Trowbridge | Wiltshire, England, UK | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Trowbridge, town (parish), administrative and historic county of Wiltshire, southwestern England. Trowbridge is located on the River Biss in western Wiltshire, approximately 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Bath. Its substantial growth in the 18th and 19th centuries and strong transportation links made it the logical county town (seat) for Wiltshire.

First mentioned in the Domesday Book as Straburg, Trowbridge is of ancient origin. Its medieval centre grew around Trowbridge Castle, which was built in the early 12th century by the de Bohun family. Much of the town’s early development was shaped by Henry de Bohun, who was one of the 25 barons charged with enforcing King John I’s compliance with the Magna Carta. De Bohun not only obtained a market charter for the town in 1200, but he also was responsible for the construction of the church of St. James and the configuration of Trowbridge’s marketplace.

The traditions of weaving and cloth making in Trowbridge stretch back more than one thousand years to Anglo-Saxon times. By the 14th century the town had become a centre for woollen cloth production, and in the 17th century it began producing medley, or Spanish, cloth that was hailed by the writer Daniel Defoe as the finest of its kind in the whole world. Textile making was responsible for Trowbridge’s transformation into the “Manchester of the West” during the 19th century as a result of growing mechanization and the advent of cloth mills. By 1817, 17 woollen factories were operating in Trowbridge, and high-quality cloth continued to be produced there into the 20th century. Royal patrons ranged from Mary I and Edward VIII to Elizabeth II. The industry left Trowbridge with a rich legacy of industrial architecture reaching from the late 16th to the mid-19th century. The town’s industrial heritage is also preserved in the Trowbridge Museum, housed in Home Mills, which was the town’s last working textile mill until it closed in 1982.

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Trowbridge’s status as a county town brought many public-sector jobs. After forming as a local authority-run provider of supplies for councils in southwestern England and Wales, the Trowbridge-based Consortium became a large privately owned distribution company. Food processing is also a significant element in Trowbridge’s economy, as are manufacturing (notably beds and auto parts) and engineering.

Trowbridge’s diversity of shops, regular markets, and public transportation links make it a popular shopping destination. It is also well situated between popular tourist attractions in southwestern England, including the World Heritage sites of Bath, Avebury, and Stonehenge, as well as Longleat House, a 16th-century stately home. Two of the principal focuses of special events in Trowbridge are the Civic Centre and the multiuse Trowbridge Park (“People’s Park”). Trowbridge has a history of regional success in the Britain in Bloom horticulture and gardening competition overseen by the Royal Horticultural Society. Pop. (2001) 28,148; (2011) 32,304.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.