Swindon in the Past Lane

This 1950s aerial view of Swindon shows the town centre on the threshold of an earlier regeneration project. Demolition had already begun with a small cluster of terraces on the corner of Weymouth Street.  Built in the 1870s, the site of the former housing was used as an unofficial car park when this photograph was taken in 1959. The transformation would continue with the creation of Fleming Way, named in honour of former Swindon Town striker, Harold Fleming.  This busy bus terminus cut a swathe through housing in Cheltenham and Gloucester Streets. Today the Zurich Tri Centre buildings stand on the site of houses once bounded by Wellington and Gloucester Streets. Farnsby Street, at the top of the photograph, numbered fifty-seven houses.  The Wesley School Rooms stood on the corner of Faringdon Road, now dominated by the refurbished Bridge House. Catherine, Carr and Vilett Streets all made room for the multi-storey car park and the Murray John building.  N...

The Vale of the White Horse Hunt was formed out of the ancient Old Berkshire Hunt in 1832. By 1837 the Master of Fox Hounds, the Hon. Henry Moreton, had moved the hounds to new kennels at Cirencester Park. In 1886 the hunt split yet again, becoming the VWH (Cirencester) and the VWH (Cricklade). Two years later Mr T. Butt Miller took over as Master of Fox Hounds, a role he was to fill for 22 seasons, eleven of which he was assisted by Thomas Hooper Deacon as secretary. The two VWH Hunts were eventually amalgamated in 1964. Today the subject of fox hunting is a contentious one, but there is no denying that for many generations it was an important part of country life. Fox hunting created many occupations for the rural community, including a flourishing trade in horses, which was good news for one Old Swindon businessman. Thomas Hooper Deacon was born in Faringdon in about 1838, the son of Cornelious Floyd Deacon and his wife Ann. By 1861 he was working as a saddler, employing two...

While 21st century Premier Division players complain about Christmas fixtures curtailing their party going, in 1952 Swindon Town travelled to St. James's Park, Exeter on Boxing Day, with a return match at the County Ground the following day. In front of a crowd of 13,620 it looked like Town was in for another defeat when the home team scored after 28 minutes. Under pressure from an all out attack by Exeter, Swindon goalie Sam Burton made a series of brilliant saves while centre half George (Garth) Hudson executed some timely interceptions. And just when they thought it was all over, Jimmy Bain scored followed by a goal from Terry Ryder in the closing minutes of play, making Swindon the first team to win at St James's Park that season. A victorious Town returned to the County Ground to do it all over again the following day, however the match looked in doubt when Swindon woke up to a heavy blanket of fog. The game eventually went ahead although at times spectators found ...

When Thomas Goddard of Upham acquired the manor of Swindon in 1563 he made his first home at Westlecott Manor House. However, it was The Lawn mansion house that was to become best associated with the family. Situated next to the 13th century Holy Rood Church and set in parkland overlooking open fields, The Lawn was built on the site of a former medieval manor house and known as Swindon House until the early 19th century. The north range of the house contained architectural features similar to those at the Vilett house in Cricklade Street, dating it to around 1729. Throughout the 19th century additions were made including south and east wings and later in the century an arcaded loggia overlooking a sunken garden to the west of the house. Across the generations the house and manor of Swindon made an erratic descent through the Goddard family. In 1732 bachelor Richard left it to his unmarried brother Pleydell. When Pleydell died ten years later the next heir was Ambrose ...

In 1881 the population of New Swindon stood at nearly 20,000 and was rising. In just forty years building had spread out of the railway village, first along Westcott Place and then beyond the railway line to the north of the town. With the parish church of St Mark's struggling to meet the spiritual needs of its ever increasing congregation, another church was desperately needed, but the coffers were empty. Undeterred Canon Maurice Ponsonby stepped into the pulpit to give an inspirational Whitsunday sermon on June 9, 1889. Taking as his text Genesis Chapter 6, verse 14, he told his congregation to 'build me an ark' - and that's exactly what they did. Meetings held on two consecutive Wednesdays in June soon saw a band of sixty volunteers step forward. The men were rapidly organised into three groups headed by Cresser, Hayward and Wager, three carpenters and joiners employed in the GWR works. Work began immediately on a plot of land in Ashford Road gifted by...

School logbooks are a valuable source of local knowledge, providing a snap shot of a locality and even the name of a young ancestor - especially if they were naughty! Built in 1841 on land provided by Rev. Henry Streeten, 'adjacent to the Butts' the school in Lydiard Millicent opened in 1842. The logbooks held at the Wiltshire and Swindon Archives date from 1870 and the appointment of Miss Hannah Shore. Despite all efforts to get them into school, hard-pressed rural families often kept children at home. Boys were put to work on local farms during busy times and education versus a few coins towards the family income was always a hard fought battle. Hannah Shore writes on June 30, 1871 - 'Many of the children away on account of the haymaking.' From 1880 education became compulsory for children up to the age of 10, yet in 1891 schoolmaster Francis Drew was to write in the Lydiard Millicent school logbook - 'Lucy Leonard who has been absent 158 times during t...

The County Ground, home to Swindon Town FC since 1896, takes pride of place in this photograph of Swindon 50 years ago. The 1958/59 season saw Swindon Town playing in the new Division Three. Bob Edward was top scorer with nine goals to his credit that season and a total of 69 during his time at the County Ground. This was the season manager Bert Head recruited Ernie Hunt, the club's youngest signing at 16 years and 182 days old, to what later became known as Bert's Babes. With an average home crowd of over 11,300 sadly Swindon Town finished the season in a disappointing 15th position, although well clear of the relegation zone. Development along Shrivenham Road had begun in the 1920s with building to the east of Drove Road starting in the 1930s. Drove Road was an ancient route along which drovers brought their animals to market at the old town on the hill. The modern routes of Queens Drive and Drakes Way have yet to make an appearance. A predecessor of the Magic Ro...

With the 19th century Town Hall and the temporary library buildings in the foreground, Regent Circus is almost unrecognisable in this 1950s photograph. Fletcher's Directory of Swindon records doctors J. Holland, W.O. Connell and T. Quigley in practise at 37 Regent Street while solicitors Pooley, Booth & Anderson were at number 34. There were four greengrocers and three butchers including Eastmans, J.W. Read and Hunt & Sons among the many shops since replaced by 1960s office blocks. In December 2010 Meca, a 2,000 capacity live entertainment venue, opened in the former Regent cinema built in 1929. Renamed the Gaumont in the 50s and the Odeon in the 60s, the building later became the Top Rank Bingo Club. Rudi's Bar, the art deco building on the corner, opened as the Corporation Electricity Showrooms in the 1930s. Home to the children's library it later became the Islington Furnishing Company. Although shops to the right of the Victoria Road traffic isl...

Today separated from Swindon's northern expansion by just the A419 road, Blunsdon was once a village five miles out of town. The former parish of Blunsdon St. Andrew has a long history, appearing in the Domesday survey of 1086 as Blontesdone. Along with various Roman remains, a numbers of bones, spurs and 17th century military relics have been excavated indicating it might have been the site of action during the English Civil War. At the top of Chapel Hill are the remains of two stone piers marking the former rear entrance to Blunsdon House. Although probably built on the site of an earlier house, the present Blunsdon House only dates back to the early 1830s, when the property was owned by the wealthy Calley family of Buredrop Park. A plaque in St. Andrew's Church records the death of John James Calley in 1848 and his wife Elizabeth in 1861. Elizabeth moved to Bath after her husband's death and in 1856 the property was sold to Thomas Edward Freeman. By the mid 1...

When the Sir Daniel Arms opened its doors in June 2007 it wasn't for the first time. A public house of the same name had stood in Fleet Street for around 140 years, which is somewhat surprising given a clause in the original deeds. Old Swindon brewer John Harding Sheppard made sure he protected his business interests when he sold land called 'Upper Ground or Fosters Upper Ground' in 1848. George Selby, a tea dealer from Eastcott, bought a piece of the land on 'the Highway called Fleet Way,' agreeing as part of the sale that he would not 'carry on or permit or suffer to be carried on ...the Trade or business of a Brewer, Publican, Beer House Keeper or Dealer in or retailer of beer or other Malt Liquor Wines or Spirits or any offensive Trade or calling whatsoever.' By 1851 George had opened a grocer's shop on the site but the property soon changed hands. In 1858 new owner William Henry Warner drew up a seven year lease with Charles Lea, a New Sw...