 | see also: WEST-COUNTRY MUSEUMS
see also: Wiltshire Museums
Modern Swindon is very much the result of the arrival of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in the mid-19th century which built New Swindon alongside its railway track to the north of the village on the hill which gives the place its name.
Old Swindon was a small market town which suffered from poor transport links with the rest of the country and its principal industry was quarrying. The arrival of the Wilts. & Berks. Canal through the northern, low-lying, part of the parish in 1804, the better communications benefitted the economy of the town. The GWR's line ran just to the north of the canal and the easy access this offered to Somerset coal could not have failed to influence Brunel's decision to site the locomotive works in this north-eastern corner of Wiltshire.
The town lies on the edge of the valley of the river Thames to the north, overshadowed by the Marlborough Downs, the northern extremity of Salisbury Plain to the south.
Swindon Hill, on which the town originated (Old Town), is about a mile in length from its eastern end which rises almost five hundred feet above sea level, to the western. It is composed of alternating Portland and Purbeck beds which gave rise to its quarrying industry, with a small outcrop of Wealden Beds.
Around the slopes of the hill are narrow beds of Swindon Clay and Pectinatus sand.
Great Western Hospital
 | | The GWH looking west across the fields from the Wanborough Road |
The state of the art Great Western Hospital, built on a green-field site near the junction of the A419 and the A2459 Marlborough Road, replaced the ageing Princess Margaret Hospital in Okus at a cost of £170-million. The Casualty Department was transferred to the GWH at 0700h on December 3rd, 2003.
Treatment Centre
A new treatment centre built in Swindon at a cost of £27-million is expected to open in April 2005. The unit with five operating theatres and 128 beds should enable surgeins to undertake 5,500 more operations per year in Swindon to cut down waiting times for treatment to six months and free up beds for [[emergency admissions.
A History of Swindon to 1965
by Elizabeth Crittall, KH Rogers and Colin Shrimpton, publisher Wiltshire Library and Museum Service, ISBN0860801071
Published by the Wiltshire Library and Museum Service from The Victoria History of Wiltshire
A Swindon History 1840-1901
by J Silto, 1981, ISBN0950718610
Home Brewed - A History of Breweries and Public Houses in the Swindon Area
by David W Backhouse, 1992, ISBN095206250
Meet Swindon
by The Local history Group, Thamesdown U3A, publisher Higman Historicals, Wantage, 1991, ISBN0905859102
Swindon - Events, People and Places over the last 100 years
by The Swindon Society, publisher Sutton Publishing, Stroud, Glouces., 2000, ISBN0750926600
Swindon and the GWR
by Richard Tomkins and Peter Sheldon, publisher Redbrick Publishing, Swindon, 1990, ISBN0862997909
Recommend a Book for this Page
| | | TOWNS & VILLAGES | | Gorse Hill
Swindon, Wiltshire, England | 1.1 km NW | | Walcot West
Swindon, Wiltshire,
England | 1.3 km SW | | Kingshill
Swindon, Wiltshire, England | 0.9 km SE | | New Town
Swindon, Wiltshire,
England | 0.5 km W | | Rodbourne
Swindon,
Wiltshire, England | 1.1 km NE | | Even Swindon
Swindon, Wiltshire,
England | 1.2 km E | | | | | OTHER PLACES | | Coate Water
Country Park
Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Built
as a reservior to supply the Berks and Wilts Canal, Cote Water was inhabitted in
the Stone Age | 3.9 km SE | | Science Museum Wroughton
Wroughton Airfield, Swindon, Wiltshire SN4 9NS
The Science Museums large exhibits including aircraft are stored and displayed at Wroughton | 4 km SW | | Coate Stone Circle
Coate,
Swindon, Wiltshire, England | 4.2 km SE | | Lydiard
Park & House
Swindon, Wiltshire, England | 4.7 km SW | | Liddington Castle
Swindon, Wiltshire, England
The Iron Age hill fort which overlooks the M4 motorway and modern
Swindon is within sight of nearby Barbury Castle | 8.1 km SE | | Barbury Castle
Swindon, Wiltshire, England
The Iron Age hill fort on the ridgeway dominates the
downland to the south or Swindon and Wroughton | 9 km S | | Cricklade Museum
Calcutt Street, Cricklade, Swindon, Wilts. SN6 6BB
The collection represents the towns social history from Roman to modern times, and includes a large number of maps, photographs, and archives. | 9.9 km NW | | Cricklade Museum
Calcutt Street, Cricklade, Swindon, Wilts. SN6 6BB
The collection represents the towns social history from Roman to modern times, and includes a large number of maps, photographs, and archives. | 9.9 km NW | | | | | Camping Sites | | Forest Holidays
Postern Hill Campsite, Savernake Forest, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4ND | | 17.7 km SW | | Blackland Leisure Ltd
Stockley Lane, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0NQ | | 21.7 km SE | | Hill View Park
Oare, Wiltshire SN8 4JE | | 22.8 km SW | | North Leaze Farm Camp Site
North Leaze Farm, Highworth, Wiltshire SN6 7QT | | 22.8 km SW | | | | | Guest House | | The Greyhound
177 Faringdon Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5DL | | 0.8 km SE | | Appletree House
29 Kingsdown Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 7PE | | 3.7 km NW | | Kingsbridge House
Coate, Wiltshire SN3 6AA | | 4.1 km SW | | Hayward House
6 Swindon St, Highworth, Wiltshire SN6 7AH | | 8.9 km NW | | | | | Hotels | | The Thistle Swindon Hotel
Fleming Way, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1TN | | 0.2 km SW | | Express By Holiday Inn Swindon
Fleet Square, Henry Street, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5BX | | 0.3 km SE | | Express By Holiday Inn
Henry St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5BX | | 0.3 km SE | | Pullman`s Restaurant
North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1DY | | 0.5 km NE | | The Princess Hotel
45-47 Beatrice St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1BB | | 0.6 km NW | | Tubby`s At The Manor
Manor Garden Centre, Cheney Manor, Wiltshire SN2 2QF | | 0.8 km NE | | Swandown Hotel
36-37 Victoria Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3AS | | 0.8 km SW | | | | | Police Stations | | Swindon Divisional Headquarters
Princes St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2HZ | | 0.3 km SW | | Wootton Bassett Police Station
Lime Kiln, Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire SN4 7JJ | | 8.3 km SE | | Highworth Police Station
Newburgh Place, Highworth, Wiltshire SN6 7DN | | 9 km NW | | Cricklade Police Station
High St, Cricklade, Wiltshire SN6 6DF | | 9.9 km NE | | Marlborough Police Station
George Lane, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4DB | | 16.7 km SW | | Calne Police Station
Silver St, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0JF | | 21 km SE | | | | | Post Offices | | Ferndale Road PO
248 Ferndale Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1HB | | 0.8 km NE | | Westcott Place PO
175 Faringdon Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5DL | | 0.8 km SE | | Gorse Hill PO
90 Cricklade Rd, Gorse Hill, Wiltshire SN2 8AF | | 0.9 km NW | | G & L (Queens Drive PO)
2 Queens Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 1AW | | 1 km SW | | Queens Drive PO
G & L, 2 Queens Drive, Wiltshire SN3 1AW | | 1 km SW | | Clifton Street PO
158 Clifton St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3QB | | 1.1 km SE | | Rodbourne Road PO
169-170 Rodbourne Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 2AY | | 1.1 km NE | | Post Office
Victoria Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3BL | | 1.3 km SW | | Cheney Manor PO
84 Cheney Manor Rd, Cheney Manor, Wiltshire SN2 2NR | | 1.5 km NE | | | | | Public Houses | | The Queens Tap
74 Station Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1DG | | 0.1 km N | | Edwards Bar
Fleet Square, Fleet Street, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1RQ | | 0.1 km SE | | The Flag
31 Bridge St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1BP | | 0.2 km SE | | The Mail Coach
59 Fleet St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1RA | | 0.2 km SE | | The Glue Pot Inn
5 Emlyn Square, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5BP | | 0.4 km SE | | The Bakers Arms
16 Emlyn Square, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5BN | | 0.5 km SE | | Wayward Inns
73 Commercial Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5NX | | 0.6 km SE | | Rudi`S
21 Regent Circus, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1PN | | 0.6 km SW | | Rolleston Arms
73 Commercial Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5NX | | 0.6 km SE | | | | | Restaurants | | The Octagon
4 New Bridge Square, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1EA | | 0.1 km W | | Canteen
175 Manchester Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1TU | | 0.2 km NW | | Gianni Ristorante
16-17 Bridge St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1BU | | 0.2 km SE | | The Waterfall Chinese Restaurant
61 Fleet St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1RA | | 0.2 km SE | | Fletchers
62-64 Fleet St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1RA | | 0.2 km SE | | The Appartment
16-18 Havelock Square, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1LE | | 0.4 km SE | | McDonald`s Restaurants Ltd
23-25 Canal Walk, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1LD | | 0.4 km SE | | Monsoon Contemporary Indian Cuisine
13 Faringdon Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 5AR | | 0.4 km SE | | | | | Take Away Food | | KFC
13 Clive Parade, Cricklade Rd, Pinehurst, Wiltshire SN2 1AJ | | 2.2 km NW | | | | | Video Sales & Hire | | Apollo Home Entertainment
133-135 Manchester Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2AF | | 0.3 km NW | | Video Shack
34 Ipswich St, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1DB | | 0.7 km N | | The Little Film Shop Ltd
116 Eastcott Hill, Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 3JH | | 1 km SW | | Videostop
347a Cheney Manor Rd, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 2PE | | 2.2 km NE | | Video Solent Ltd
7 Clive Parade, Cricklade Rd, Pinehurst, Wiltshire SN2 1AJ | | 2.2 km NW | | Blockbuster Entertainment
Unit 13, West Swindon District Centre, Wiltshire SN5 7DL | | 3 km SE | | Covingham Video Films Ltd
6 Covingham Square, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 5AA | | 3.2 km NW | | Blockbuster Entertainment
Unit B5 , North Swindon Retail Park, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 4BG | | 3.9 km NE |
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