chippenham is a large historic market town in northwest wiltshire, england. it lies east of bristol, west of london and west of the cotswolds aonb. the town was established on a crossing of the river avon and some form of settlement is believed to have existed there since before roman times. it was a royal vill, and probably a royal hunting lodge, under alfred the great. the town continued to grow when the great western railway arrived in 1841; it is now a major commuter town.