Until the coming of the railway, Swindon was a small village on the Wilts and Berks Canal (see Coatewater), dominated by its neighbour Woottonbassett.

With the railway boom, housing was built for many of the new workers at the workshops, which used to employ thousands of staff.


Railway Village, Swindon

These days, the workshops are gone. Some of the facades are left standing, and a few buildings remain to house the Steam museum and the Outlet centre.


Facade of Railway Workshops, Swindon

Swindon remains a railway junction, though its importance decreases. The direct train service to Oxford was lost a few years ago, and the service to Southampton via Melksham, Westbury and Salisbury is under threat as I write.

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