Swindon brings together the heritage of the Great Western Railway, museums, historic green spaces and walking trails. Visitors who want to focus their stay on engineering history, art or time outdoors will find a range of options. The connection between the railway and the city’s history is particularly clear at the STEAM Museum, on the Bear Trail through the historic Railway Village and in GWR Park. Other themes include British art and nature at Coate Water.
Railway History and Museums
STEAM is housed in a carefully restored Grade II listed railway building in the centre of the former Swindon railway works. The museum tells the story of the women and men who worked for the Great Western Railway, operated its trains or travelled on them. Its exhibits therefore cover not only work in the railway works, but also railway operations and train travel. Swindon Railway Works opened in January 1843 as a repair and maintenance facility for the new Great Western Railway.
Museum & Art Swindon offers a different perspective on the town: its exhibition spans Swindon’s Jurassic past to life in the town today. It also features a collection of modern and contemporary British art. Visitors to Swindon can therefore choose between the town’s industrial past, its wider history and British art as different themes for a museum visit.
Paths Through the Town and Along the Water
The Works Heritage Trail follows a largely flat, two-mile route through the town centre. Information boards at 21 stops provide details about historic buildings. The Old Town Railway Path is also two miles long. This traffic-free path connects Old Town with West Swindon; unlike the Heritage Trail, its focus is on the connection between the two areas rather than stops at historic buildings.
The Bear Trail runs for 1.1 miles through the historic Railway Village, making it shorter than the two two-mile routes. It starts near Emlyn Square at a bus stop on Bristol Street. Route details may change, so check the information before setting out. The three paths each have a different focus: historic buildings and information boards, the connection between Old Town and West Swindon, or the Railway Village.
Coate Water Park offers lakeside walks, wildlife-watching areas and outdoor activities. The path around the lake is 1.75 miles long and takes about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. In spring and summer, the lake provides a valuable nesting site for waterfowl, reed buntings and warblers. The walk around the lake therefore offers a chance to see the water’s seasonal importance first-hand.
Gardens, Churches and Heritage
Town Gardens were laid out in two phases, in 1894 and 1902, as a recreation area for residents of Swindon’s Old Town. Four entrances are connected by a circular path. The gardens are also home to The Bowl, a venue for regular summer concerts; dates for individual concerts may vary. The history of the gardens thus combines their original recreational purpose with a seasonal events programme.
St Mark’s Church stands in Central Swindon and was consecrated on 25 April 1845. It is the oldest surviving church in central Swindon. Another landmark is Lydiard House, a Grade I listed building in the heart of Lydiard Park. The house’s state rooms display elaborate plasterwork, original family furniture, and portraits and photographs of the St John family. Lydiard House Museum also offers special exhibitions and family activities.
GWR Park is also part of Swindon’s railway workers’ heritage: it was created for them so they could play sports and enjoy nature. Beyond the town, Swindon provides access to the Cotswolds and the rest of Wiltshire. The town thus combines a strong railway heritage and its own cultural and natural attractions with a wider regional setting.
Discover more destinations: Highworth, Liddington, Broad Blunsdon, South Marston.
Return to the main travel overview: Swindon.
