THE history and geography of Chippenham are explored in a new book called Chippenham Street Names, researched and written by first time author Chris Dallimore.

Chris, 34, a civil servant and father of three, studied for a degree in history through the Open University when he was working as a carer, and once his studies were over, began his project researching the roots of the names of Chippenham's 500-plus streets.

"I am very interested in local history, and my book is based on the meanings and explanations behind the names of the streets.

"I hope it will be a series, slowly spreading out around Wiltshire," he said.

Chris lives in St Peter's Close in Chippenham - a street named after the nearby church. His research suggests the oddly-named street Foghamshire has its roots in the Anglo Saxon 'fokena', meaning a tributary of the river. Streets in the north of the town, such as Hill Corner Road and Greenways Lane were named for the farms they led to.

Chris admits the origins of many names are imprecise and open to debate, so the origins of some may never be entirely clear. He is also keen to see developers consult with local people when a new estate is built so that street names on new housing estates are relevant.

"Many developers just pick a theme, like flowers," he said. "We should have more consultation to the names have more of a link with the town."

The book was launched at Chippenham Museum just before Christmas and the first consignment of copies quickly sold out. The cover was designed by the author's brother Ian and self published through online publishers lulu.com.

His next project extends his street name research to the villages around Chippenham.

Find out more about Chris's research on his Facebook page Chippenham Street Names. His book is available from the museum, or through amazon.co.uk.