The historic Wiltshire market town of Chippenham has seen huge changes over the years. Its population has grown rapidly in recent decades and alongside its historic centre housing has spread out in new suburbs around the town that were formerly just villages. Today cattle traders can no longer be seen in Chippenham’s marketplace but the town has retained many historic buildings. Industries other than agriculture have also shaped the town, including Westinghouse (now Siemens) railway signalling company.

In Chippenham From Old Photographs author Chris Breach has drawn on a remarkable selection of old photographs to give a pictorial record of how much the town and the community has changed over the last century. Although many of the landmarks have remained the same over the years, the photographs show the town adapting and evolving with many other buildings being replaced and the pattern of life in the town changing for many too. This fascinating collection of images will be of interest to those who have lived in Chippenham or know it well as well as the many visitors to the area.