99-564: Wichelstowe is a residential development and urban extension on the southern edge of the town of Swindon in South West England, constructed from late 2006. Located north of the M4 motorway between junction 16 and Croft Road, Wichelstowe has three neighbourhoods: East, Middle and West Wichel. The development will comprise up to 4500 homes, employment space, public open space, shopping, community facilities for residents and various schools. In 2014 it
198-484: A unitary authority on 1 April 1997, following a review by the Local Government Commission for England . The town is therefore no longer under the auspices of Wiltshire Council . Council elections are held in three out of every four years, with one-third of the seats up for election in each of those years; beginning in 2026, the whole council will be elected every four years. Labour gained control of
297-645: A 19% swing at the same election. Prior to 1997 there was a single seat for Swindon, although much of what is now in Swindon was then part of the Devizes seat. Swindon is a town in northeast Wiltshire, 35 miles (56 km) west-northwest of Reading and the same distance east-northeast of Bristol 'as the crow flies'. The town is also 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Oxford , 65 miles (105 km) south-southeast of Birmingham , 71 miles (114 km) west of London and 60 miles (97 km) east of Cardiff. Swindon town centre
396-434: A 50/50 balance of males and females. By mid-2019, the estimated population of the unitary authority area was 222,193. In 2011, 57.5% of Swindonians identified themselves as Christians , a reduction from 70% in 2001. This was followed by those of no religion (31%), Muslims (1.7%), Sikhs (0.6%), Hindus (1.2%), other (0.5%) and Judaism (0.1%). As of 2021, 46.6% of Swindonians identify themselves as Christians. This
495-556: A Brittonic female cognate Cuda , a hypothetical mother goddess in Celtic mythology postulated to have been worshipped in the Cotswold region. The Cotswolds' spine runs southwest to northeast through six counties, particularly Gloucestershire, west Oxfordshire, and southwestern Warwickshire. The Cotswolds' northern and western edges are marked by steep escarpments down to the Severn valley and
594-544: A Built Up Area Subdivision with a population of 182,441. At the 2021 census, the only area covering most of the town was the Built Up Area, which had a population of 183,638. Excluded from this were the parts of Wichelstowe lying in Wroughton parish, the whole of Stratton St Margaret parish, and northern parts of St Andrews parish. By 2018, Swindon had a concentration of people originating from Saint Helena . After
693-524: A Scandinavian name akin to Sven and English swain, meaning a young man. Swindon is recorded in the Domesday Book as a manor in the hundred of Blagrove, Wiltshire . It was one of the larger manors, recorded as having 27 households and a rent value of £10 14s, which was divided among five landlords. Before the Battle of Hastings the Swindon estate was owned by an Anglo-Saxon thane called Leofgeat. After
792-503: A campaign was launched to bring an updated form of county borough status to Swindon. This was successful in 1997 with the formation of Swindon Borough Council , covering the areas of the former Thamesdown and the former Highworth Rural District Council. In February 2008, The Times named Swindon as one of "The 20 best places to buy a property in Britain". Only Warrington had a lower ratio of house prices to household income in 2007, with
891-471: A country park. Chipping Campden is also known for the annual Cotswold Olimpick Games , a celebration of sports and games dating to the early 17th century. Of the Cotswolds' nearly 800 square miles (2,100 km ), roughly 80 per cent is farmland. There are over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of footpaths and bridleways, and 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of historic stone walls. A 2017 report on employment within
990-615: A panel would be formed to consider making some of the AONBs into National Parks. The review will file its report in 2019. In April 2018, the Cotswolds Conservation Board had written to Natural England "requesting that consideration be given to making the Cotswolds a National Park", according to Liz Eyre, Chairman. This has led to some concern; one member of the Cotswold District Council said, "National Park designation
1089-462: A small Cotswold village. The fictional detective Agatha Raisin lives in the fictional Cotswold village of Carsely . Other movies filmed in the Cotswolds or nearby, at least in part, include some of the Harry Potter series (Gloucester Cathedral), Bridget Jones's Diary ( Snowshill ), Pride and Prejudice (Cheltenham Town Hall), and Braveheart (Cotswold Farm Park). In 2014, some scenes of
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#17328592879741188-569: A small market town of 2,500 into a thriving railway hub that would become one of the largest railway engineering complexes in the world at its peak. This brought with it pioneering amenities such as the UK's first lending library and a 'cradle-to-grave' healthcare centre that was later used as a blueprint for the NHS. Swindon's railway heritage can be primarily seen today with the grade 2 listed Railway Village and STEAM Museum . The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet
1287-506: A strong sense of Polish identity". Cotswolds The Cotswolds ( / ˈ k ɒ t s w oʊ l d z , ˈ k ɒ t s w əl d z / KOTS -wohldz, KOTS -wəldz ) is a region of central South West England , along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper River Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham . The area is defined by
1386-613: A tithe barn. Tetbury Market House was built in 1655. During the Middle Ages , Tetbury became an important market for Cotswold wool and yarn. Chavenage House is an Elizabethan-era manor house 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of Tetbury. Chedworth Roman Villa , where several mosaic floors are on display, is near the Roman road known as the Fosse Way , 8 miles (13 km) north of the town of Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester). Cirencester Abbey
1485-434: A year, is typical for inland parts of Southern England, although significantly higher than most areas further north. Annual rainfall averages slightly under 720 mm (28 in) per year, with 123 days reporting over 1 mm (0.039 in) of rain. The 2011 census recorded a population of 209,156 people in the Swindon unitary authority area (including the town's urban area, Highworth , and other nearby parishes), with
1584-608: Is Chavenage House , Tetbury, which is open to the public. Many exterior shots of village life in the Downton Abbey TV series were filmed in Bampton, Oxfordshire . Other filming locations in that county included Swinbrook, Cogges, and Shilton. The city of Bath hosted crews that filmed parts of the movies Vanity Fair , Persuasion , Dracula , and The Duchess . Gloucester and other places in Gloucestershire , some within
1683-454: Is Swindon Borough Council , a unitary authority . Wichelstowe forms part of the council's Wroughton and Wichelstowe ward . 51°32′36″N 1°48′27″W / 51.54333°N 1.80750°W / 51.54333; -1.80750 Swindon Swindon ( / ˈ s w ɪ n d ən / ) is a large town in Wiltshire , England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of
1782-477: Is Woodchester Mansion , an unfinished, Gothic revival mansion house in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield. Newark Park is a Grade I listed country house of Tudor origins near the village of Ozleworth, Wotton-under-Edge . The house sits in an estate of 700 acres (300 ha) at the Cotswold escarpment's southern end. Another of the many manor houses in the area, Owlpen Manor in the village of Owlpen in
1881-470: Is a significant step further and raises the prospect of key decision making powers being taken away from democratically elected councillors". In other words, Cotswold District Council would no longer have the authority to grant and refuse housing applications. Indicative of the Cotswolds' uniqueness and value is that five European Special Areas of Conservation , three national nature reserves and more than 80 Sites of Special Scientific Interest are within
1980-473: Is also equidistant from the county boundaries of Berkshire and Gloucestershire, both being 8 miles (13 km) away. The border with Oxfordshire is slightly closer, being around 5 miles (8 km) away. Swindon is within a landlocked county and is a considerable distance from any coastline. The nearest section of coast on the English Channel is near Christchurch, 56 miles (90 km) due south. Meanwhile,
2079-536: Is also important; cows and pigs are also reared. The livestock sector has been declining since 2002. According to 2011 census data for the Cotswolds, the wholesale and retail trade was the largest employer (15.8% of the workforce), followed by education (9.7%) and health and social work (9.3%). The report also indicates that a relatively higher proportion of residents worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing, accommodation and food services, as well as in professional, scientific, and technical activities. Unemployment in
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#17328592879742178-424: Is followed by those of no religion (40.5%), Muslims (2.7%), Sikhs (0.6%), Hindus (2.5%), other (0.6%) and Judaism (0.1%). In 2015, Public Health England found that 70.4% of the population was either overweight or obese with a BMI greater than 25. In 2011, the area of the town was 46.2 km (17.8 sq mi) and there were 3,949 inhabitants per square kilometre (10,230/sq mi). In 2011, 16.7% of
2277-623: Is housed in the renovated former works and the Brunel Shopping Centre is one of several places in Swindon that bear the name of the famous engineer generally acknowledged with bringing the railways to the town. Despite the subsequent decline and closure of its railway works, Swindon was one of the fastest growing towns in Europe post-war as its economy diversified, attracting large international companies, who made use of its burgeoning population and strategic transport links. Major venues in
2376-520: Is likely marginally cooler throughout the year. The absolute maximum is 34.9 °C (94.8 °F), recorded during August 1990. In an average year the warmest day should reach 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) and 10.3 days should register a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The absolute minimum is −16.0 °C (3.2 °F), recorded in January 1982, and in an average year 45.2 nights of air frost can be expected. Sunshine, at 1,565 hours
2475-511: Is seen as a pioneering figure in Swindon's post-war regeneration: his last act before retirement was to sign the contract for Swindon's tallest building, which is now named after him. Murray John's successor was David Maxwell Kent, appointed by the Swindon/Highworth Joint Committee in 1973: he had worked closely with Murray John and continued similar policies for a further twenty years. The Greater London Council withdrew from
2574-714: Is the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway , a steam heritage railway over part of the closed Stratford–Cheltenham line , running from Cheltenham Racecourse through Gotherington , Winchcombe , and Hayles Abbey Halt to Toddington and Laverton. The preserved line has been extended to Broadway . The population of the Cotswold local authority area in the 2021 census was 90,800, an increase of 9.6% from 82,900 in 2011. The percentage of usual residents in relationships, aged 16 and above, were: In 2021, 96.3% of people in Cotswold identified their ethnic group with
2673-484: Is the Garden of Sudeley Castle at Winchcombe . The present structure was built in the 15th century and may be on the site of a 12th-century castle. It is north of the spa town of Cheltenham , which has much Georgian architecture. Further south, towards Tetbury , is the fortress known as Beverston Castle , founded in 1229 by Maurice de Gaunt . In the same area is Calcot Manor , a manor house with origins in about 1300 as
2772-516: The Köppen climate classification ), like the vast majority of the British Isles, with cool winters and warm summers. The nearest official weather station is RAF Lyneham , about 10 miles (16 km) west southwest of Swindon town centre. The weather station's elevation is 145 metres (476 ft) in a rural setting, compared to the typical 100 metres (330 ft) encountered around Swindon town centre, so
2871-504: The NHS . The Mechanics' Institute, formed in 1844, moved into a building that looked rather like a church and included a covered market, on 1 May 1855. The New Swindon Improvement Company, a co-operative , raised the funds for this programme of self-improvement and paid the GWR £40 a year for its new home on a site at the heart of the railway village. It was a groundbreaking organisation that transformed
2970-557: The Norman Conquest , Swindon was split into five holdings: the largest was held between Miles Crispin and Odin the Chamberlain, and the second by Wadard , a knight in the service of Odo of Bayeux , brother of the king . The manors of Westlecot, Walcot, Rodbourne, Moredon and Stratton are also listed; all are now part of Swindon. The Goddard family were lord of the manor from the 16th century for many generations, living at
3069-472: The Stroud district, is also Tudor and Grade I listed. Further north, Broadway Tower is a folly on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, Worcestershire. To the south of the Cotswolds is Corsham Court , a country house in a park designed by Capability Brown in the town of Corsham , 3 miles (5 km) west of Chippenham, Wiltshire. According to users of the worldwide TripAdvisor travel site, in 2018
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3168-656: The Warwickshire Avon . This feature, known as the Cotswold escarpment or the Cotswold Edge, is a result of the uplifting (tilting) of the limestone layer, exposing its broken edge. This is a cuesta , in geological terms. The dip slope is to the southeast. On the eastern boundary lies the city of Oxford and on the west is Stroud . To the southeast, the upper reaches of the Thames Valley and towns such as Lechlade , Tetbury , and Fairford are often considered to mark
3267-576: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 . Cleeve Hill , and its associated commons, is a fine example of a limestone grassland and it is one of the few locations where the Duke of Burgundy butterfly may still be found in abundance. A June 2018 report stated that the AONB receives "23 million visitors a year, the third largest of any protected landscape". Earlier that year, Environment secretary Michael Gove announced that
3366-523: The bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat that is quarried for the golden-coloured Cotswold stone. It lies across the boundaries of several English counties: mainly Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire , and parts of Wiltshire , Somerset , Worcestershire , and Warwickshire . The highest point is Cleeve Hill at 1,083 ft (330 m), just east of Cheltenham . The predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, towns, stately homes and gardens featuring
3465-521: The manor house , sometimes known as The Lawn. Swindon was a small market town , mainly for barter trade , until roughly 1848. This original market area is on top of the hill in central Swindon, now known as Old Town. The Industrial Revolution was responsible for an acceleration of Swindon's growth. Construction of the Wilts and Berks Canal in 1810 and the North Wilts Canal in 1819 brought trade to
3564-431: The "White" category, a slight decrease from 97.8% in 2011. Over 1.3% identified as "Asian" or British Asian, 1.5% chose "Mixed or Multiple" category, 0.4% were "Black, Black British, Caribbean or African" and 0.4% chose "Other". The Cotswold region has inspired several notable English composers. In the early 1900s, Herbert Howells and Ivor Gurney took long walks together over the hills, and Gurney urged Howells to make
3663-728: The 2016 movie Alice Through the Looking Glass were filmed at the Gloucester Docks just outside the Cotswold District; some scenes in the 2006 movie Amazing Grace were also filmed at the Docks. The television series Father Brown is set and primarily filmed in the Cotswolds. Scenes and buildings in Sudeley Castle was often featured in the series. The vicarage in Blockley was used for
3762-587: The 21st century has attracted wealthy Londoners and others who own second homes there or have chosen to retire to the Cotswolds. The name Cotswold is popularly believed to mean the "sheep enclosure in rolling hillsides", incorporating the term wold , meaning hills. Compare also the Weald , from the Old English term meaning 'forest'. But for many years the English Place-Name Society has accepted that
3861-534: The 93-mile (150 km) Cotswold Way (part of the National Trails system) from Bath to Chipping Campden. In August 2018, the final decision was made for a Local Plan that would lead to the building of nearly 7,000 additional homes by 2031, in addition to over 3,000 already built. Areas for development include Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water, Down Ampney, Fairford, Kemble, Lechlade, Northleach, South Cerney, Stow-on-the-Wold, Tetbury and Moreton-in-Marsh. Some of
3960-423: The AONB is varied, including escarpment outliers, escarpments, rolling hills and valleys, enclosed limestone valleys, settled valleys, ironstone hills and valleys, high wolds and high wold valleys, high wold dip-slopes, dip-slope lowland and valleys, a Low limestone plateau, cornbrash lowlands, farmed slopes, a broad floodplain valley, a large pastoral lowland vale, a settled unwooded vale, and an unwooded vale. While
4059-462: The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty stated that the main sources of income were real estate, renting and business activities, manufacturing, and wholesale & retail trade repairs. Some 44% of residents were employed in these sectors. Agriculture is also important; 86% of the land in the AONB is used for this purpose. The primary crops include barley, beans, rapeseed and wheat, while the raising of sheep
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4158-518: The Board carries out a range of work from securing funding for 'on the ground' conservation projects, to providing a strategic overview of the area for key decision makers, such as planning officials. The Board is funded by Natural England and the seventeen local authorities that are covered by the AONB. The Cotswolds AONB Management Plan 2018–2023 was adopted by the Board in September 2018. The landscape of
4257-611: The Celtic path later known as Fosse Way . During the Middle Ages , thanks to the breed of sheep known as the Cotswold Lion, the Cotswolds became prosperous from the wool trade with the continent, with much of the money made from wool directed towards the building of churches. The most successful era for the wool trade was 1250–1350; much of the wool at that time was sold to Italian merchants. The area still preserves numerous large, handsome Cotswold Stone "wool churches". The affluent area in
4356-592: The Cotswold District was among the lowest in the country. An August 2017 report showed only 315 unemployed persons, a decrease of five from a year earlier. Tourism is a significant part of the economy. The Cotswold District area gained over £373 million from visitor spending on accommodation, £157 million on local attractions and entertainments, and about £100m on travel in 2016. In the larger Cotswolds Tourism area, including Stroud, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury, tourism generated about £1 billion in 2016, providing 200,000 jobs. Some 38 million day visits were made to
4455-493: The Cotswold Tourism area that year. Many travel guides direct tourists to Chipping Campden , Stow-on-the-Wold , Bourton-on-the-Water , Broadway , Bibury , and Stanton . Some of these locations can be very crowded at times. Roughly 300,000 people visit Bourton per year, for example, with about half staying for a day or less. The area also has numerous public walking trails and footpaths that attract visitors, including
4554-456: The Cotswolds AONB. The Cotswold Voluntary Wardens Service was established in 1968 to help conserve and enhance the area, and now has more than 300 wardens. The Cotswold Way is a long-distance footpath, just over 100 miles (160 km) long, running the length of the AONB, mainly on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment with views over the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham . Pictured
4653-703: The Cotswolds and is navigable from Inglesham and Lechlade-on-Thames downstream to Oxford . West of Inglesham. the Thames and Severn Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation connected the Thames to the River Severn ; this route is mostly disused nowadays but several parts are in the process of being restored. The area is bounded by two major rail routes: in the south by the main Bristol–Bath–London line (including
4752-575: The Cotswolds. Bath , Cheltenham , Cirencester , Gloucester , Stroud , and Swindon are larger urban centres that border on, or are virtually surrounded by, the Cotswold AONB. Chipping Campden is notable as the home of the Arts and Crafts movement , founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Morris lived occasionally in Broadway Tower , a folly, now part of
4851-565: The National Landscape area was 139,000 in 2016. The largest excavation of Jurassic period echinoderm fossils , including of rare and previously unknown species, occurred at a quarry in the Cotswolds in 2021. There is evidence of Neolithic settlement from burial chambers on Cotswold Edge, and there are remains of Bronze and Iron Age forts. Later the Romans built villas, such as at Chedworth , settlements such as Gloucester, and paved
4950-558: The New Swindon Company was formed with the remit of regenerating the town centre, to improve Swindon's regional status. The main areas targeted were Union Square, The Promenade, The Hub, Swindon Central, North Star Village, The Campus, and the Public Realm. In August 2019, a secondary school in the town was at the centre of a ' county lines ' drug supply investigation by Wiltshire Police, with 40 pupils suspected of being involved in
5049-535: The New Swindon Industrial Society, which ran a retail business from a stall in the market at the institute. The institute also nurtured pioneering trades unionists and encouraged local democracy. When tuberculosis hit the new town, the Mechanics' Institute persuaded the industrial pioneers of North Wiltshire to agree that the railway's former employees should continue to receive medical attention from
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#17328592879745148-463: The SM&;A ran on 10 September 1961, 80 years after the railway's first stretch opened. During the first half of the 20th century, the railway works was the town's largest employer and one of the biggest in the country, employing more than 14,500 workers. Alfred Williams (1877–1930) wrote about his life as a hammerman at the works. The works' decline started in 1960, when it rolled out Evening Star ,
5247-848: The South Wales main line) and in the west by the Bristol–Birmingham main line . In addition, the Cotswold line runs through the Cotswolds from Oxford to Worcester , and the Golden Valley line runs across the hills from Swindon via Stroud to Gloucester , carrying fast and local services. Mainline rail services to the big cities run from railway stations such as Bath , Swindon , Oxford , Cheltenham , and Worcester . Mainline trains run by Great Western Railway to London Paddington also are available from Kemble station near Cirencester, Kingham station near Stow-on-the-Wold, Charlbury station , and Moreton-in-Marsh station . Additionally, there
5346-635: The Structure Plan and the green light was effectively given for Wichelstowe to go ahead. An extensive programme of public consultation was undertaken on the proposals by Taylor Woodrow and an outline planning application was submitted in 2002. Infrastructure works commenced on site in 2006. The first home occupations in East Wichel took place in 2009. Wichelstowe began as a collaboration between Swindon Borough Council and Taylor Wimpey to jointly provide and finance infrastructure. In early 2009, this agreement
5445-588: The Town Development Agreement and the local council continued the development on its own. There was the problem of the Western Development and of Lydiard Park being in the new North Wiltshire district, but this was resolved by a boundary change to take in part of North Wiltshire. Another factor limiting local decision-taking was the continuing role of Wiltshire County Council in the administration of Swindon. Together with like-minded councils,
5544-541: The area, and Swindon's population started to grow. Between 1841 and 1842, Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's Swindon Works was built for the repair and maintenance of locomotives on the Great Western Railway (GWR). The GWR built a small railway village to house some of its workers. The Steam Railway Museum and English Heritage , including the English Heritage Archive , now occupy part of the old works. In
5643-448: The areas of Penhill and Pinehurst. Oxford clay makes up the rest of the borough. The River Ray rises at Wroughton and forms much of the borough's western boundary, joining the Thames which defines the northern boundary, and the source of which is located in nearby Kemble, Gloucestershire . The River Cole and its tributaries flow northeastward from the town and form the northeastern boundary. Swindon has an oceanic climate ( Cfb in
5742-515: The average household income in Swindon among the highest in the country. In October 2008, Swindon Council made a controversial move to ban fixed point speed cameras . The move was branded as reckless by some, but by November 2008 Portsmouth , Walsall , and Birmingham councils were also considering the move. In 2001, construction began on Priory Vale , the third and final instalment in Swindon's 'Northern Expansion' project, which began with Abbey Meads and continued at St Andrew's Ridge. In 2002,
5841-437: The beauty of the Cotswolds AONB is intertwined with that of the villages that seem almost to grow out of the landscape, the Cotswolds were primarily designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the rare limestone grassland habitats as well as the old growth beech woodlands that typify the area. These habitat areas are also the last refuge for many other flora and fauna, with some so endangered that they are protected under
5940-425: The border regions of South Warwickshire and Worcestershire, through West Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and takes in parts of Wiltshire and of Bath and North East Somerset in the south. Gloucestershire County Council is responsible for sixty-three per cent of the AONB. The Cotswolds Conservation Board has the task of conserving and enhancing the AONB. Established under statute in 2004 as an independent public body,
6039-566: The built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located in South West England , Swindon lies on the M4 corridor , 71 miles (114km) to the west of London and 36 miles (57 km) to the east of Bristol . The Cotswolds lie just to the town's north and the North Wessex Downs to its south. Recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as Suindune , the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1843 transformed it from
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#17328592879746138-657: The council from the Conservatives at the 2023 election , and increased their majority in 2024 . Swindon is represented in the national parliament by two MPs. Heidi Alexander (Labour) was elected for the Swindon South seat in July 2024 with a 16% swing from the Conservatives. Will Stone , also Labour, represents Swindon North – which covers the whole of the north of the borough, including Blunsdon and Highworth – after
6237-424: The development was completed in 2014. Middle Wichel is the central part of Wichelstowe. A restored section of the Wilts & Berks Canal runs through the development. Construction started in 2013, and currently still ongoing. West Wichel is planned to be a mostly residential area, but it is also set to contain a small area for shops, employment land, another primary school and a park & ride. Work commenced on
6336-482: The doctors of the GWR Medical Society Fund, which the institute had played a role in establishing and funding. Swindon's 'other' railway, the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway , merged with the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway to form the Midland & South Western Junction Railway , which set out to join the London & South Western Railway with the Midland Railway at Cheltenham . The Swindon, Marlborough & Andover had planned to tunnel under
6435-437: The eastern limit of the Bristol Channel , just north of Weston-super-mare , lies 53 miles (85 km) to the west. The landscape is dominated by the chalk hills of the Wiltshire Downs to the south and east. The Old Town stands on a hill of Purbeck and Portland stone; this was quarried from Roman times until the 1950s. The area that was known as New Swindon is made up of mostly Kimmeridge clay with outcrops of Corrallian clay in
6534-601: The end of World War II, Polish refugees were temporarily housed in barracks at RAF Fairford , about 25 km (16 mi) to the north. Around 1950, some settled in Scotland and others in Swindon rather than stay in the barracks or hostels they were offered. The 2001 UK Census found that most of the Polish-born people had stayed or returned after serving with British forces during World War II. Swindon and Nottingham were parts of this settlement. Data from that census showed that 566 Swindonians were Polish-born. Notes to those data read: "The Polish Resettlement Act of 1947 , which
6633-403: The first sections of West Wichel in 2022. The area for the development is adjacent to the hamlet of South Leaze . East Wichel is part of Central Swindon South civil parish , and the first tier of local government is South Swindon Parish Council. Middle and West Wichel are part of Wroughton civil parish, and the first tier of local government is Wroughton Parish Council. The local authority
6732-401: The following were among the best attractions in the Cotswolds: The Cotswolds lie between the M5 , M40 and M4 motorways . The main A-roads through the area are: These all roughly follow the routes of ancient roads, some laid down by the Romans , such as Ermin Way and the Fosse Way . There are local bus services across the area, but some are infrequent. The River Thames flows from
6831-408: The fund began providing artificial limbs made by craftsmen from the carriage and wagon works, and nine years later opened its first dental surgery. In his first few months in post, the dentist extracted more than 2,000 teeth. From the opening in 1892 of the health centre, a doctor could also prescribe a haircut or even a bath. The cradle-to-grave extent of this service was later used as a blueprint for
6930-426: The hill on which Swindon's Old Town stands but the money ran out and the railway ran into Swindon Town railway station , off Devizes Road in the Old Town, skirting the new town to the west, intersecting with the GWR at Rushey Platt and heading north for Cirencester , Cheltenham and the LMS , whose 'Midland Red' livery the M&SWJR adopted. During the second half of the 19th century, Swindon New Town grew around
7029-400: The landscape, including the nearby Malvern Hills , the inspiration for future work. In 1916, Howells wrote his first major piece, the Piano Quartet in A minor, inspired by the magnificent view of the Malverns ; he dedicated it to "the hill at Chosen ( Churchdown ) and Ivor Gurney who knows it". Another contemporary of theirs, Gerald Finzi , lived in nearby Painswick . Gustav Holst , who
7128-459: The largest National Landscape area and England's third-largest protected landscape. The Cotswold local government district is within Gloucestershire. Its main town is Cirencester . In 2021, the population of the 450-square-mile (1,200 km ) district was 91,000. The much larger area referred to as the Cotswolds encompasses nearly 800 square miles (2,100 km ). The population of
7227-459: The last steam engine to be built in the UK. The works lost its locomotive building role and took on rolling stock maintenance for British Rail . In the late 1970s, much of the works closed and the rest followed in 1986. The community centre in the railway village was originally the barrack accommodation for railway employees of the GWR. The building became the Railway Museum in the 1960s, until
7326-771: The legal name and designation remains "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 , amending the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 . The term AONB is still used in this section. The Cotswolds National Landscape area (formerly the Cotwolds AONB) was originally designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1966, with an expansion on 21 December 1990 to 1,990 square kilometres (768 sq mi). In 1991, all AONBs were measured again using modern methods, and
7425-803: The limit of the region. To the south the Cotswolds, with the characteristic uplift of the Cotswold Edge, reach beyond Bath , and towns such as Chipping Sodbury and Marshfield share elements of Cotswold character. The area is characterised by attractive small towns and villages built of the underlying Cotswold stone (a yellow oolitic limestone ). This limestone is rich in fossils , particularly of fossilised sea urchins . Cotswold towns include Bourton-on-the-Water , Broadway , Chalford , Charlbury , Chipping Campden , Chipping Norton , Cricklade , Dursley , Malmesbury , Minchinhampton , Moreton-in-Marsh , Nailsworth , Northleach , Painswick , Stow-on-the-Wold , Stroud , Tetbury , Witney , Winchcombe and Wotton-under-Edge . In addition, much of Box lies in
7524-417: The local stone. A large area within the Cotswolds has been designated as a National Landscape (formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONB) since 1966. The designation covers 787 square miles (2,038 km ), with boundaries roughly 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (140 km) long, stretching south-west from just south of Stratford-upon-Avon to just south of Bath , making it
7623-653: The local stone. He said: "The truth is that it has no colour that can be described. Even when the sun is obscured and the light is cold, these walls are still faintly warm and luminous, as if they knew the trick of keeping the lost sunlight of centuries glimmering about them." The term "Cotswolds National Landscape" was adopted in September 2020, using a proposed name replacement for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). All AONBs in England and Wales were re-branded as "National Landscapes" in November 2023, although (as of 2024)
7722-709: The main character's residence and the Anglican St Peter and St Paul church was the Roman Catholic St Mary's in the series. Other filming locations included Guiting Power , the former hospital in Moreton-in-Marsh , the Winchcombe railway station, Lower Slaughter , and St Peter's Church in Upper Slaughter . In the 2010s BBC TV series Poldark , the location for Ross Poldark's family home, Trenwith,
7821-500: The main line between London and Bristol . In 1900, the original market town, Old Swindon, merged with its new neighbour at the bottom of the hill to become a single town. On 1 July 1923, the GWR took over the largely single-track M&SWJR and the line northwards from Swindon Town was diverted to Swindon Junction station, leaving the Town station with only the line south to Andover and Salisbury. The last passenger trains on what had been
7920-438: The money received from developers will be earmarked for new infrastructure to support the increasing population. Cotswold stone is a yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone . This limestone is rich in fossils , particularly of fossilised sea urchins . When weathered, the colour of buildings made or faced with this stone is often described as honey or golden. The stone varies in colour from north to south, being honey-coloured in
8019-602: The north and northeast, as in villages such as Stanton and Broadway ; golden-coloured in the central and southern areas, as in Dursley and Cirencester ; and pearly white in Bath . The rock outcrops at places on the Cotswold Edge; small quarries are common. The exposures are rarely sufficiently compact to be good for rock-climbing , but an exception is Castle Rock, on Cleeve Hill , near Cheltenham . In his 1934 book English Journey , J. B. Priestley wrote of Cotswold buildings made of
8118-530: The official area of the Cotswolds AONB was increased to 2,038 square kilometres (787 sq mi). In 2000, the government confirmed that AONBs have the same landscape quality and status as National Parks . It is England's third-largest protected landscape, after the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales national parks. The Cotswolds National Landscape, which is the largest in England and Wales , stretches from
8217-455: The opening of the STEAM Museum in the 2000s. The Second World War saw an influx of new industries as part of the war effort; Vickers-Armstrong making aircraft at Stratton, and Plessey at Cheney Manor producing electrical components. By 1960, Plessey had become Swindon's biggest employer, with a predominantly female workforce. David Murray John , Swindon's town clerk from 1938 to 1974,
8316-431: The population of Swindon were non-White British compared with 15.4% in the surrounding borough. There was also little difference between the percentages of Black and Asian residents. Swindon is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in South West England : 4.6% of the population registered themselves as 'Other White' and 2.5% of the population was either mixed race or of another ethnicity. There are several definitions of
8415-498: The railway's workforce into some of the country's best-educated manual workers. The Mechanics' Institute had the UK's first lending library , and a range of improving lectures, access to a theatre and various other activities, such as ambulance classes and xylophone lessons. A former institute secretary formed the New Swindon Co-operative Society in 1853 which, after a schism in the society's membership, spawned
8514-518: The supply of cannabis and cocaine, and girls as young as 14 being coerced into sexual activity in exchange for drugs. The local council was created in 1974 as the Borough of Thamesdown, out of the areas of Swindon Borough and Highworth Rural District. It was not initially called Swindon, because the borough covers a larger area than the town; it was renamed as the Borough of Swindon in 1997. The borough became
8613-430: The term Cotswold is derived from Codesuualt of the 12th century or other variations on this form, the etymology of which is "Cod's-wold", meaning "Cod's high open land". Cod was interpreted as an Old English personal name, which may be recognised in further names: Cutsdean , Codeswellan, and Codesbyrig, some of which date to the 8th century. It has subsequently been noticed that Cod could derive philologically from
8712-487: The town centre. Other sports in the town include Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey and five-time British speedway champions the Swindon Robins . The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Swindon sat in a defensible position atop a limestone hill. It is referred to in the 1086 Domesday Book as Suindune, believed to be derived from the Old English words "swine" and "dun" meaning "pig hill" or possibly Sweyn's hill, Sweyn being
8811-435: The town for statistical purposes. The smallest extent is the former unparished area , now covered by the parishes of West Swindon , Central Swindon North , South Swindon , and Nythe, Eldene and Liden ; thus it omits suburbs to the east and north, namely the parishes of Covingham , Stratton St Margaret and Haydon Wick . At the 2011 census, the population of the unparished area was 122,642. The 2011 census also recognised
8910-576: The town include the Wyvern Theatre and the Mechanics' Institute . Lydiard Park has hosted festivals such as BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend , while the Swindon Mela, an all-day celebration of South Indian arts and culture, attracts up to 10,000 visitors a year. The ancient Ridgeway , known as Britain's oldest road, runs a few miles to Swindon's south, with Avebury , the largest megalithic stone circle in
9009-449: The tune for Come Down, O Love Divine . His opera Hugh the Drover depicts life in a Cotswold village and incorporates local folk melodies. In 1988, the 6th symphony (Op. 109) of composer Derek Bourgeois was titled A Cotswold Symphony . The Cotswolds are a popular location for scenes in movies and television programmes. The 2008 film Better Things , directed by Duane Hopkins, is set in
9108-600: The village were the GWR Medical Fund Clinic at Park House and its hospital, both on Faringdon Road, and the 1892 health centre in Milton Road, which housed clinics, a pharmacy, laundries, baths, Victorian Turkish baths and swimming pools, was almost opposite. From 1871, GWR workers had a small amount deducted from their weekly pay and put into a healthcare fund; GWR doctors could prescribe them or their family members medicines or send them for medical treatment. In 1878
9207-510: The world, and Uffington White Horse , Britain's oldest white horse figure, also nearby. Wiltshire's only professional football club Swindon Town F.C. , have played in the Premier League in the 1993/94 season and won a major trophy, securing a famous giant-killing victory over Arsenal in the 1969 League Cup final . They currently play in League Two at the 15,000-seat County Ground in
9306-545: Was a stretch of open land which separated the town from the motorway. In 1995, the first proposals for the site were put forward for consideration by Wiltshire County Council as structure planning authority. The following year, the first public proposal for the site considered a comprehensive development to help meet Swindon's housing needs up to 2011. In 2001, the Front Garden Action Group (FRAG) and Bloor Homes launched an unsuccessful High Court challenge against
9405-531: Was born in Cheltenham, spent much of his early years playing the organ in Cotswold village churches, including at Cranham , after which he titled his tune for In the Bleak Midwinter . He also called his Symphony in F major, Op. 8, H47, The Cotswolds . Holst's friend Ralph Vaughan Williams was born at Down Ampney in the Cotswolds and, though he moved to Surrey as a boy, gave the name of his native village to
9504-512: Was described as the country's largest housing project on public-owned land. The medieval history of the site is reflected in the name; 'Wichel' is the original name of the area as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and 'stowe' is an Old English word meaning "meeting place". Before the Wichelstowe development was built, the area was commonly known as the 'front garden' of Swindon since it
9603-501: Was designed to provide help and support to people who wished to settle here, covered about 190,000 people ... at the time Britain did not recognise many of the professional [qualifications] gained overseas ... [but] many did find work after the war; some went down the mines, some worked on the land or in steelworks. Housing was more of a problem and many Poles were forced to live in barracks previously used for POWs ... The first generation took pains to ensure that their children grew up with
9702-595: Was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1117, and Malmesbury Abbey was one of the few English houses with a continual history from the 7th century through to the Dissolution of the Monasteries . An unusual house in this area is Quarwood , a Victorian Gothic house in Stow-on-the-Wold . The grounds, covering 42 acres (17 ha), include parkland, fish ponds, paddocks, garages, woodlands and seven cottages. Another
9801-432: Was reshaped into a co-operation agreement; both parties operated independently but in a mutually supportive way to develop the site. The entire Wichelstowe development was due to be completed by 2020, but this was delayed by the financial crisis of 2008 . East Wichel, the eastern quarter, was largely built by Taylor Wimpey who operated independently with support from Swindon Borough Council. Construction started in 2008, and
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