Tell me a bit about Melksham
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2013-08-10 17:28:58 - Graham Ellis
'; return $ht; } ?>• New Resident?
• Visiting the town on business?
• Tourist?
• Looking for things for your visiting relatives to do?
• Visiting the town to see where your forefathers lived?
• Considering a move to Melksham?
• Coming here on an exchange visit?
Lots of reasons why people ask "tell me a bit about Melksham" ...
Introduction
| I love living in this town, helping people find the facilities that suit them, welcoming newcomers. Lisa and I were new ourselves in 1999,and we rapidly learned what a wide range of places there is in the town, and yet how many of them are tucked away and you wouldn't stumble upon them by accident. This is a page of bullet points to act as a memory jogger and to help you start your research. Please let me know of anything that I should add - happy to do so. Graham Ellis - President, Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Vice Chair, Melksham Railway Development Group - Proprietor, Well House Manor, Melksham |
All pictures taken on a single walk around Melksham on 9th August 2013.
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This short guide has been written for visitors to our hotel and training centre on Spa Road, Melksham - Well House Manor - where we cater for the business and leisure guest in Melksham. As well as high quality hotel rooms, we offer a cafe service of teas and coffees and a small museum which offers an introduction to the town's history. You are welcome to drop in to Well House Manor any day - no appointment necessary.
Our team all live in Melksham, and they're happy to tell you a little bit about the town and point you in the right direction ... this document is a reminder for them, and a starter for the visitor, of many of the things we sometimes overlook. Please feel free to make copies.
You can view this page at http://melksh.am/4151
What's Melksham's History?
• "Melksham" = "Milk Homestead" ... a clue to the agricultural market town background.
• Melksham was a significant (forded) crossing over the Avon for thousands of years
• The first church was built in Saxon times, and there was a religious settlement too.
• Melksham was recorded in the Doomesday Book. Elements of the current church date from soon thereafter.
• Melksham Bank; Riots; Masons.
• Wilts and Berks Canal came in 1812
• Melksham Spa - to rival Bath? - opened 1815
• Melksham House and the quakers of Melksham
• Invention of the dry earth closet, cushion tyre, seamless tennis ball
• Railway came in 1848. Station closed in 1966, re-opened in 1985
• Industry - Spencers, Maggs, Spiers, Feathers, Dairy, Sawtells, Avon Tyres
• RAF Melksham - 1940 to 1964 - rafmelksham.info
What about Melksham Today?
• Population of around 25,000 ... up from around 21,000 in 2001
• Many older buildings have been replaced, but many remain.
• Some areas of the town were rebuilt about 50 years ago and are now showing their age rather obviously.
• There's a great deal of high tech industry around the town, and service and traditional heavy industry too
• Many residents work in or near the town, but many commute to work in Swindon, Bristol, Bath and other towns
• There is a similar inflow of staff to Melksham businesses
• Melksham's town centre has fared better than many, and there remains a strong independent shop sector
• There is a selection of lunchtime cafes and pubs that serve food.
• Melksham has been called the "Takeaway Capital of Wiltshire", and there are some eat in restaurants too
• Melksham is well served with supermarkets - town centre - edge of town, and smaller stores within communities
• There is a thriving population of seniors, and a vibrant young population
• Melksham Oak Community School (secondary) was opened in 2011 and there are half a dozen primary schools.
• Melksham has a thriving nighttime culture
• Melksham is considered a safe town, with a very low crime rate.
And what about Melksham tomorrow?
• The town will continue to grow to over 30,000 (pop) within 10 years
• New homes are being built to the east of the town. Other areas/sites are marked for housing too
• New football and rugby facilities will open in a couple of years
• A new Campus at Melksham House will open around 2015 - wet & dry sports, library, youth centre, police station, doctor's surgery, meeting rooms, cafe and other council services will be provided
• The Wilts and Berks Canal will reopen to Melksham in a few years (running via the river Avon) and later will continue to Swindon and Abingdon, giving a complete canal "Ring".
• Businesses continue to move to the town - for example, Herman Miller are bringing 150 jobs to the town
• Improvements are planned to the train service that calls at Melksham, making the town far more accessible
• New Hall and Woodhouse Restaurant / Pub coming
• Inevitably, some businesses will employ fewer people as they become more efficient, or close / leave the town as their business area marches ahead with time.
• See http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshire_core_strategy_melksham_boards.pdf
What is there to see?
• Floral Town, Town Hall, Market Place
• History Trail / Blue Plaque Trail
• Round Houses
• Church of St Michael and all Angels
• Conigre Mead Nature Reserve
• Lost Waterway walk
• Kennet and Avon
• Seend Iron Works
• Riverside Walk
• Look up to see history - town's architcture
• Walk around Melksham House
• Church Walk (Medieval cottages)
• the River Bridge
• the Pack Horse Bridge
• Freddie's Wood
• Spa Road and Melksham Spa (Georgian) and Woolmore Farm
• High Pavements
What is there to do?
• Museum for Melksham [link]
• Assembly Hall events
• Christie Miller Events
Where can I go shopping?
• Town Centre Shops
• Antiques and bric a brak
• Specialists at Avonside
• Charity Shops
• Leekes
• Sainsbury, Asda, Waitrose
• Lidl and Aldi
• Co-op and Tesco Express
What is on the annual calendar?
• Food Festival
• Christmas Lights
• Santa Train
• Party in the Park / Melksham Music festival
• Spot the Oddity
• Carnival
What's the transport system like?
• By road - about 8 miles south of M4 motorway
• Plenty of parking in the town
• Coach parking being provided within the next few weeks in the Central car park
• On National Cycle Path 403
• Good selection of public footpaths and bridleways
• Buses every day of the week from Bath and Devizes
• Buses from Monday to Saturday from Chippenham and Trowbridge
• Limited train service from Swindon and Westbury, change there for long distance destinations
• Daily express coach to / from London (Heathrow and Centre) (100 miles away)
Where are the leisure activities?
• Skateboard Park
• Blue Pool Swimming
• Christie Miller (Bowling etc)
• Boomerang
• Skittles Alley
• Cricket, Rugby, Football
• Wiltshire Gymnastics
What else is there nearby?
• Lacock
• Bradford-on-Avon
• The Courts (Holt)
• Chalfield Manor
• Corsham Court
• Bowood
• Longleat and Centre Parks
• Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum (Calne)
• Bath
• Caen Hill and Devizes
• Avebury
• Westbury White Horse
• Maude Heath's Causeway
• Calne, Wharf, walk towards Chippenham
• History Centre, Chippenham
• Thatched Church at Sandy Lane
• Oliver's Castle
• Vineyard Tour, Littleton Pannel
Where can I eat? [Lunch or evening]
• Refa, Sultans, Melksham Tandoori
• Ku, Lee's, Granville Road
• The Bear, The West End, The King's Arms
• Cornerstone, Art Cafe, Ashers, The Old Bakery
• Sainsbury's
• Waney Edge
[snack / coffee]
• Bagette Bar
• Costa
• Bud's Bar
[evening only]
• Conigre Farm
? Pig and Whistle
? Forsters's Arms
? New Inn
Where can I stay? (by distance from centre)
• King's Arms
• Well House Manor
• Conigre Farm
• Longhope B&B
• Bowden House B&B
• Anotonia House B&B
• Beechfield Hotel
• Shaw Hotel
• Whaddon Grove House
(I suggest you search via Google / Trip Advisor to find which suits you)
Politics and Government?
• Melksham Town council - centre section
• Melksham Without Parish council - outer ring
• Melksam Area of Wiltshire Council (about 10 parishes)
• Wiltshire Council
• Part of Chippenham Constituency (Duncan Hames MP)
• Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partneship
What is the Climate and weather like?
• See http://melksh.am/weather
• see also [here]
Can I participate?
• Melksham is a very welcoming town
• Ask at the TIC, Library, Town Hall or Well House Manor
• Come along to the Melksham Chamber of Commerce
• Send me an email (too many to list from age concern to zumba)
Where can I find our more?
• Melksham Active Net - http://www.melksham.info
• Melksham Events - http://www.melkshamevents.com/
• Our Community Matters - http://melksham.ourcommunitymatters.org.uk/
• Melksham People - http://www.melkshampeople.co.uk
• At the Library, Tourist Information Centre or Well House Manor