Trowbridge

Trowbridge, the county town of Wiltshire, lies in the heart of South West England only 10 miles from Bath. Trowbridge has been a major centre for close on a thousand years; the Domesday Book in 1086 records a Saxon called Brictric as the most important landowner in Wiltshire who administered these estates from his main residence in the town. By the 12th century, it was one of a handful of towns in Wiltshire defended by a Norman castle.

Wool was important to the growth of the town; Daniel Defoe wrote that “...the finest medley Spanish cloths, not in England but in the whole world are made here”. Grand clothiers houses were built in the town from the huge wealth generated, Lloyds Bank in Fore Street is said to be the finest Georgian building in Wiltshire. The Parade is described by Nicholas Pevsner as "a stretch of palaces". The Trowbridge Museum occupying one of the former cloth factories, now part of the Shires Shopping Centre tells the story of the town and the woollen industry.

In 1200 Trowbridge was the first town in Wiltshire to be granted a market charter. The town has become a busy, thriving sub-regional shopping centre, with national retailers such as Bodyshop, Monsoon, Waterstones and M & S Food as well as a wide selection of independent shops, a farmers market on the fourth Friday of each month, and the town park, where the Information Centre and Civic Hall are located.

There are excellent public transport links across the county and direct rail services to London, Cardiff, Bristol and Southampton.

The internationally renowned Trowbridge Village Pump Festival is held each year. With gardens, stately homes and countryside, there is much to enjoy locally.