IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Mill Lane, SWINDON, SN1 7HG

Adjacent to West Leaze Farm.

A rare type, which has survived redundancy to become a private letter box.

House on Mill Lane at West Leaze.

Field off Mill Lane at West Leaze, part of which is earmarked for inclusion in the Wichelstowe housing development.

Field off Mill Lane with houses in Field Rise in the background and aWulfric House, completed in 2022, below. Running across the field is the River Ray.

Lane connecting West Leaze and the Swindon suburb of Okus and on to Old Town, seen here before it passes under Old Town Cycle Path. Until recently it was a through route, but it was closed in 2021 to avoid it being used as a rat run and lorry route for the new housing development at Wichelstowe, at the same time creating a quiet route for cyclists and pedestrians.

This is the trackbed of part of the dismantled former Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) between Swindon Town and Cirencester stations. It was open for passenger traffic between 1883 and 1961. Looking in the direction of the former Swindon Town station, this is now part of the National Cycle Network Route 45, which will eventually connect Salisbury in Wiltshire with Chester in Cheshire, via Swindon, Cirencester, Gloucester, Worcester and Whitchurch.

Early 19th century farmhouse, Listed Grade II. The listing suggest that it was developed as a result of the construction of the Wilts and Berks Canal. (This is the only available viewpoint from the public highway.)

Mill Lane, covered in snow, can be seen in the immediate foreground, then in the middle of the picture, before it makes a sharp right turn. Perhaps the past tense should be used, because much of this road is likely to disappear and maybe already has. Mill Lane had the misfortune to be sitting in the middle of Swindon's so-called "front garden". This was the area of land, mainly farmland, on the south side of Swindon, sitting between the old railway line (from where this photo was taken) and the M4 motorway. It was called a garden, because it was envisaged it would remain a very pleasant green buffer between the built-up area and the motorway. But a combination of factors over-turned this, and now the area is to be developed, but probably in slow motion, because of the present economic climate.

Field off Mill Lane with houses in Dunsley Vale, East Wichel, in the left background.