Trowbridge began life as a settlement on a ridge of stoney subsoil by the little river Biss. Its growth to urban status started with the building of a castle by the 'De Bohuns' early in the twelfth century.

The town was well developed when the wool trade took off, and shared in the general wealth associated with weaving mills. When the wool trade died out industry was replaced by a factory making steam engines, some breweries and a bed making factory.

Several theories have been current at various times to explain the name of Trowbridge but place name experts now agree that it must be derived from the Anglo-Saxon words for tree and bridge - "treow-brycg" - indicating either that the town was noted for a bridge made of trees, or for a bridge close to an unusually prominent tree.

At this early time Trowbridge was not a place of much importance. Its first appearance in history is in the troubled reign of King Stephen in the first half of the twelfth century. By this time there was a fairly large castle here which was held by supporters of Queen Matilda, the rival claimant to the throne of England.

Trowbridge's chief distinction is that it houses Wiltshire's county offices. For all practical purposes it is the county town and has been so since 1893. To visitors this may seem a little strange what with Salisbury being the Cathedral town, Swindon being the largest, and Devizes being the more central. The reason for this is due to communications, throughout the county communicating was always a problem because of the Salisbury plain, all the main railway lines ran east to west in the south of the county hence Trowbridge was the more accessible from places as it could be reached by rail.