Houses in Melksham Close, 'the valley', Penhill, Swindon
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Houses in Melksham Close, 'the valley', Penhill, Swindon by Brian Robert Marshall as part of the Geograph project.
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Image: © Brian Robert Marshall Taken: 3 Oct 2008
Melksham Close is at the northern edge of Penhill. The estate was developed in the early to mid 1950s by the local council. I understand it had been intended to complete the estate a few hundred metres south of here but circumstances made the council decide to carry on down the northern slope of the hill the estate is mainly built upon. This northern extension became known as 'the valley' and soon acquired something of a poor reputation where it was suspected 'problem families' were housed. I have no way of knowing whether that is true or, if it is, was a deliberate policy on the part of the Housing department. It is true that there have been instances of some properties in the valley having been used as crack houses.