It surrounds, but does not include, the town of Melksham and is the largest rural parish in Wiltshire, with a population of 7,230 (as of 2011)[1] and an area of 29 square kilometres (7,200 acres).

[2] The latter consists of the ancient settlements of Beanacre, Shaw and Whitley, surrounding Melksham Within on all sides except the west.

To the south the land was similarly rural but was used for military purposes in the mid-20th century, with the training schools of RAF Melksham based at Bowerhill, and this area now consists of light industry and housing estates.

[9] Two further buildings are listed Grade II*: Woolmore Manor, built in 1631 and now on the south-east edge of Melksham, near modern Bowerhill;[10] and Christ Church, Shaw, designed in 1905 in Arts and Crafts Gothic style by C.E.

[11] A packhorse bridge dating from 1725 spans the River Avon, providing a route (now a public footpath) to Broughton Gifford.

After passing through the eastern side of Melksham town the canal continued north through the parish towards Chippenham, Swindon and Abingdon.

South of Melksham, on its way to Westbury, its original route past Berryfield and Outmarsh was replaced in 2004 by the Semington bypass, about 400m to the east.