Take a walk through Swindon’s historic Railway Village and Works to explore Swindon’s fascinating story.
The Works Heritage Trail guides you around Swindon’s beautifully preserved Railway Village, through the Tunnel and around the former GWR Works – the original industrial heart of Swindon.
The WORKS Heritage Trail follows a circular route between Swindon Station and Swindon Designer Outlet.
The route is flat, and approximately 2 miles long. Follow the bronze discs in the pavements to stay on track.
Bring the kids along to explore the Railway Village by following our Children’s Heritage Story Trail based on Hannah Dosanjh’s book The Story of a Railway Town called Swindon.
It follows the same route as the Works Heritage Trail so adults and children can enjoy the same walk.
The Works Heritage Trail guides you around Swindon’s beautifully preserved Railway Village, through the Tunnel and around the former GWR Works – the original industrial heart of Swindon.
In the 1840s, the Great Western Railway chose to site its locomotive repair works here, in open countryside mid-way between Bristol and London. That decision changed Swindon forever. The first railway workers, and the generations that followed them, forged Swindon’s character and pioneered its evolution into a dynamic and prosperous industrial centre in the south-west of England.
The Heritage Trail tells Swindon’s story of pioneering ideas, community initiatives and societal change through three themes:
Industry, Community and Health
The Trail follows a circular route, starting and ending at Swindon Station.
It is approximately two miles (3.2km) long. The route is mostly flat, with one short slope at the Tunnel.
Join the Trail at any point – find your location on the trail map. Labelled circles indicate the corresponding information panel titles listed in this guide.
Look out for bronze discs in the pavements that help direct you from point to point.
The design of the bronze pavement discs illustrate the Trail’s three themes: a rail track for industry; a needle and thread for community, and the traditional serpent-and-staff symbol for medicine and health. The directional arrows meet at a mirrored pair of GWR motifs.
Visit Swindon for the full experience.
This online guide supplements the historic information that is displayed on information panels at key locations along the physical Works Heritage Trail.
You can print a paper version above, or pick up a leaflet at various locations along the route to see if you can discover all of the locations for yourself.
Due to it’s central location the Heritage Trail is easy to find, whether you are local to Swindon or just visiting.
By public transport
Swindon Station is easily reachable by train or bus, and the trail is only a short walking distance from the Central Bus Station.
By car
If you’re planning to start the trail at Swindon Station, you can find nearby parking at the long stay car parks on Station Road. Alternatively, you may choose Bristol Street Car Park which is located at a central point along the trail.
Parking is also available at the Swindon Designer Outlet where you can join the Heritage trail from the main entrance.
There’s lots of things to explore nearby, with the Swindon Designer Outlet and Swindon Town Centre only a stone’s throw from the Heritage Trail route.
You’ll find plenty of restaurants and shops at the Swindon Designer Outlet, and a variety of bars, cafes and restaurants in the Town Centre too.
Why not stop by the coffee shops and restaurants along Faringdon Road? Or swing by the Glue Pot and soak in the atmosphere of this legendary historic pub.
Want to learn more?
Local organisations dedicated to preserving and documenting Swindon’s history are listed below.
Historic England Archive: Open to the public by appointment and available online.
The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, SN2 2EH
01793 414600
archive@historicengland.org.uk
www.historicengland.org.uk/images-books
Local Studies at Swindon Central Library: an amazing archive of primary and secondary source historical information. Also see Local Studies’ online photo archive.
Regent Circus, SN1 1QG
01793 463238
localstudies@swindon.gov.uk
www.flickr.com/photos/swindonlocal
Radnor Street Cemetery: The final resting place for generations of Swindon’s railway families,. Designated a Nature Reserve in 2005, it has wonderful views of the GWR Works.
Radnor Street, SN1 3PR
www.radnorstreetcemetery.blog
Railway Village Museum – discover social history and how GWR families lived in this Victorian worker’s cottage.
34 Faringdon Road, SN1 5BJ
www.mechanics-trust.org.uk/museum
museum@mechanics-trust.org.uk
Rodbourne Community History Group holds monthly talks and leads free, bookable guided tours around Swindon Designer Outlet.
www.rodbournehistory.org
01793 616558
secretary@rodbournehistory.org
Swindon Civic Voice promotes residents’ involvement in heritage and planning. It works specifically to celebrate Swindon Railway Village.
www.swindoncivicvoice.org.uk
info@swindoncivicvoice.org.uk
STEAM: The Museum of the Great Western Railway – interactive museum with regular events, temporary exhibitions and talks.
Fire Fly Avenue, SN2 2EY
www.steam-museum.org.uk
01793 466646
steammuseum@swindon.gov.uk
Swindon Heritage Preservation (formerly the Mechanics’ Institution Trust) hosts regular heritage events and works to conserve Swindon’s precious heritage and restore its historic buildings for community use.
www.mechanics-trust.org.uk
info@mechanics-trust.org.uk
The Swindon Society holds monthly talks and is custodian of an important archive of thousands of historical photographs.
The Works Heritage Trail was created, written and designed by Kate Parsons with support from Swindon Borough Council; Historic England; Swindon Heritage Preservation; the Local Studies team at Swindon Central Library, and STEAM: The Museum of the Great Western Railway. This online Trail guide was created by Hamlyn Deas and is maintained by Swindon Heritage Preservation.
With thanks to Graham Carter for his knowledge of the UTC site; Paul Williams for permission to use photographs from the Hooper Collection; ex-British Rail Engineering Ltd. employees and/or Railway Village residents Jack Hayward, Tim Midwinter and Arthur Doyle who contributed their photos and stories, and Swindon Civic Voice.
The Works Heritage Trail was made possible through Swindon Heritage Action Zone (HAZ), a five-year initiative from Historic England to support Swindon Borough Council and other local partners to revitalise the area and enhance historic buildings and public spaces. The Trail aims to increase awareness of Swindon’s railway history, inspire curiosity in visitors and pride in residents. The area won the national Civic Voice award for ‘England’s Favourite Conservation Area’ in 2018.
Please help us improve this digital heritage trail. If you had any difficulties with navigating the trail or have any other suggestions, please let us know by contacting: theworks@mechanics-trust.org.uk.
