Our History

Chippenham Borough Lands Charity has legacy spanning over 470 years, tracing it’s origins back to the Tudor era and the reign of Queen Mary I in the sixteenth century.

Our Charity was first established after Queen Mary granted a Royal Charter to Chippenham in 1554. Through this historic charter, she gave Crown Land – originally part of Lord Hungerford’s estates – upon the Borough to alleviate financial burdens and support public services. The  income generated was designated to fund two local Members of Parliament and maintain the vital bridge over the River Avon.

During this foundational period, Chippenham was governed by a Bailiff and twelve Burgesses, who had responsibility for managing the town’s lands and resources. Following a period when the relevant Council assumed all properties, debts and assets from the Bailiff and Burgesses, including the Borough lands, a proposed road scheme led to the careful study of the charters and deeds relating to the Borough Lands. The investigation confirmed that the Borough Lands constituted a charitable trust rather than Council property. Further scrutiny found that the Council had unlawfully acquired the lands requiring financial reparation to compensate for the loss.

On 18th April 1990, the Charity Commission granted a transformative scheme called The Charities (Borough Lands Charity) Chippenham Order and the new Trustees took office. This led to the formal handover of deeds, documents and assets to the Trustees in October 1990. The Charity Commission requested immediate expenditure on community benefits, with a new ward at Chippenham Hospital serving as one notable example.  A considerable proportion of the recovered funds was prudently invested.

Today CBLC serves as vigilant custodian of these treasured assets for both current and future generations.

• Lands: Our 70 acres of historic “Borough Lands” – community green spaces some of which generate rental income, are managed for the benefit of the Chippenham populace, maintaining public benefit envisioned by the original land grants.
• Investments: Our diversified investment portfolio generates sustainable income, which the Charity uses for the benefit of Chippenham residents.

CBLC has safeguarded these historic Borough Lands through changing times. Recognising the unprecedented challenges of recent years, including a global pandemic followed by a severe cost of living crisis – we remain committed to responding to today’s needs while preparing our organisation for the future.

Our Trustees are custodians of our endowment funds and land for the benefit of our community using these in response to the evolving needs of Chippenham residents.