Things To See And Do In Swindon

Swindon is a town in Wiltshire, England. The town underwent a massive expansion in the 1950s when the Town development act was passed. Until this point it was merely a market town though the industrial revolution brought about a large population increase. The expansion of the Wilts and Berks canal and the North Wilts canal brought more trading opportunities to the town.

There are several main shopping areas such as the Brunel centre and the parade. There are additional shops along the canal and a newly opened tented market area in the town center. There is discounted designer clothing available at the McArthur Glen designer outlet and if you like crafts then you should visit the Studley Grange Craft Village.

There are several historic houses to visit in the area including Lydiard Park that contains the Lydiard House. This house was designed in an Elizabethan style though it has been updated and modernized since the English civil war. It has been open for public visits since 1955 when it was completely restored to its former glory. This park is considered small when compared to many other historic homes but the grounds are beautifully kept up.

Queens Park is near the town center and contains a small lake with many ornamental shrubs and trees. The park contains a Garden of remembrance which remembers those that fought and died in World War II. Coate Water is an additional park that contains a reservoir originally made to feed water into the Wilts and Berks Canal.

A lovely church form 1851 is the Lady of the Hill. This church was built to replace the older medieval church as it could no longer sustain the growing parish. The Goddard family was the main contributors to the church and there are many memorials inside to this family. Of particular note is the west window which provides an excellent view of the hollyhock lawn.

The Renault Building was designed by Sir Norman Foster and is the town's most acclaimed building. The roof is bright yellow making the entire building highly recognizable. If has contained offices, a showroom, restaurant, warehouse and distribution center. The design of the building has won many awards. This building was actually used in the Bond movie, A View to Kill.

The Link center is the town's main leisure center. This building was built in 1985 in an environmentally friendly manner. Inside the leisure center contains a district library, ice rink, squash courts, Olympic size swimming pool, snooker hall, health suite, community center, craft studios, sports hall and drama studios.