Where is the Great Wall of Swindon and why was it built? Have you ever wondered why this wall exists? The Great Wall of Swindon flows like a river of […]
The forthcoming Cricketers tour and open doors event is part of National Lottery open week, offering a rare opportunity. It’s your chance to see some of the work of Swindon Heritage Preservation. On this tour you can step inside the beloved Cricketers building for an exclusive peek at the restoration work undertaken by us for the community. […]
Free guided walking tour of Swindon's historic Railway Village
Philip Garrahan will contrast Swindon’s reputation for railway engineering with its important social history. It was once a complete company town, when the outside observer could be forgiven for thinking the GWR and Swindon were the same. The new town was built on a greenfield site with innovations in its Railway Village, Medical Social Fund, Mechanics’ Institute, Art School and much more. Our modern nostalgia about railways may overlook how distinctive Swindon […]
'Collett Revisited' New insights into the glorious career, extraordinary life and enduring legacy of the Great Western Railway engineer. An illustrated talk by Graham Carter and Michael Roberts Cost Swindon […]
GWR's Railway Village, “New Swindon", was barely half-built and the Works still modest in extent when land was earmarked for a “park” in 1844. What does this tell us about the Company, its workers and their families, and prevailing Victorian values? And what were typical Victorian and Edwardian sporting and leisure activities anyway? Mary Thornton […]
The world’s first public railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, opened in the northeast of England in 1825 and marked the start of rail travel in Britain and across the world. Over the following two centuries the rail network expanded over the country and led to the construction of some of the most spectacular examples […]
Well known local historian and author John Stooke is fascinated by the way that retailing has changed in the last 20 years compared to what a little change there was between 1880 and 1990. Throughout these years, food, drink, clothing, homeware, and hardware were delivered to the general public via small, often independent businesses, what […]