please empty your brain below
Swindon is half way from London to Bristol, the original GWR terminals.

Tony Martin | 08.02.20 - 7:21 a.m. | #

My paternal grandfather and great-grandfather were both boilermakers at the Swindon works - the latter having been indentured in 1868 at the age of twelve and three quarters and served his seven year apprenticeship there. He and his older brother walked the 22 miles to Swindon from Devizes, where the family were agricultural workers, the year after three of their sisters died of starvation. More here .

Sarah | Homepage | 08.02.20 - 7:42 a.m. | #

Swindon, although closer to Bristol than it is to London, was a convenient place to change locomotives because the gradients west of there are more severe than to the east. It is also the junction for the Gloucester line, which was the route to South Wales until the Severn Tunnel was built in 1886.

timbo | 08.02.20 - 8:15 a.m. | #

Isambard Kingdom Brunel did have a dispute at Swindon. It was originally a convenient place to change locomotives from those suited to the incredibly level route to London for others suitable for the steeper gradients from Bath. When locomotive design improved and this was no longer neccesary, attempts to provide a faster journey were thwarted because he had a contract with the proprietors of the station buffet to include a mandatory rest stop in the timetable. He also criticised the quality of their coffee which was served from an urn modelled as a steam engine.

kev | 08.02.20 - 8:34 a.m. | #

The GWR was conceived as a route from London to Bristol. When the railway works was built at Swindon, Cardiff and Gloucester weren't even a twinkle in the GWR's eye.
Swindon was also the refreshment stop, and the origin of complaints about railway catering.

RogerB | 08.02.20 - 8:41 a.m. | #

Swindon is two thirds of the way from London to Bristol, although gradients to the west were rather steeper than those to the east.
A silver-plated coffee pot in the refreshment room, in the form of an early GWR 'Firefly' class locomotive, dispensed a foul brew through two taps at the rear.

David | 08.02.20 - 8:59 a.m. | #

I have no views on Swindon's position, history or coffee.

However, I am super-impressed by the Magic Roundabout overhead video. From very limited experience, it does work remarkably well, provided a driver's short-term memory is up to remembering whether they want the slightly rightish or slightly leftish exit.

Saddlers Farm on the A13 is another similar one, but recently partly bypassed by a diveunder which needed extensive repairs soon after it was opened.

I am looking forward to a visit to the Railway museum, particularly the Broad Gauge exhibits. Broad Gauge was a big lost opportunity.

Malcolm | 08.02.20 - 9:37 a.m. | #

Gloucester was very much in the GWR's sights in the 1840s. Swindon was already a junction in 1841, a year before the line to Bristol was completed and Swindon station opened, and two years before the railway workshops. The branch to Gloucester was completed by 1845.

timbo | 08.02.20 - 9:50 a.m. | #

All I know about Swindon is that it's the place the car radio dies when heading along the M4!

Cornish Cockney | 08.02.20 - 9:56 a.m. | #

Underlying impression - mostly boarded-up but has a couple of good museums.

dg writes: Swindon is not 'mostly boarded-up'.

Google Maps seems confused by the Magic Roundabout and shows a cycle route on the main carriageway rather than round the edge. How easy is it to negotiate on foot? I can't see much in the way of crossings that don't just rely on darting between the traffic.

dg writes: Look closer.

Andrew S | 08.02.20 - 10:03 a.m. | #

The Museum of Computing opens every Saturday behind the Central Library, admission £3.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 08.02.20 - 11:36 a.m. | #

Timbo, are you sure? ('In their sights') The Gloucester branch was promoted by the men of Gloucester and points north. I don't think the mostly Bristol based directors of the GWR would have been interested in access to Gloucester via Swindon. However, you may have read board minutes that I have not.

The 'outlet village' may be convenient, but it isn't generally cheap, although there may be particular bargains.

RogerB | 08.02.20 - 12:04 p.m. | #

Swindon's central repair works opened in January 1843, the same month in which the GWR agreed to purchase the line from Swindon to Gloucester.

TDS Pedant | 08.02.20 - 12:18 p.m. | #

The Cheltenham & Great Western Union Railway was indeed promoted by business interests in Gloucestershire, but they appointed Brunel to build it, it was built to GWR broad gauge, and it was operated by (and leased to) the GWR from the very start of operations.

Its enabling legislation was passed in 1836, less than a year after that for the GWR itself.

timbo | 08.02.20 - 1:13 p.m. | #

OK, would I be allowed to re-phrase that, 'when the railway works was planned....'?

RogerB | 08.02.20 - 1:34 p.m. | #

I am almost ready to apologise for going to Swindon.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 08.02.20 - 1:35 p.m. | #

I stand corrected.
By an amazing coincidence I am reading Stuart Maconie's 'The Pie at night' and on p. 44 Daniel Gooch is quoted as writing 'I reported (on the proposed site for the railway works) in favour of Swindon, it being the junction with the Cheltenham branch...'
Don't apologise DG, it's been a splendid opportunity for serendipity.

RogerB | 08.02.20 - 4:01 p.m. | #

My Territorial Army unit was based near the railway village and often had to negotiate the Magic Roundabout in an armoured convoy to reach Salisbury Plain. The power steering in my vehicle rarely worked, so the junction was quite a challenge, with 8 tonnes to manoeuver via a tiny steering wheel and no sideways or rearward visibility.

kev | 08.02.20 - 4:16 p.m. | #

Obviously a lot more expensive to go by rail from London. Here (Bracknell) £25 return with a senior railcard.

I have been a couple of times to the National Trust AGM, held in one of the old engine sheds, which gives you free entry to STEAM. A fun museum but fairly small. Had a wander around that shopping centre as well, there are a couple of old trains and other rail memorabilia in there.

davews | 08.02.20 - 4:19 p.m. | #

The roundabout must get really interesting if it gets snowed over. Perhaps the gritters always head there first.

NickW | 08.02.20 - 4:48 p.m. | #

I was surprised to see that the centre of the roundabout is flat tarmac, unlike the usual grassed mound. Then it occurred to me that keeping your ultimate exit in sight is a big part of the magic.

Rich G | Homepage | 08.02.20 - 10:08 p.m. | #

Please. No more. I have just put Swindon on my ‘need not’ places to visit in and around London. There are only so many derelict and boarded up buildings one needs to see.

Sally Hirst | 08.02.20 - 11:33 p.m. | #

Hemel Hempstead has a better 'magic roundabout'. as all the locals call it. Six exits and a grassed and wooded centre with the river Gade running through it. However, the official name is the Plough Roundabout, after the pub next to it, which was knocked down in the mid 80s. There was a local campaign at least 20 years ago to rename it the Magic Roundabout but the Council suffered a sense of humour failure.

And yes, it can be terrifying for the first-time user and it almost never has a significant queue - except when the traffic stops for the ducks that cross from the river outside to the river inside.

Graham | 09.02.20 - 9:01 a.m. | #

Swindon's Magic Roundabout was originality named The County Roundabout, after the nearly County Cricket Ground. And that is what all the signs said. However everyone called it the Magic Roundabout and eventually the powers that be conceded defeat and changed the signs. Thank goodness for common sense!

Val | 09.02.20 - 10:25 a.m. | #

Interesting to see that people cling to the belief that Swindon is mostly "boarded up" even when told it is not so.

JohnC | 09.02.20 - 12:03 p.m. | #

I've not been to Swindon but I've driven over Hemel's magic roundabout many times and it's really not as scary as it looks from above - you just have to pick whether you're going left or right and work your way towards your exit.

Moogal | 10.02.20 - 1:56 p.m. | #

Perhaps the belief that Swindon is boarded up stems from this song by Swindon natives XTC.

Will | 10.02.20 - 6:21 p.m. | #











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