31 High Street, Corsham - 01249 714660 info@visitcorshamarea.co.uk

Corsham was historically a centre for agriculture and later, the wool industry, and remains a focus for quarrying Bath Stone. It contains several notable historic buildings, such as the stately home of Corsham Court. During the Second World War and the Cold War, it became a major administrative and manufacturing centre for the Ministry of Defence, with numerous establishments both above ground and in the old quarry tunnels. The early 21st century saw growth in Corsham's role in the film industry.

The parish includes the villages of Gastard and Neston, which is at the gates of the Neston Park estate.

Corsham appears to derive its name from Cosa's ham, "ham" being Old English for homestead, or village. The town is referred in the Domesday book as Cosseham; the letter 'R' appears to have entered the name later under Norman influence (possibly caused by the recording of local pronunciation), when the town is reported to have been in the possession of the Earl of Cornwall. Corsham is recorded as Coseham in 1001, as Cosseha in 1086, and at Cosham as late as 1611 (on John Speed's map of Wiltshire). The Corsham area belonged to the King in Saxon times, the area at the time also had a large forest which was cleared to make way for further expansion.

There is evidence that the town had been known as "Corsham Regis" due to its reputed association with anglo-saxon Æthelred of Wessex, and this name remains as that of a primary school.

One of the towns that prospered greatly from Wiltshire's wool trade in medieval times, it maintained its prosperity after the decline of that trade through the quarrying of Bath stone, with underground mining works extending to the south and west of Corsham.

Numbers 94 to 112 of the High Street are Grade II* listed buildings known as the "Flemish Weavers Houses", however there is little cogent evidence to support this name and it appears more likely to derive from a handful of Dutch workers who arrived in the 17th century.

Corsham also contains the historic Georgian house, The Grove, opposite the high street, a typical example of classic Georgian architecture.

Pickwick Manor was noted by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as an "unusually impressive example of a late 17th century manor house", having remnants of a 14th-century wing. More recently it has been the residence of architect Harold Brakspear and his descendants.

Beechfield is a late Georgian house in Middlewick Lane. It was extended in the early 1970s to provide additional accommodation. The house was split into residential accommodation while part of the grounds were split off in 2002 under the auspices of the Town Council to provide a Nature Area where local flora and fauna can be seen.

Gurneys House is another building of historical significance which now provides hotel accommodation and a restaurant. It also caters for special events such as weddings.

Middlewick House was occupied by Camilla Parker Bowles (now The Duchess of Cornwall) and her first husband between 1986 and 1995, when it was bought by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd.

Pickwick has the "Two Pigs", a real ale pub which is a Grade II listed building. Formerly named "The Spread Eagle", it is now known for hosting live music, but at the end of the nineteenth century - when Pickwick did not have a mortuary - corpses were laid out on the bar of the pub until they could be transferred to Corsham mortuary.