Trowbridge Is the County Town of Wilshire and home of the County Council

The name is believed to be from the Anglo-Saxon words for tree and bridge - 'treow-brycg' - indicating either that the towns name came from a bridge made of trees or for a bridge close to an unusually prominent tree.

The castle was built near what is know the centre of the town, and was fairly substantial. In the 12th century the castle fell into ruin and by the mid-1500s there was no structural evidence left. In 1812 the lots were sold for the building of cloth mills. Fore street ( the main shopping street) follows the castles outer defences. The shires shopping centre now occupy a large area of what was the centre of the castle.