John Coles Park

John Coles Park is the jewel in our crown; a beautiful green space in the heart of Chippenham regularly attracting 1,500 people on a sunny, summer weekend.

The park offers a large area of open space and a circular walk through mature trees. It is maintained to its consistently high standard by our Environmental Services team.

The park is open from 8am to dusk in spring and summer and from 8am to 4pm from the third week in November to the third week in January. Dates will be confirmed each year.

John Coles Park contains over 350 individual trees. From the striking foliage of Copper Beech and the sweet summer smell of Silver Lime in bloom to the towering majesty of veteran Pedunculate Oaks which pre-date the opening of the park in 1923, our trees are a delight to the senses.

John Coles is managed as an amenity park, and the trees within are a mix of native, semi-native and ornamental species, aiming to balance conservation and amenity so that there continue to be trees in the park for many future generations to enjoy.

To view the management plan in full, please click on the link below,

John Coles Park Management Plan

To view the parks and open spaces policy and the application form for a special event, please click on the links below,

Parks and Open Spaces Policy
Special Event Application Form

To view the fees and charges for 2026-2027, please click on the link below,

Fees and Charges 2026 – 2027

The Bandstand

The Bandstand in John Coles Park hosts a selection of Sunday afternoon concerts that are free to attend. These popular concerts are a firm favourite in the diary and a super reason to make up a picnic and relax with some gentle toe tapping. All concerts run from May – September and start at 3pm until 5pm.

The 2026 bandstand dates are:

03 May: Chippenham Town Band
10 May: Malmesbury Concert Band
17 May: Devizes Town Band
24 May: Marshfield Band
31 May: Phoenix Brass Band
7 June: City of Bath Brass Band
14 June: Royal Wootton Bassett Brass Band
21 June: Saxophonics
28 June: Wroughton Silver Band
5 July: Chippenham Town Band
12 July: The Cricklade Band
19 July: Wilton Royal British Legion Band
26 July: Wiltshire Concert Band
2 August: Dodington Parish Band
9 August: North Swindon Big Band
16 August: The Corsham Band
23 August: Hungerford Town Band
30 August: Ramsbury Silver Band
6 September: Midsomer Norton and Radstock Silver Band
13 September: Chippenham Town Band

Splash-Pad

The Splash-Pad is arguably the most popular attraction in the park. It caters for children under 12 and is open from May – September (10am – 6pm) and offers a chance to cool down in the hot weather whilst having heaps of fun.

Sensory Garden

There is a small fenced garden within the park which historically was known as a sensory garden. Within the garden, there are a variety of plants, including herbs and flowers, providing different sights, smells and textures.  For sound, there are also windchimes within the garden, creating a relaxing environment.

The garden is dedicated to the memory of Town Councillor and Chippenham Mayor, Ray Anscombe (1924 – 1996), who was passionate in his love for nature and tireless support of the local community.

The Chippenham Royal British Legion have a gardening licence for two of the flower beds in the Sensory Garden, and have converted them into memorial flower beds, with a Tommy figure in each. This is a dedicated place for veterans, residents and visitors to come and reflect in beautiful surroundings.

Tennis Courts

In January 2022, the Amenities, Culture and Leisure Committee approved a project for the Town Council to work with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to install a booking system for the tennis courts in John Coles Park. You can read the report here: ACL Committee Agenda 050122 pack.pdf (moderngov.co.uk)

Since then, funding has been sourced to install a new gate at the tennis courts, and the booking system has been set up. The new system launched on Monday 3 June 2024.

You can visit the webpage on the LTA website here: John Coles Park / John Coles Park Tennis Courts Chippenham (lta.org.uk).

To book a court, you will need to create an account with the LTA. If you already have an account, you will be able to use your existing account to make a court booking at John Coles Park.

Once you have booked and paid online, you will receive a 4-digit pin code sent to your email which you will need to use to open the gate at the tennis courts.

You can book up to 7 hours per week, one week at a time for a cost of £6.00 per hour.  The clear and accessible booking system will enable tennis players to plan their week ahead and be assured there will be a court available for them to play on through the booking system.

The income generated from court bookings will sustain the tennis courts for years to come.

Chippenham Park Tennis Club will still have their block bookings in place in line with their lease agreement. If you would like to know more information about the club, please visit their website, Chippenham Park Tennis.

Everyone involved with tennis on the courts in John Coles Park shares the responsibility for ensuring that those using the courts be they children or vulnerable adults can do so safely.

The tennis courts in John Coles Park have a designated safeguarding lead that can be contacted for any further information or to report any concerns. The designated safeguarding lead is Paul Harvey who can be reached by calling 01249 463905 during office hours or by email at pharvey@chippenham.gov.uk.

You can read the Town Council’s Safeguarding Policy on this link,  Safeguarding Policy.

If you would like any assistance in setting up an LTA account and using the system, please contact Customer Services at the Town Hall on 01249 446699 or email enquiries@chippenham.gov.uk

Multi Use Games Area (MUGA)

The MUGA is available for a range of sports including football and basketball.

Bowls Pavilion

The site is leased to Chippenham Park Bowls Club. The club has an active membership, if you would like to find out more information on the Bowls Club, take a look at their website on this link Chippenham Bowls Club.

Refreshment Kiosk

Drinks and light snacks are available from the kiosk that is independently run. You’ll find it by the play area, adjacent to the Fleet Road entrance. It’s open all year round.

Parking

There is a small car park off Fleet Road but spaces are limited. Visitors are urged to walk or cycle to the park wherever possible or park in the nearby car parks, particularly on summer weekends.