The Roundabout Town: A Brief History of Swindon

Swindon is the largest town in Wiltshire, which is situated in the South West of England. This portion of the country is the largest of the nine regions of England, but it is also the third least populated area in the nation.

As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was recorded as being 183,638, which makes it one of the largest towns in the entire region and the 29th most populous in the whole of England. It is also the only town to be paired with Walt Disney World, based in Florida.

Medieval History

The first recorded reference to Swindon was made in the Domesday Book, which dates back to 1086. In the book, the settlement is referred to as “Suindune.”

The etymology behind Suindune can be broken down into “Suin” - meaning swine and “Dune” - meaning hill, making the literal translation “pig hill.”

There is an alternative translation, however. The original name can be interpreted as “Sweyn's hill”, with Sweyn being a name of Scandinavian origin. This bears similarities to the English word “swain”, which in archaic terms means a country youth.

The Railway

Swindon is known for its association with the railways, which date back to the mid 1800s. The Swindon Works building was engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who remains one of the most well known and celebrated civil and mechanical engineers in British history.

The building was constructed to repair and maintain trains on the Great Western Railway. The introduction of The Works invigorated the town and boosted the population numbers. Housing was built near to the Works to provide accommodation for workers.

The Works also introduced a healthcare system, which workers would pay a small amount from their weekly pay toward in order to receive medicines or treatment. This acted as a prototype to the model that would be used by the NHS around fifty years later.

Swindon still serves as an important spot for British rail travel to this day, offering services to London Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads, Cheltenham Spa and Cardiff Central.

Despite Swindon's location geographically, it is a testament to the design of the railways itself that you can gain access to the majority of the country just from a train from Swindon Station.

The Magic Roundabout

Named after the popular children's show of the same name, the roundabout itself is only magical in name. In a poll conducted in 2009, it was voted the fourth scariest junction in Britain. Prior to this in 2005, it was voted the worst roundabout in the UK in a poll conducted by Saga Motor Insurance.

This roundabout is particularly unique. It was constructed in 1972 and was designed by Frank Blackmore who worked for the British Transport and Road Research Laboratory. This ring junction consists of five mini roundabouts which are arranged in a circle.

The outer circles direct traffic in a clockwise direction, whereas the inner circle directs traffic in an anticlockwise direction, which provides confusion for visiting motorists who are attempting the roundabout for the first time.

Despite this, the roundabout's layout has remained unchanged since its inception.

Gaming and Entertainment

The magic roundabout has been orbited more times than a casinos roulette wheel, but one thing that Swindon is missing in terms of entertainment is a casino.

Sure, there are the arcade style venues containing only slot machines but there isn't a fully fleshed out venue that offers table games and slots alongside a bar and restaurant; this leaves the realm of online casinos the most convenient option for those who want to spin the wheel.

Outside of casinos, Swindon is home to numerous entertainment venues, from cinemas to the MECA, which is a multipurpose venue that hosts comedy shows, bingo and discos. High Score Arcades have also introduced a venue to the town, which offers over 80 arcade games, including classics like Space Invaders and Pacman. 

Active Reality is a modern twist on the traditional arcade. This venue offers multiplayer games that are based within virtual reality.

The interest in gaming doesn't end there. In 2020, sixth form college UTC Swindon introduced a Level 3 BTEC course on Esports. Esports is a genre of competitive gaming and has become a multibillion dollar industry over the last ten years or so.

In Conclusion

Swindon may not be what most people think of when it comes to towns of historical importance to England, but its history of transport and interesting geography make it worthy of a visit.

Now the town is home to the English headquarters of businesses that include Intel, Nationwide and WH Smith's, as well as being home to the National Trust and UK Space Agency. This makes it a hub for businesses as well as a place of historical interest.