Transport in Swindon

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Main article: Swindon

Transport in Swindon and the surroundings have directly contributed to the town's growth and the ingress of Businesses and Industries.

Located on the M4 Corridor and the Great Western Railway Main Line, Swindon's local transport network is adequate to the needs of a growing town.

Contents

[edit] Road

[edit] Historic

Further information: History of Swindon
Historical Routes and Sites in the Borough of Swindon
Historical Routes and Sites in the Borough of Swindon

The town of Swindon lies near a junction of two roman roads which passed close to the site of the Roman Fortified town of Durocornovium. Ermin Street passes to the East of the town and is the route from Corinium (Cirencester) to Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester), a road from Cunetio (Mildenhall) joins Ermin Street near Durocornovium.

The ancient path of The Ridgeway passes to the south of the town.

[edit] Turnpikes

With the expansion of the Quarries and also the introduction of the Turnpike Act (1706), the four main access roads into the Town were turned into turnpikes between 1751-1775.[1] With the Swindon to Faringdon road completed in 1757 and the Swindon to Marlborough road in 1761.

Toll houses were also placed on the roads to Stratton St Margaret, Marlborough, Devizes, Wootton Bassett and Cricklade.

Residents of Rodbourne Cheney and the Liddiard's came into Swindon via roadways that linked Shaw and Rushey Platt with the gate at Kingshill.

The amount levied depended on the type of cart, the number of horses used and the width of wheels (as the narrower wheels caused more damage to the road).

[edit] Roads and Motorways

Transport routes in the Borough of Swindon
Transport routes in the Borough of Swindon

Major roads near or passing through Swindon.

[edit] Roundabouts

Further information: Magic Roundabout (Swindon)

The town is famous for its roundabouts, to the extent of selling yearly calendars featuring a different roundabout for each month.[2] The most notable roundabout is the Magic Roundabout that lies at the junction of Drove Road, Queens Drive and Fleming Way near to the County Ground.

The official name of this roundabout used to be County Islands, although hardly anyone other than officials called it by this name. The official name was changed in the late 1990s to match its popular name. It is the subject of a pop song by local band XTC. Locals often refer to it by the colloquial name of "The Tragic Roundabout" due to the many motor-accidents that occur on it, usually caused by drivers not familiar with its operation.[citation needed] Accidents frequently occur on matchday's for Swindon Town F.C. and at weekends, where the increased traffic at these periods can be a contributory factor in causing them.[citation needed]

[edit] Buses

Main article: Buses in Swindon

Urban buses were introduced into Swindon in 1927, after the abandonment of the Wilts and Berks Canal. Operated by Swindon Corporation, they made the tram network redundant by 1929.

Swindon Corporation Buses became Thamesdown Transport in 1974 when the council boundaries and name changed. Now a Limited Company with the council as a major shareholder and subsidiser, Thamesdown Transport is Swindon's largest urban Bus operator.

Swindon's second oldest operator, after Thamesdown Transport, is Stagecoach in Swindon, the successor to the Swindon branch of Bristol Tramways established in 1921. Formerly part of the National Bus Company and operating under the name Swindon and District, it was privatised in 1986 and absorbed into the Stagecoach Group in 1993.

[edit] Rail

[edit] Trams

Swindon Corporation was the local council formed by the 1901 Municipal Borough charter,[3] with the amalgamation of the Old and New Swindon councils; a power station was built in Corporation Street. This power station became the siting of the tram depot.

The corporation started to operate electric trams in 1904. A total of 3.75 miles of 3 ft. 6 in. gauge track was laid down from the Great Western Railway Station to Rodboume, Gorse Hill and the Market Square in Old Town. A small fleet of nine 48 seater trams were bought at the time of inception with four further cars purchased at a later date.

In 1906, the Swindon Tram disaster occurred. A number 11 tram taking passengers from the Bath and West Show being held in Old Town suffered brake failure driving down Victoria Hill and crashed in Regents Circus killing 5.[3]

After only 25 years of operation, Swindon's Trams were phased out by buses in 1929.[1]

[edit] Trains

[edit] Great Western Railway

Main articles: Great Western Railway and Swindon Works

Swindon was chosen as the site of the Great Western Railway's Engineering Works in 1841, an event which led to the creation of a Railway Town known as New Swindon and the eventual amalgamation into the town today.[1]

The works covered a site of 320 acres and became the focal point for the creation of New Swindon and the influx of over 10,000 new residents in the next 50 years. In its heyday, the railway employed over 14,000 people in Swindon and the main locomotive fabrication workshop, the A Shop was, at 11.25 acres, one of the largest covered areas in the world.

The factory had to be immediately adjacent to the railway, and it was necessary for the workers to be housed as close as possible to it.

As the town of Swindon at that time was over a mile away on top of the hill, a modest Railway Village of 300 homes was proposed in 1841. Building began using stone from Swindon's quarries and also from stone excavated during the boring of Box Tunnel, 243 houses were completed by 1853 with the towns population being estimated at over 2,500. All 300 houses were completed by the mid-1860s.

Consequently a new town was built, known as New Swindon. This town would remain both physically and administratively separate from Old Swindon until the creation of Swindon Corporation in 1900.

Swindon railway station was opened in 1842 and until 1895 every passing train stopped here for at least 10 minutes to change locomotives. As such Swindon station hosted the first recorded Railway refreshment rooms.

In 1962 building of new locomotives ceased at Swindon. Locomotive repairs and carriage and wagon work continued, though the original carriage and wagon workshop was sold. The whole works closed in 1986, but one building currently houses Swindon Steam Railway Museum. The engineers' office is now the headquarters of English Heritage. Purpose-built storage there now houses the archive of the National Monuments Record.

Most of the remaining buildings are used as part of the Swindon Designer Outlet Village.

[edit] Midland and South Western Junction Railway

Main article: Midland and South Western Junction Railway

Known as Swindon's other railway, the Midland and South Western Junction Railway was formed in 1884 and ran trains from Andover to Cheltenham. A station was sited in Old Town, Swindon (Station Road) and is now listed as Old Town Railway Cutting, Swindon a site of special scientific interest.

GWR absorbed the company before the railways were nationalised in 1948. Under the Beeching Axe, the line closed in 1961.

[edit] Today

First Great Western operate Swindon railway station and the majority of services passing through the town, the company's headquarters are also located in Milford Street.

The Great Western Main Line passes through the town as does the Golden Valley Line to Cheltenham Spa. The frequency of trains to London and Bristol have contributed to a large number of commuters moving to the town.

The Swindon and Cricklade Railway operates on a small section of the former Midland and South Western Junction Railway route for enthusiasts and tourists, running Steam Train's between Blunsdon railway station and Hayes Knoll railway station.

[edit] Future

On the Great Western Main Line, there are plans to increase the number of tracks to four between Swindon and Didcot. In addition to the improvement on the Great Western Main Line, The Golden Valley Line is likely to see the redoubling of the track between Swindon and Kemble. This increased capacity will remove bottlenecks and enable further growth of the Swindon conurbation. There are plans to provide a direct rail link to London Heathrow Airport by 2016.[4]

The heritage Swindon and Cricklade Railway is due to extend North to Cricklade and South towards Moulden Hill. It may also one day become a branch off the Golden Valley Line and provide rail access to Swindon town centre from Cricklade and North-West Swindon.

[edit] Canals

A section of the Canal near Rushey Platt, Swindon.
A section of the Canal near Rushey Platt, Swindon.
Further information: Wilts and Berks Canal and History of Swindon

In 1775, an act of parliament was passed authorising the building of the Wilts and Berks Canal. A "waterway that would link the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Trowbridge with the River Thames at Abingdon.."[1] It reached Swindon in 1804, and Abingdon in 1810. In all, 58 miles of waterway was created.

The canal enabled Swindon businesses and farmers to transport goods over a wider area in a quicker time-scale. It also provided an influx of new residents, both from out of county and also from those navvies who settled after completion of the canal.[1]

In 1813, another act of parliament was passed authorising the North Wilts Canal, a proposal by the Thames & Severn Canal Company and the Wilts & Berks Canal Company to link the existing Wilts and Berks Canal at Swindon with the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton, Cricklade. Consisting of nine miles of waterway and 12 locks, it was completed in 1814. The two canals were consolidated in 1821 and brought together under the auspices of the Wilts & Berks Navigation Company.

With the railways providing a faster and cheaper method of transport, the canal was relatively unused by 1895. It was dredged in 1908, but declared ruined soon after It was finally closed under the Wilts & Berks Canal Abandonment Act, 1914 and partly filled in.

Various elements of the Canal can still be seen in Swindon, with the route also being remembered at Canal Walk in the Town Centre. Swindon Borough Council is currently considering re-creating part of Canal Walk to celebrate the towns water-borne heritage.[5]

[edit] Air

Civil airfields existing in Swindon's immediate surroundings up until the mid 20th century, with a small airfield at South Marston (X2SO) attached to the Vickers/Supermarine factory,[6] now the site of Honda.[7] The nearest civilian airfield with a concrete runway is now at Kemble, with major international air traffic using Bristol Airport.[8]

[edit] International Airports

There are plans to provide a direct rail link to London Heathrow Airport by 2016.[4]

[edit] Local Airfields

[edit] Military Airfields

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Mark Child [2002]. Swindon : An Illustrated History. United Kingdom: Breedon Books Publishing. ISBN 1-85983-322-5. 
  2. ^ Round trip for town's calendar. BBC News (2003). Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
  3. ^ a b The Swindon Society [2000]. A Century of Swindon. United Kingdom: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-2889-1. 
  4. ^ a b Swindon 2026. Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  5. ^ Canal Walk - Swindon Dream or Vision?. Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
  6. ^ Aircraft Production in Swindon. Swindon's Heritage. swindonweb.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
  7. ^ The Car Industry in Swindon. Swindon's Heritage. swindonweb.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
  8. ^ Visiting Swindon - By Air. Swindon Borough Council. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
  9. ^ Redlands Airfield. Redlands Airfield Ltd. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
  10. ^ Anthony Osborne (2004). John's sky high plans for airfield. Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
  11. ^ Oaksey Park. Airfields. ukga.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.