Swindon

For the local government district, see Borough of Swindon. For other uses, see Swindon (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Swinton.
For the village and civil parish, see Swindon, Staffordshire.

Swindon
Town
Central Swindon seen from Radnor Street Cemetery in 2019
Swindon is located in Wiltshire
Swindon
Swindon
Location within Wiltshire
Population183,638 [1]
OS grid referenceSU152842
• London71 miles (114 km)
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSWINDON
Postcode districtSN1–SN6, SN25, SN26
Dialling code01793
PoliceWiltshire
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Websiteswindon.gov.uk
List of places
UK
England
Wiltshire
51°34′N 1°47′W / 51.56°N 1.78°W / 51.56; -1.78

Swindon (/ˈswɪndən/ ⓘ) is a large town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county.[1] 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 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.[2][3] 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.[4] Swindon's railway heritage can be primarily seen today with the grade 2 listed Railway Village and STEAM Museum.[5][6] The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet 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.[7][8]

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.[9][10]

Major venues in 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.[11][12] 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 the world, and Uffington White Horse, Britain's oldest white horse figure, also nearby.[13][14] 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.[15] They currently play in League Two at the 15,000-seat County Ground in the town centre.[16] Other sports in the town include Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey and five-time British speedway champions the Swindon Robins.[17]

  1. ^ a b "United Kingdom: Major Cities in England - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". City Population. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference domesday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "STEAM and the history of Swindon Works". STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Council, Swindon Borough. "STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway". www.swindon.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  6. ^ Swindon, Visit. "Visit Swindon". Visit Swindon. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Did a ham sandwich cause Swindon to become a boomtown?". BBC News. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  9. ^ "BBC - Britain From Above - Stories - Building Britain - Birth of Swindon". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Swindon: Growth of the town | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  11. ^ BBC. "BBC - Wiltshire - Big Weekend". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "The Ridgeway". National Trails. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Uffington White Horse". www.hows.org.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Club History". www.swindontownfc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Swindon Robins Speedway Official Website: CLUB HISTORY: 1980s". www.swindon-speedway.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.