Calne, one of the oldest towns in Wiltshire, is a market town with approximately 12,000 residents, quite a few of whom are artists, writers, musicians and actors!

Located about 5 miles south of Lyneham, it was originally a wool town and the 15th Century "wool" church was endowed by prosperous clothiers whose mills bordered the River Marden.

Dr Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen, lived on The Green, carried out some of his experiments in Doctor's Pond near the centre of the town.

In Calne's large and beautiful church, St. Mary's Church is a legacy of the medieval prosperity of the town, lays a memorial to Dr Ingen Housz credited with creating smallpox vaccination. The Dutch physician furthered his research into photosynthesis at nearby Bowood House. Dr Ingen Housz worked closely with Dr Edward Jenner, whose museum can be visited at Berkeley Gloucestershire, for full details see our museum page .

Early in Dr Jenner's career he began to observe the phenomena of cowpox, a disease common in the rural parts of the western counties of England, and he was familiar with the belief, current among the peasantry, that a person who had suffered from the cowpox could not take smallpox

The famous highwaymen - 'The Cherhill Gang' - roamed the old stagecoach route persuading victims to part with their riches by appearing "unattired."

Calne was made famous by the former Harris Bacon Factory, which was the first to use the principle of bacon curing, taking out a patent for the process in 1864. In 1983 the Harris Company closed the large factories which had dominated the town as employers and architecturally for over 200 years. This left a void in the town's physical fabric and its social heart, since Harris's, as the major employer, had also provided many social and recreational facilities. The former Harris site has been regenerated into a new shopping centre and library.

Nearby at Oldbury Castle Iron age hillfort is Churhill White Horse carved into the chalk downs in 1780 and the 19th century Lansdowne monument.

Calne is an ideal base for exploring the Downs with many footpaths and bridleways leading from the town. Top accommodation is provided by the Lansdowne Strand Hotel for more information. There is an outdoor market in the Pippin car park every Friday.

The small town of Calne has one of the longest histories in the County of Wiltshire. The very first farmers to settle in England, would have lived in the warmer bottomlands in settlements. In addition to ancient farmers the area surrounding Calne was inhabited and used extensively by the Romans who lived there from 55 A.D. Many items of pottery and other 'finds' confirm their presence. It is also worth noting that the major Roman road of the time, from London to Bath.

The first recorded mention of the town was in the will of King Edred in 955. Calne was probably laid out as a deliberate settlement during the Anglo Saxon period where it was described as a 'villa regia', meaning a place on Crown Land.

Throughout the years it remained that way, visited occasionally by various Kings who used the forests nearby for hunting. Nearby Bradenstoke Forest was hunted for deer, and the White Hart Inn, at Lyneham used to be a stopping station for the post run from Bath to London, picking up venison on their way.

Nestling below the Marlborough Downs the town stands on the River Marden which flows to join the Avon at Stanley near Chippenham. Encompassing Calne are a number of attractive villages along with several local Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The most significant factor in Calne's development include improved shopping areas and an excellent business park on the northern side of the town. Further developments include a new library, retail and residential areas in the town centre. The new library was opened at the beginning of August 2001. It has over 20,000 books on its shelves and provides excellent study facilities for adults and children, including a Learning Access Point with computer terminals linked to the Internet. There is also a large children's library and the stock of videos, CDs and spoken word tapes has been increased.

Calne Heritage Centre
Carnegie Building
New Road
Calne
SN11 0SQ
Tel: +44(0)1249 820066
www.calneheritage.co.uk
At the Calne Heritage Centre website you will find useful information on the Centre, its location and opening times, current and forthcoming events, a potted history of Calne.

Calne and the surrounding area can boast a wealth of wonderfully interesting historic events, pioneering and famous people, important trade developments and buildings of significant architectural interest.

The Calne Heritage Centre tells the story of Calne and its surrounding areas through a series of display boards around the Centre supported by interactive computer systems, pictures and artefacts.