Welcome to the Chippenham River Festival in Monkton Park on 27th / 28th August 2011

The Chippenham River Festival is organised by ‘New ChAPTER’ (of the Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership) and is supported by Wiltshire Council, Chippenham Town Council, Chippenham Borough Lands Charity, Chippenham Chamber of Commerce, Chippenham Vision Board, Chippenham Civic Society, DC Leisure, Invensys Rail, the Emery Gate and Borough Parade Shopping Centres and numerous other businesses and organisations.

How many towns would give their eye-teeth to have a lovely river, representing such an important part of their history? And yet how much do we appreciate this fantastic asset and enjoy all its possibilities?

There is Monkton Park, the golf course, Baydon’s Meadow, the Woodland Trust, Mortimore’s Wood, the Sailing & Canoeing Club, the Blue and Black bridges, the Millennium Wall, the Common Slip, the history of the cloth mills, and the RiverGreen project for the future!

We would like to see the river as the main feature of our town - awash with punts, canoes, swimmers, dinghies and sailing boats; and to see the riverside teaming with walkers, golfers, joggers, cyclists, picnickers, not to mention visitors enjoying themselves and contributing to the local economy!

The River Festival is a family event on the August Bank Holiday week-end, for all ages to celebrate our beautiful river and enjoy its many possibilities!

Last year’s River Festival – Raft Racing, Swimming and much more!

Last year’s Chippenham River Festival in Monkton Park was a big expansion on the first River Festival in 2009.

For the first time for nearly twenty years, Chippenham saw raft racing on the river! Sixteen teams from local businesses, clubs, pubs and churches built their own rafts and took part in the ‘Invensys Rail Raft Race’ from the Town Bridge to the finishing line in Monkton Park. A top prize of £250 was won by the ‘Baxi Bullet’ and prizes were also awarded for winners of the Mixed Class and for the best Fancy Dress.

Over 5000 people came to the Chippenham River Festival 2010, and a great time was had by all. See the 5 minute video above!

Another first for the river – more than 30 intrepid swimmers from all over the country swam from the Sailing Club to the Town Bridge and back to the Park!

Other events on the river included boat trips for the public, canoeing, sailing, and raft building instruction by the Youth Development team.

On the shore there was a super range of attractions to keep the whole family amused including Punch & Judy, Fun Water Walking, Climbing Wall, Quad Bikes, Falconry, Laser Clay shooting, Think Bikes mountain bike display team. A key event was the spectacular arrival of the ‘Red Devils’ parachute team.

Educational interest was added by displays of the history and technology of the river, and by expert guided river-walks, while exhibitions also included the Calne Sub-Aqua Club (who provided safety boats throughout), the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust, the Sailing & Canoeing Club, the Chippenham Borough Lands Charity and the Chippenham & Villages Area Partnership, who offered free health checks.

The Festival was rounded off by the appearance of a pirate boat with Captain Sparrow on board, who captured the event organiser and made him walk the plank!

We are indebted to all those who made it possible – the private and public sector sponsors that made it financially possible; the organisations like the Sailing & Canoeing Club and Wilts & Berks Canal Trust who helped put on the events; the Calne sub-Aqua Club and the Police who kept us safe on and off the River; and all the brilliant volunteers who stepped up to help make the event such a success.

This years festival

Venue for 2011

The River Festival will again be centred on Monkton Park, Chippenham, although we are hoping that the ‘lagoon’ between the Town Bridge and the Radial Gate weir can be used for the Sailing Club’s Moth Class race (this would be truly spectacular if it can be achieved), and for master classes by the Angling Club.

this years activities

The river’s edge will be roped off as last year and patrolled by security staff and volunteers. If anyone should fall in the water, we have the services of the Calne Sub-Aqua Club, who will again provide two rescue boats with qualified divers.

There will be an arena in the Park for the British Army’s ‘White Helmets’ Motor-cycle Display Team on Sunday 28th August. The arena will also be used for other entertainment events – watch the web-site for details.

There will again be two boat-landing pontoons at the Olympiad end of the Park, where the rafts will be launched for the ‘Invensys Rail Raft Race’, and which will also be used for the public trip boats and as the exit point for The Big Swim on the 28th August.