Summary

The town is situated about 3.5 miles southwest of Swindon and about 9 miles northeast of Chippenham. It is on the route of the A4 which connects London to Bristol, in the very southwest of Wiltshire. The town was historically a market town, with a prosperous wool and cloth industry that has now almost vanished. The name Wootton Bassett first appears in 1240, with "Bassett" added to distinguish it from other settlements with 'Wootton' as part of their name; the second part of the name is derived from Old English "wōdan", meaning 'a weir or fishing pond'. Royal Wootton Bassett was designated England's first "Royal Town" under Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 by an announcement made on her official website after she granted it a new coat of arms in 2007. The town was granted the "Royal" prefix in recognition of the role the town and its people played in the repatriation of UK service men and women killed as a result of war. The town is a short drive from accommodation at The Cotswold Water Park, provided by The Cotswold Retreats Company