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Wayside Close, SWINDON, SN2 2UQ

The depot occupies the site that previously was used as a municipal refuse incinerator. It was never that successful and only lasted about 15 years before closing. The bus depot was formerly in the centre of Swindon and the bus company outgrew it after many years there. The land in the foreground was previously an allotment site. Unfortunately, some years ago it was found that the land was contaminated with lead and was vacated. It remains in the local Council's landbank. Update July 2009: the land in the foreground is being made ready for the construction of a supermarket http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1382636

Taken from approximately the same place as this one http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1382636 the photograph shows that much has happened in the intervening six weeks or so.

Two months ago the view looked like this Image As can be seen, opening of the store for business is under three weeks away.

Home Bargains and The Food Warehouse in view.

The groundworks phase is well under way on a plot of land formerly used as allotment gardens. That use had to cease in the 1990s when it was discovered that the land had become contaminated with lead. The reasons for this were never fully established but a possible explanation was that allotment holders may have used sewage sludge from the sewage treatment works nearby as a soil conditioner.

The bridleway indicated skirts the southern perimeter of land formerly used as allotments.

Taken at the depot at the open day in October 2005, this vehicle is one of a number that were in a special livery for route 901 which connected Swindon's two park & ride sites. The vehicle is number 185 dating from 1998. Today route 901 only runs between The Copse now called Groundwell Park & Ride and the town centre. The other park & ride facility at Wroughton, having failed to attract as many motorists as anticipated, is now a stop on an ordinary bus service, the number 11.

Thamesdown Transport uses quite old second-hand double deck buses for its school fleet and these are painted a garish shade of yellow with a dark blue band between decks. The sides are labelled "Student Bus". This is useful for warning other people to stay well clear, there having been at least one mini riot between pupils of different schools in which at least one bus as well as some of the pupils got damaged. This picture shows just a few of the school bus fleet of 2005. The vehicle on the right nearest the camera is a Dennis Dominator number 281 of 1988 which was originally with Ipswich buses. It is still in the fleet. All the others shown are older and have now departed.

This Dennis Dart No. 208 of 2002 is having maintenance work on its engine at the new bus depot. Photographed at the open day in October 2005.

This vehicle was used to tow buses which had broken down.