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North Wiltshire
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of North Wiltshire in Wiltshire for the 2010 general election
Location of Wiltshire within England
County	Wiltshire
Electorate	67,154 (December 2010)
Major settlements	Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade, Malmesbury
1983–2024
Seats	One
Created from	Chippenham
Replaced by	Chippenham Melksham and Devizes South Cotswolds
1832–1885
Replaced by	Cricklade Chippenham Devizes Westbury

North Wiltshire was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was represented since its 1983 recreation by the Conservative Party. In the period 1832–1983, North Wiltshire was an alternative name for Chippenham or the Northern Division of Wiltshire and as Chippenham dates to the original countrywide Parliament, the Model Parliament, this period is covered in more detail in that article.

The seat was abolished for the 2024 general election and replaced by parts of three other constituencies.

Boundaries

1832–1885: The Hundreds of Chippenham, North Damerham, Bradford, Melksham, Potterne and Cannings, Calne, Selkley, Ramsbury, Whorwelsdown, Swanborough, Highworth, Cricklade and Staple, Kingsbridge, and Malmesbury.

1983–1997: The District of North Wiltshire.

1997–2010: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Allington, Ashton Keynes, Audley, Avon, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth, Colerne, Corsham, Crudwell, Hill Rise, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lacock, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Malmesbury Road, Minety, Monkton Park, Neston and Gastard, Nettleton, Park, Pickwick, Purton, Queen's, Redland, St Paul Malmesbury Without, Sherston, Somerford, The Lydiards, Town, Westcroft, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.

2010–2024: The District of North Wiltshire wards of Ashton Keynes and Minety, Box, Bremhill, Brinkworth and The Somerfords, Calne Abberd, Calne Chilvester, Calne Lickhill, Calne Marden, Calne Priestley, Calne Quemerford, Calne Without, Colerne, Cricklade, Hilmarton, Kington Langley, Kington St Michael, Lyneham, Malmesbury, Nettleton, Purton, St Paul Malmesbury Without and Sherston, The Lydiards and Broad Town, Wootton Bassett North, and Wootton Bassett South.

The constituency covered most of the northern third of Wiltshire. However, it excluded the eastern town of Swindon which was represented as North Swindon and South Swindon.

North Wiltshire constituency was formed by a renaming for the 1983 general election, with boundaries identical to the former Chippenham constituency (1885–1983). The constituency sat between the Cotswolds and Swindon. Its main towns were Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade and Malmesbury, and it also contained villages, both small and large, spread over a large area of farming countryside, including the well-known (often-painted and photographed) village of Castle Combe.

For the 2010 general election the North Wiltshire constituency changed radically as a result of boundary change recommendations. The revised constituency covered a northern swathe of the previous version, retaining the towns of Malmesbury, Cricklade, Royal Wootton Bassett and Calne, while the largest southern town of Chippenham was given its own seat (which was previously abolished in 1983) that brought in the nearby market towns of Bradford on Avon and Melksham.

Abolition

Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished for the 2024 general election, with its contents distributed three ways:

• Northern and western parts, including Cricklade, Purton and Malmesbury, forming part of the new seat of South Cotswolds
• Southern and eastern areas, including Royal Wootton Bassett, Lyneham and most of the town of Calne, added to a reconfigured Chippenham constituency
• The Box and Colerne, and Calne South wards included in the new seat of Melksham and Devizes

Members of Parliament

MPs 1832–1885

MPs since 1983

Elections

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: North Wiltshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Gray	32,373	59.1	1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Mathew	14,747	26.9	9.2
	Labour	Jonathan Fisher	5,699	10.4	7.1
	Green	Bonnie Jackson	1,939	3.5	1.4
Majority			17,626	32.2	10.4
Turnout			54,758	75.0	0.3
	Conservative hold		Swing	5.2

General election 2017: North Wiltshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Gray	32,398	60.3	3.1
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Mathew	9,521	17.7	2.1
	Labour	Peter Baldrey	9,399	17.5	7.7
	Green	Phil Chamberlain	1,141	2.1	2.5
	UKIP	Paddy Singh	871	1.6	9.9
	Independent	Lisa Tweedie	376	0.7	New
Majority			22,877	42.6	1.0
Turnout			53,706	75.34	0.84
	Conservative hold		Swing	0.5

General election 2015: North Wiltshire

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Gray	28,938	57.2	5.6
	Liberal Democrats	Brian Mathew	7,892	15.6	20.6
	UKIP	Pat Bryant	5,813	11.5	7.6
	Labour	Peter Baldrey	4,930	9.8	3.1
	Green	Phil Chamberlain	2,350	4.6	3.4
	Independent	Simon Killane	390	0.8	New
	Independent	Giles Wareham	243	0.5	New
Majority			21,046	41.6	26.2
Turnout			50,556	74.5	1.1
	Conservative hold		Swing	13.15

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1860s

• Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's resignation due to ill health.

Elections in the 1850s

• Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as Home Secretary

• Caused by Sotheron-Estcourt's appointment as President of the Poor Law Board

Elections in the 1840s

• Caused by Burdett's death.

Elections in the 1830s

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire

Notes

1. A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer).
2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
3. Since 2010 Calne is the furthest south

References

1. "Electorate Figures - Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
2. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume one: Report – South West | Boundary Commission for England". boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
3. "The statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 & 3 William IV. Cap. LXIV. An Act to settle and describe the Divisions of Counties, and the Limits of Cities and Boroughs, in England and Wales, in so far as respects the Election of Members to serve in Parliament". London: His Majesty's statute and law printers. 1832. pp. 300–383. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
4. "About North Wiltshire" Archived 2009-11-29 at the Wayback Machine from the website of James Gray MP. Retrieved on 18 October 2006.
5. Fifth periodical report – Volume 4 Mapping for the Non-Metropolitan Counties and the Unitary Authorities, The Stationery Office, 26 February 2007, ISBN 978-0-10-170322-2
6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "W" (part 4)
7. ^ Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I, to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 106. Retrieved 18 August 2018 – via Google Books.
8. "Wiltshire North parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
9. "Parliamentary elections 2017". Wiltshire Council. Archived from the original on 12 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
10. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
11. ^ Cass, Elliot (2 January 2015). "North Wiltshire MP denies rivals are ahead in election battle". Wilts and Gloss Standard. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
12. "UK Polling Report". ukpollingreport.co.uk.
13. "General Election 2015". southwest.greenparty.org.uk.
14. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
15. Kerr, Andrew (20 April 2010). "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Electoral Services. Wiltshire County Council. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
16. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
17. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
18. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
19. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
20. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
21. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
23. ^ Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 480–481. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
24. Stephens, H. M. (2004). "Estcourt, Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8894. Retrieved 23 November 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

External links

• North Wiltshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• North Wiltshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK

• Parliamentary constituencies in Wiltshire (historic)
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1832
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1885
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 2024