IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Saxon Court, SWINDON, SN3 1SB

An attractive mid 19th century warehouse overlooking The Square in Old Town Swindon. Once the premises of Toomers agricultural merchants. To the left is some horrible early sixties building which should never have been allowed in this part of the town.

A corner of The Square [aka Market Square] in the Old Town district of Swindon. An Austin A40 van conversion and a Ford Popular are amongst the vehicles standing in front of the premises of RW Johns, Son and Co.

Ordnance Survey cut mark benchmark described on the Bench Mark Database at http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm37346

The sad sight of the old Corn Exchange as seen from the Planks. The fires that badly damaged the roofs has left it open to the elements. See Image] for more of this historic building.

The former Corn Exchange also had a Butter Market in the triangular shaped building attached to it. In latter times it also offered a skating rink, cinema, bingo hall and ballroom. These many changes failed to stop the decline and eventual dereliction. However, plans have been accepted to completely reinvigorate this historic site. See Image] for more.

Redlands is a mid 19th century house now used as a hostel. Listed, grade II with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1023466 Old Town, on its hill above the 'new' railway town, is the cultural heart of Swindon. The old and the new combined into a single town in 1900.

An intriguing group of residences - surely a conversion of a much older, rustic property.

The clock tower on the old Corn Exchange, showing the effect of years of neglect has had on it. Originally built in 1852, the tower is in fact an addition of 1865. The Exchange changed uses many times, only to fall silent in the twenty-first century and suffer two severe fires that took down the roofs. The tower is also open to the heavens and is badly exposed to the elements. See Image] for another view of this historic site.

This derelict building has a long and sad history. Built as a market hall in 1852, it became the Town Hall. Abutting the Town Hall, the Corn Exchange was erected in 1866. The large hall in the Corn Exchange was turned into a theatre by 1880 with seating for 1,000 people. A new Town Hall was built in 1890 and all civic functions passed down the hill in 1891. The hall was converted into an ice rink and in 1919 into a cinema. It was refurbished in 1949 and became a dance hall, the Locarno, later hosting wrestling events and jazz and pop concerts. It was a Bingo Hall for some time but closed in the late 1980s and is now derelict and decaying. Listed, grade II, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1023523 Old Town, on its hill above the 'new' railway town, is the cultural heart of Swindon. The old and the new combined into a single town in 1900.

Buildings in Charlotte Mews. The far house is Redlands, dating form the mid 19th Century and grade II listed - see https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1023466?section=official-list-entry.