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Looking at jobs that would see me moving to Swindon. I don't know anything about Swindon. What's it like? What are the good/bad areas to buy property? Anything else I should know?
Swindon
- Thread starter Randomface74
- Start date
The countryside around Swindon is pretty nice although the town seems to be expanding in all directions a lot of the green space is being eroded. Its just like most other large towns really, has nice parts and crap parts. Close proximity to the Cotswolds in nice though.
Soldato
Depends what you're after.
Swindon isn't great in itself, but there are loads of areas close too that are worth considering:
- Wroughton
- Badbury
- Wanborough
- Lydiard Millicent
- Royal Wootton Bassett
- Highworth
If you want to go a little further:
- Calne
- Cherhill
- Avebury
- Marlborough
- BroadTown/Broad Hinton
- Tockenham
- Lyneham
- Purton
Swindon isn't great in itself, but there are loads of areas close too that are worth considering:
- Wroughton
- Badbury
- Wanborough
- Lydiard Millicent
- Royal Wootton Bassett
- Highworth
If you want to go a little further:
- Calne
- Cherhill
- Avebury
- Marlborough
- BroadTown/Broad Hinton
- Tockenham
- Lyneham
- Purton
I grew up in Swindon, and it's quite a ****hole now.
It's a dying town that's had no investment for at least the last 20 years. I can't think of a single large project that's been given the go-ahead and has progressed into development. The town center now resembles your typical high street, but with a large number of big name brands going bust it'll empty the town out quick. I.e. they had a massive Debenhams and BHS and now they've gone and i can't see anyone else taking over those units. Most people now either shop in Oxford or Bristol.
One of Swindon's biggest employers (Honda) is also closing up plant, so when you include in the local supply chain, you're probably looking at a good 10-15k people who will have been made redundant. Which also doesn't sound like promising prospects for a town.
I moved to Swindon in the late '90s and I thought it was fine and pleasant. I was recommended not to move to any any areas beginning with the letter P, which although true, I actually made good friends with many that lived in those areas.
I moved away over a year ago and over my 20 years living there I've seen the expansion of the town and the stress it's putting on services such as doctors, dentists and the road infrastructure. As Semple mentions, with Honda folding if another big employer (Nationwide for example) was to close their HQ it would be bad for the town. Swindon has now become an outstation for those commuting to London daily, madness considering the £8k annual train fare.
I moved away over a year ago and over my 20 years living there I've seen the expansion of the town and the stress it's putting on services such as doctors, dentists and the road infrastructure. As Semple mentions, with Honda folding if another big employer (Nationwide for example) was to close their HQ it would be bad for the town. Swindon has now become an outstation for those commuting to London daily, madness considering the £8k annual train fare.
Soldato
Is the Swindon Oasis still about ? Used to love going there to go on the waterslides in the 80's
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Yes, but very run down. If you look at it now from the outside you'd think it was closed down. Covid hasn't helped as the council have allowed the area and the town to become overgrown and dirty.
The area next to it was supposed to have a big complex built including cinema etc, but i guess the private investors aren't interested. I'm speculating here and just going by what friends have said who live in Swindon.
The town is alright, but as stated by others the lack of investment would put me off. But i don't know your requirements or preferences, and there are some nice housing developments around there, so take my opinion lightly.
Soldato
Soldato
I live in a village outside of Swindon now. OK to visit for the shops and the outlet centre but I dont think I could live there unless you have to.
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Wow. I'm surprised but i really shouldn't be, it's only been a year since covid but the lack of investment there previously is obvious.
Soldato
Swindon OASIS is shut down now, not sure what they're doing with it....
I live in Swindon and have done for 5 years, I moved from Bristol upto here as my wife is from here and is very family focused than me, it's alright but if I was given the choice I'd move back to Bristol... I work for the council and have visited most of the areas here and tbh they're not as bad as people make out, maybe a few years back but now it's just the young ones upto the usual stuff you get everywhere these days....
Swindon is fine. It has an undeserved reputation. It's actually a progressive little town and is often used by companies who want to try new things because it has a broadly "average" population.
The general rule for buying a house is avoid places that begin with the letter P - Park South, Park North, Penhill and so on.
The West side of the town is the more modern side but there are new estates springing up now on the East since they built a big new hospital out there. Generally the East side is nice, Dorcan, Coate water, Covingham, Eldene, Nythe, Liden. There more expensive expensive places like Broome Manor, and the surrounding villages like Latton.
I live maybe a bit too far for you from Swindon, in Calne. It's really quiet here, but it's a very well serviced town, and excellent transport to Bath, Swindon, Chippenham, Devises and so on. Chippenham is the closest large town here, but I get to visit Swindon now and then, mainly because it is a very, very large town ( as big as some Cities ) and has comprehensive amenities.
The general rule for buying a house is avoid places that begin with the letter P - Park South, Park North, Penhill and so on.
The West side of the town is the more modern side but there are new estates springing up now on the East since they built a big new hospital out there. Generally the East side is nice, Dorcan, Coate water, Covingham, Eldene, Nythe, Liden. There more expensive expensive places like Broome Manor, and the surrounding villages like Latton.
I live maybe a bit too far for you from Swindon, in Calne. It's really quiet here, but it's a very well serviced town, and excellent transport to Bath, Swindon, Chippenham, Devises and so on. Chippenham is the closest large town here, but I get to visit Swindon now and then, mainly because it is a very, very large town ( as big as some Cities ) and has comprehensive amenities.
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Soldato
All of my wife’s family live in calne. I’ve spent a huge amount of my life there and it’s a bit ropey with a not insignificant amount of interesting local inhabitants but you get that anywhere lol. It is rather chavy however interspersed with a lot of beautiful original architecture and history - it’s also affordableHa! Another one from Calne
Soldato
I've been here for the best part of 29 years. It's changed a lot and mostly for the better. Yes, it's affordable and I love the architecture here, lots of history but it's expanding fast...and I mean fast!