2nd Volunteer Battalion (B Company)
Royal Wiltshire (Prince of Wales’s Own Royal Regiment) Yeomanry (C
Squadron)
4th Battalion The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment) (D Co.)
‘The Chippenham Volunteer Rifle Corps used the buildings as its armoury
from 1846 until 1911, when it moved to new headquarters at The Ivy,
Bath Road. The Corps became ‘B’ Company, 2nd Volunteer Battalion,
The Wiltshire Regiment in 1881 and in 1908, on the creation of the
Territorial Force ... it became ‘B’ Company, 4th Battalion, Duke of
Edinburgh’s Wiltshire Regiment. ...
‘This photograph [right] shows the building as it was in the days
when it was used by the Chippenham Volunteers. For many years a cannon
stood outside the building but unfortunately it has since been lost.
Recruiting posters for Regular Regiments can clearly be seen.’
(Extract from a booklet produced by Chippenham Town Council in 1988
to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Yelde Hall Museum.)
Kelly, 1911 and Kelly, 1903, refer respectively to ‘Royal Wiltshire
(Prince of Wales’s Own Royal Regiment) Yeomanry (C Squadron)’ and
‘the ‘Head quarters, Market yard’.
Kelly, 1903: ‘2nd Volunteer Battalion (B Co.) head quarters, St. Mary’s
street.’
Kelly, 1911: ‘4th Battalion The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment)
(D Co.); Bath road.’
The Bridge Centre on Bath Road is a converted Drill Hall now used
by the community for youth work, a folk festival and a lunch club
for elderly citizens. Formerly the 4th. Wiltshire Regt. Territorial
Army HQ and Drill Hall, it was originally built in 1911 but substantially
rebuilt in the 1960s and now only recognisable as a 60s building.
Externally there are a number of outbuildings. The centre is situated
in the middle of a gigantic traffic roundabout. It is still in use
by Wiltshire ACF.
We are very grateful to David
Adams for the interesting information about Chippenham.