IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Marlborough Road, SWINDON, SN3 1QY

A row of 3 old stone-built cottages, which at one time would have been on the edge of the original town. Next in line is a large modern apartment block which stands on the site of a long since demolished 19thC stone house where this contributor once lived. and beyond that again is a large stone-built property which I believe is now Grade II listed

Much has changed here over the last sixty years. At one time the camera position would have been close to the entrance to Green's Garage which I think sold Rootes group cars. A little further down at the point where the pedestrian is, there was once a Tudor style 19th century lodge cottage at the entrance to The Planks. Opposite is a car sales centre, which I believe has now gone in favour of a development of apartment buildings, and where the line of cars [extreme right] can be seen behind the hedge there was once a stone built detached house of the mid 19th century where this contributor lived many years ago. Marlborough Road was originally the A345 and was the main road into the town from the south, but it has now been downgraded to B4289.

This bronze ram is a monument to the past. The new housing estate is on the old cattle market, which used to operate here until the 1970s. The sculpture is 'Old Wiltshire Horn' by John Buck, and commemorates the breed - one of the country's more important in times past.

Dewell Mews is a brownfield site development of flats and houses constructed in the early 1990s. Previously this was a livestock market. The statue of the ram is a reference to the site's history. Some poor deluded muesli-muncher has vandalised the other side of it by scrawling the word 'vegan' on it.

The bronze statue named Old Wiltshire Horn is at the eastern end of Dewell Mews, near the corner of Marlborough Road. The work of Jon Buck, it was installed here in 1989 on the site of the former livestock market.

Marlborough Road was and remains one of the main routes to and from the town. However its character here has changed over the last ten to fifteen years. At the left is fairly new housing, Mill Court. Beyond that the building with the mansard roof is Ashlar Court. Both developments cater, I think, mainly for retired people. Before this development occurred there was a large car dealership here called Greens who held the Chrysler franchise for a while. The cottages on the right are relatively old, early 19th century. They are within the Old Town conservation area and are listed http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=318785

The imposing building on the right behind the advertising board was once, I believe, occupied by a prominent veterinary surgeon. Then it became the offices of a car dealership. The dealership vacated the site some years ago and re-located. Since then the building has been left unoccupied.

A development of residential properties on a site which was once a livestock market, the clue being the small statue of a sheep at the entrance. Market days were on Monday and the livestock market was one reason why what is now Old Town developed as the original Swindon, which loosely translates as 'pigs on the hill'. Somewhere here by the old market entrance was a small shop where one could buy a chocolate bar for 4d.

This modern residential street is a turning off Old Mill Lane, and leads up to a lane called The Planks. In the distance is a building with a tower, which was formerly the Corn Exchange. Later it became The Locarno. Since this photograph was taken, the building was badly damaged by fire. There have been plans to restore it as part of a wider development but it was reported by the BBC and the local press, in March 2009, that companies linked with the plans were in administration. Hopefully someone will restore it, as Swindon has already lost a lot of interesting buildings in this area.

This was the site of the livestock market, commemorated by a ram statue http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3851037 behind the camera.