they had held for about 250 years. A priory is a House of men or women under religious vows headed by a Prior or prioress Amesbury is a Town and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury. This property, which consisted of the Lordship of the Manor and Hundred, was in 1541 granted to Sir Thomas Seymour. The title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English mediaeval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. This article is about the medieval system "Manors" redirects here Seymour then sold it to Henry Brouncker, who had already made purchases of real estate in the neighbourhood. At some uncertain date, perhaps about 1550, Brouncker built a residence for himself on the site of an earlier mansion. This was known as Place House, built in a style suitable to that of a resident lord, who was also a man of considerable wealth.
Three generations of the family lived here: Henry Brouncker the founder, (d. 1569), his son, Sir William, and his grandson Henry. On the death of this last Henry, about 1600, it became manifest that the Brouncker estate was heavily encumbered, and in the course of the next twenty or thirty years, all the property was alienated with the exception of Erlestoke, where William Brouncker, the heir, retired with his wife Anne, daughter of Sir John Dauntesey. Erlestoke map 1922jpg|thumb|Map of the village 1922]] Erlestoke is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. Meanwhile, Place House was occupied for ten or eleven years by Henry Brouncker’s widow and her second husband, Ambrose Dauntesey. After their death, in 1612, the house apparently was occupied by the steward, and afterwards it was conveyed to Sir John Danvers, who married into the family, in 1634. Danvers died in 1655 and the lordship of Melksham passed to his son, who then conveyed the estate to Walter Long the Younger, of Whaddon. The lordship remained in the Long family, who were descended from the first Henry Brouncker, until the early part of the 20th century, having passed to the 1st Viscount Long of Wraxall. Viscount Long, of Wraxall in the County of Wiltshire is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
Early Melksham Bank
An announcement was made in the Bath Chronicle in June 1792 of the establishment of the Melksham Bank by the firm of Awdry, Long & Bruges. The Bath Chronicle is a weekly newspaper published since 1760 in Bath, England. In November 1813 the misquoting of part of an advertisement in two London newspapers caused panic amongst the bank customers, many of whom quickly withdrew their money, reportedly causing "some bustle" among the partners of the bank. There was further trouble in 1824, when the bank was listed on a Parliamentary Paper of the House of Commons under the title "Country Banks Becoming Bankrupt". The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords John Long, one of the original partners, had by then become sole proprietor with the financial backing of his elder brother Richard Godolphin Long MP. Richard Godolphin Long (c 12 November 1761 &ndash 1 July 1835) was an English politician The elder Long lost a considerable amount of money, which his brother John had to repay him at the rate of £3,000 a year for the rest of his life. Later proprietors Moule, Son & Co announced a re-opening of the bank 12 January 1826.
Masonic Lodge
Freemasonry first came to Melksham in 1817, when a former Lodge of Westbury was transferred, and the first meeting was held in Melksham at The King's Arms on 9 September that year. In 1829, because of opposition by the inhabitants of Melksham, the Lodge had to relocate to a neighbouring village, and for nearly 70 years Masonry was not practised in Melksham until the formation of the Chaloner Lodge.
The Chaloner Lodge of Freemasons (no. 2644) was named after its first Worshipful Master Richard Godolphin Walmesley Chaloner, 1st Baron Gisborough, who, when not in London, resided at Melksham House. This article relates to mainstream 'Craft Freemasonry' sometimes known as 'Blue Lodge Freemasonry' Richard Godolphin Walmesley Chaloner 1st Baron Gisborough (born Richard Godolphin Walmesley Long; 12 October 1856 &ndash 23 January 1938 Melksham House is a Grade II listed Country house situated in Market Place Melksham, Wiltshire. He was the brother of the 1st Viscount Long. Viscount Long, of Wraxall in the County of Wiltshire is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Lodge was consecrated on 27 February 1897, with the first meeting scheduled for 4 p. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service usually religious m. March 19, held at the Town Hall. Writing from London while attending his Parliamentary duties as MP for Westbury, he complained that this date was inconvenient due to his having to be at Melton Mowbray to ride in the House of Commons Point to Point Steeplechase the next day. Melton Mowbray (known locally as Melton) is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives Despite this, the meeting went ahead and Chaloner initiated 13 of the candidates, returning to London overnight by train, getting virtually no sleep before his ride in the Steeplechase early the next morning, resulting in him twice falling heavily from his horse. [1] Later while deciding what extra furniture the Lodge required, he asked that he have a special footstool, as his chair was high and his feet "dangled unpleasantly". [2] By November 1897 a new Masonic Lodge was built in Melksham at Church St.
The Spa
In 1815 the Melksham Spa Company was formed by a group of 'respectable gentlemen', with names such as Methuen, Long and others, all of whom had done very well from the now declining textile industry. Their aim was to promote a spa, after abortive attempts to find coal had uncovered two springs. As a consequence they built six large three-storeyed, semi-detached lodging houses forming a crescent, a pump room and hot and cold private baths. Semi-Detached (1998 was Therapy? 's last album for A&M Records. This suburban area at the southern end of the town is now known as The Spa, belonging to the civil parish of Melksham Without. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. Melksham Without is a Civil parish within the district of West Wiltshire in the English county of Wiltshire. A plan for a similar crescent on the north side never materialised. Simultaneously an Act was obtained to 'improve the pleasing town of Melksham' by paving and improving its footways, and cleansing, lighting and watching the streets. The spa was not as successful as had been hoped, due in part to the popularity of the waters at nearby Bath. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol.
Modern Melksham
Located between Bath, Trowbridge and Chippenham, Melksham has many varied industries including Avon Rubber, which previously owned the Avon Tyre plant in the town centre. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Avon Rubber plc is a world-leading manufacturer of high technology Rubber -based products for a number of Manufacturing sectors Cooper Tire & Rubber Company now operates the plant, and is still a major employer in the town, producing Cooper Avon and Avon Tyres brands. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a United States based global company that specializes in the Design, Manufacture, Marketing and Sales In 2000, Avon Rubber plc moved to a large purpose-built facility just 3 km (2 miles) to the south of the town near Semington, employing over 300 people. Semington is a medium-sized village in West Wiltshire, England Melksham is also home to Knorr-Bremse (part of the Westinghouse-Invensys group), a designer and manufacturer of railway braking systems, at a modern purpose-built facility in south Bowerhill. Knorr-Bremse is a manufacturer of braking systems for rail and commercial vehicles that has operated in the field for over 100 years An air brake is a conveyance braking system applied by means of compressed air.
The town has a thriving business district and is also close to the retail centres of Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Trowbridge and Swindon and is surrounded by beautiful villages such as Lacock, Holt, Seend and Semington. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Trowbridge is the County town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county approximately 12 miles (19 km southeast Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles (5 km from the town of Chippenham. Seend is a Village and a Civil parish in Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom. Semington is a medium-sized village in West Wiltshire, England Substantial funding has allowed a variety of dynamic expansion and enhancement programmes, including improvement of the town centre. To cater for the unprecedented growth and attraction in recent years, there are new schools and improved infrastructure although small pockets of Melksham town centre, including an unsightly 1960's shopping parade, await redevelopment.
Famous residents in the area include Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, who has a private residence in nearby Lacock, and the singer-songwriter Midge Ure, who lives in nearby Box. Lacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles (5 km from the town of Chippenham. Midge Ure OBE (born James Ure, 10 October 1953, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a pop guitarist singer Elaborate wood box Tom TanakaJPG|thumb|An elaborate wooden box]] Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles Melksham Assembly Hall was the location for the first stage performance by the pop singer Gary Glitter and his Glitter Band on 15th July 1972. Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944 is an English Glam rock Singer and Songwriter, and is better known by his Stage name Gary The Glitter Band are a Glam rock band from England, who initially worked as Gary Glitter 's backing band but in 1973 began releasing records of their own
Melksham has been commended for a high level of social solidarity and community coherence. This is particularly notable at sporting events, at which the citizens of Melksham excel. George Ward School, the only secondary school in the Melksham catchment area, has provided education for the people of Melksham for many decades, with several athletes graduating from its ranks, such as Fitzroy Simpson. Fitzroy Simpson (born February 26, 1970 in England) is a professional English -born Jamaican footballer, who currently plays
Out-migration of the talented and most able people has left the town with an elderly and predominantly working-class population, but despite this, the town is still growing, with major new developments expanding in the Bowerhill/Hunter's Meadow district to the southeast. The Melksham Forest area of the town has traditionally comprised of working class state housing.
Suburbs
The parish of Melksham Without includes several villages and suburbs of Melksham. Melksham Without is a Civil parish within the district of West Wiltshire in the English county of Wiltshire.
- Melksham Forest
- Bowerhill (a small residential satellite town generally considered as part of Melksham, housing a large industrial area. Bowerhill is a suburb of Melksham, belonging to the Civil parish of Melksham Without. )
- Berryfield (a village south of and adjacent to Melksham, often considered part of the town)
- Beanacre (a village to the north, again often considered as a northern suburb of the town)
- Hunter's Meadow (a relatively new district north of Bowerhill). Berryfield is a suburb to the south of Melksham in Wiltshire, England.
Based upon its overall road length, the shortest street in Melksham is aptly called "Short Street", this is situated at the top of Melksham Forest.
Governance
The most significant local government functions (including schools, roads, social services, recycling and emergency planning) are carried out by Wiltshire County Council. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye
The town also falls within the area of West Wiltshire District Council, which deals with leisure services, housing, development control, and waste disposal. The District Council West Wiltshire District Council has forty-four members all elected together for a four-year term of office In 2009, the district council and county council will be abolished and replaced by Wiltshire Council, a unitary authority. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions
Melksham is a civil parish with an elected town council. A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches Michael (מִיכָאֵל Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Μιχαήλ Mikhaíl; Michael or Míchaël; ميخائيل Mikhā'īl) is an A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. This has a mostly consultative role, and the chairman of the town council has the title Mayor of Melksham. The outskirts of Melksham, and some surrounding communities, are administered by another parish council, Melksham Without. Melksham Without is a Civil parish within the district of West Wiltshire in the English county of Wiltshire.
Local elections generally return a mixture of Labour members, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Independents. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. In Politics, an independent is a Politician who is not Affiliated with any Political party.
Melksham is in the Devizes parliamentary constituency, and its Member of Parliament since 1992 has been the front-bench Conservative Michael Ancram. Devizes is an English Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr 13th Marquess of Lothian PC, QC, MP (born 7 July 1945 known as Michael Ancram, is a United Kingdom From the 54th United Kingdom general election, which will occur by June 2010, Melksham will, instead, be in the re-created Chippenham constituency, which is a theoretical Liberal Democrat seat, based on 2005 figures. Leadership of the main parties David Cameron became Conservative leader in December 2005 replacing Michael Howard. Chippenham will be a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Transport
The town is served by Melksham railway station, on the branch of the Wessex Main Line from Chippenham to Trowbridge, and currently it is served by two trains in either direction each weekday, operated by First Great Western. Melksham railway station serves the town of Melksham in Wiltshire, England. The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. Trowbridge railway station is a railway station on the Wessex Main Line between Bradford on Avon and Westbury. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates
Melksham is on the north-south A350 main road from the M4 motorway to Poole on the south coast. The A350 is a north-south Primary route in southern England, that runs from the M4 motorway in Wiltshire to Poole in Dorset The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. Poole ( is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset on the south coast of England It is served by bus companies including Faresaver and FirstGroup plc. FirstGroup plc ( is a Scottish Transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA The A350 directly to the south of Melksham has been designed to allow for possible future expansion to dual-carriageway status if required.
References
- British Spas from 1815 to the Present: A Social History by Phyllis M. Hembry, Leonard W. Cowie, Evelyn E. Cowie - Social Science - 1997
- Wiltshire Notes and Queries. Vol. IV 1903
External links
- The George Ward School
- Melksham Town Football Club – soccer
- Melksham Town Council
- Melksham Active Net — portal
- Historic Melksham photos at BBC Wiltshire
- Campaign to save Melksham's train service
- Wiltshire County Council, Melksham history
- Melksham news from the Wiltshire Times.
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