Historical boundaries 1295–1832: The
parliamentary borough of
Chippenham in the unreformed Parliament consisted of only part of the parish of
Chippenham in
Wiltshire. However, as Chippenham was a
burgage borough, in which the right to vote was confined to the resident occupiers of specific properties, the boundary had no practical function. The borough had a population of 1,620 in 1831, for 283 houses.
1832–1885: The Boundary Act which accompanied the
Great Reform Act extended the boundaries of the parliamentary borough, to include the whole of Chippenham parish, the adjoining parishes of
Hardenhuish and
Langley Burrell, as well as the extra-parochial district of
Pewsham. This more than trebled the borough's population, to 5,270 by the 1831 figures, for 883 houses.
1885–1918: During this period, Wiltshire was split into five county divisions and one borough, of which
The North-Western (or Chippenham) Division of Wiltshire was one; it was often colloquially referred to simply as either Chippenham or as North-West Wiltshire. It was bordered by the
Cricklade division to the east,
Westbury to the south and
Devizes to the southeast. Over the county boundary were
the Thornbury division of Gloucestershire to the west,
the Cirencester division of Gloucestershire to the north and
the Frome division of Somerset to the southwest. The Chippenham division included the towns of
Calne and
Malmesbury as well as Chippenham, both of which had also been parliamentary boroughs in their own right before 1885. By the outbreak of World War I, the population of the constituency was about 45,000.
1918–1950: In 1918 Wiltshire was split into five divisions, but there was no
borough constituency in the county. The
Wiltshire, Chippenham division was expanded, taking in the towns of
Cricklade and
Wootton Bassett, also former parliamentary boroughs, as well as the surrounding rural areas: in full, it was composed of the then
Municipal Boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, and Malmesbury, and the
Rural Districts of
Calne,
Chippenham,
Malmesbury,
Cricklade and Wootton Bassett (part), and
Tetbury (excluding the part in the
administrative county of
Gloucestershire).
1950–1983: In the redistribution which took effect at the
1950 general election, Wiltshire was divided into one borough and four county constituencies.
Chippenham County Constituency consisted of the same Municipal Boroughs as in 1918 and the Rural Districts of Calne and Chippenham, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett, and Malmesbury.
1983–2010: Constituency replaced by
North Wiltshire.
2010–2024: The
North Wiltshire wards of Cepen Park, Chippenham
Allington, Chippenham Audley, Chippenham Avon, Chippenham Hill Rise, Chippenham London Road, Chippenham Monkton Park, Chippenham Park, Chippenham Pewsham, Chippenham Redland, Chippenham Westcroft/Queens,
Corsham,
Lacock with
Neston and
Gastard, and
Pickwick, and the
West Wiltshire wards of
Atworth and
Whitley,
Bradford-on-Avon North, Bradford-on-Avon South,
Holt, Manor Vale (i.e.
Limpley Stoke,
Monkton Farleigh,
South Wraxall,
Westwood and
Winsley),
Melksham North, Melksham Spa,
Melksham Without, Melksham Woodrow, Paxcroft. The constituency was re-established as a result of increasing the number of seats in Wiltshire from six to seven. Chippenham and Corsham were transferred from North Wiltshire; Melksham from Devizes; and Bradford-on-Avon from Westbury.
Current boundaries Further to the
2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the
2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following Wiltshire electoral divisions (as they existed on 4 May 2021): Calne Central, Calne Chilvester & Abberd, Calne North, Calne Rural, Chippenham Cepen Park & Derriads, Chippenham Cepen Park & Hunters Moon, Chippenham Hardenhuish, Chippenham Hardens & Central, Chippenham Lowden & Rowden, Chippenham Monkton, Chippenham Pewsham, Chippenham Sheldon, Corsham Ladbrook, Corsham Pickwick, Corsham Without, Lyneham, Royal Wootton Bassett East, Royal Wootton Bassett North, and Royal Wootton Bassett South & West. The constituency was realigned to retain
Chippenham and
Corsham, and gained most of
Calne,
Lyneham and
Royal Wootton Bassett from the abolished
North Wiltshire constituency.
Bradford-on-Avon and
Melksham became part of a new
Melksham and Devizes constituency. ==Members of Parliament==