A Guide to Old Town Swindon

Before the Great Western Railway arrived in the 1840s and pulled Swindon's centre of gravity downhill, "Swindon" meant the small market town on the hill — what everyone now calls Old Town. It remains the most characterful part of the town and its liveliest district for eating, drinking, and independent shopping.

The streets

The action centres on a handful of streets. Wood Street has the highest concentration of independent restaurants and cafe-bars. Devizes Road — known locally as "the Doo-Dah" — has a run of traditional pubs and micropubs that make a popular evening circuit. Victoria Road and the High Street add more bars, restaurants, and independent shops, and Bath Road runs west from the centre with further places to eat.

Green space and landmarks

Just off the main streets are the Town Gardens, a Victorian public park with a bandstand, ornamental planting, and a bowling green — a lovely spot in summer, and the venue for outdoor concerts. Above the town stands Christ Church, the parish church designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and consecrated in 1851, its spire a landmark for miles around.

Eating and drinking

Old Town is where Swindon eats out. You'll find independent Italian restaurants, Brazilian and international kitchens, speciality coffee shops, delis, and wine bars, alongside long-established pubs. Because it's compact and walkable, it's easy to combine dinner with a few bars in an evening.

Getting there

Old Town sits up the hill south of the town centre, a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride. There is on-street and car-park parking, though the popular evenings fill up, so it's worth arriving early or leaving the car at home.