What did Swindon used to be called?

What did Swindon used to be called?

On 1 April 1997 the area became known once more as the Borough of Swindon after the creation of a new Unitary Authority, replacing the Thamesdown name. During the 1990s the town was extended northwards into the neighbouring parishes of Haydon Wick and Blunsdon St.

What is Swindon famous for?

Swindon is a modern town surrounded by some of England’s finest countryside and famous attractions. Enriched with Victorian parks and gardens, museums including the award winning Steam Museum, and an art gallery. Originally, Swindon was a small market town mentioned in the Domesday Book.

What was Swindon before?

The local council was created in 1974 as the Borough of Thamesdown, out of the areas of Swindon Borough and Highworth Rural District. It was not initially called Swindon, because the borough covers a larger area than the town; it was renamed as the Borough of Swindon in 1997.

How long has Swindon been around?

Swindon began as a Saxon village. The name Swindon is derived from the Saxon words swine dun meaning pig hill or the hill where pigs were bred. Swindon is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086). At that time Swindon was a tiny village but by the late 13th century Swindon had grown into a small town with a weekly market.

Is Swindon rough?

Swindon is the most dangerous city in Wiltshire, and is the 32nd most dangerous overall out of Wiltshire’s 272 towns, villages, and cities. The overall crime rate in Swindon in 2021 was 66 crimes per 1,000 people.

Why is Swindon so run down?

The town, which is a new entry on the list, made the list for a number of reasons including it being a commuter town, lack of specialist well-paid work, county lines operations, and concerns about crime.

Is Swindon a nice town?

Swindon is considered one of the top places to live in the UK, though some people consider it dull. The town offers many employment opportunities, reliable transport links, and good schools. Although the cost of living is relatively high, the house prices are moderately low.

What is living in Swindon like?

Swindon has a good employment rate at 77% of the population in work, and 46% working full time. A less encouraging quality of life indicator, however, is the number of people with a poor work life balance, working over 45 hours per week. This figure is fairly high in Swindon, at 26% of residents.

Is Swindon a poor area?

Nearly a tenth of neighbourhoods in Swindon are among the most deprived in England. Government figures show that the borough in general is 157th in the deprivation table across England, and 10th in the south west.

Is Swindon a deprived area?

Swindon is ranked as the 108th most deprived area out of 152 Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs), i.e. there are 107 more deprived UTLAs and 44 less deprived. This places Swindon in the second least deprived quintile in England. indicators.

What’s it like to live in Swindon?

What is West Swindon’s History?

The David Murray John Tower, a landmark dominating the town’s skyline, was built as part of the shopping centre construction and is named after the Town Clerk who championed the boundary changes and ultimately Swindon’s regeneration. In the 1980s Swindon expanded west, with Toothill and Freshbrook forming the area now known as West Swindon.

Why was the Swindon railway built so close to the town?

Once the plan was set for the railway to come to Swindon, it was at first intended to bring it closely along the foot of the hill, so as to be as close as possible to the town without entailing excessive engineering works.

Did the Anglo-Saxons live in Swindon?

Anglo-Saxon pottery and cloth finds suggest the town was still occupied throughout the 6th and 7th centuries. The Anglo-Saxons left many lasting marks on the landscape and surroundings, including names for local places and features and ultimately the future name of Swindon, possibly derived from the words “Swine” for “Pig” and “Down” for “Hill”.

Did Swindon have a market in 1626?

Although Thomas Goddard was granted a weekly market and two fairs a year in 1626, the Market in Swindon was in decline by 1640. However a cattle plague hit nearby Highworth in 1652, allowing Swindon’s livestock sales to increase.