Radnor Street Old Town: 1877. In the main, I’ve included Radnor Street within these Swindon in 25 Streets pages because of the presence upon it, of the iconic Radnor Street cemetery. It being a special and much-loved Swindon site. But more on that later.
But of course, there’s more to say about this street than that – not least of which is that it didn’t always go under its current name. Frances Bevan, writing for the much-missed Swindon Heritage magazine asks what became of Redcross Street – the original name. She describes how, at an 1881 meeting of the New Swindon local board, a proposal was put forward to change Redcross Street to Radnor Street. Though no record exists of the reason for the change.
Radnor Street Old Town Swindon
What’s in a name?
Radnor Street then takes its name from William-Pleydell Bouverie (1841-1900), 5th Earl of Radnor and one-time MP for south Wiltshire. Nowadays it extends from Cambria Bridge Road to Stanmore Street. And, as Frances states, a complex of nineteen flats and houses named Redcross Place is the only reminder of this street’s original name.
The gospel according to Mark Child states that, by 1885, the street featured a terrace of thirty-three properties on its north side. And a run of twenty on the south side, plus a lodge at the Radnor Street entrance to the cemetery – laid out 1880-1881. Now a youth hostel, it first served as a home for the cemetery caretaker.
Swindon Radnor Street cemetery lodge
Describing the street, Frances explains that the houses on the northern side are often larger than they appear. Thanks to the steep hill down to William Street several of them are two-storeyed at the front but three-storeyed at the back. And often with sizable cellars too.
At length, Radnor Street extended towards the south-west with Clifton Street being inserted between Radnor Street and William Street. Come 1900, Radnor Street boasted fifty-five properties.
Commercial and social activity on Radnor Street
Radnor Street’s rich history has included a number of businesses. Of most note, it’s arguable, was the Kingshill Co-operative Bakery and stables at 54 Radnor Street. There was too, amongst other things, a corner shop, the Radnor Stores, at the junction with Cambria Bridge Road – long since a private house. And also the Clifton Model Dairy.
Circa 1885 and to provide a social outlet for Radnor Street residents, there came a CIU affiliated working men’s club. The West Swindon Club – one of the oldest in the town. Sadly, this building met a fiery end on 4thOctober 1923. Bad news for its 700 members. As for it being named the West Swindon club –it was so-called because, at its founding, Radnor Street was classed as being West Swindon at this time. . Nothing west of Westcott had yet been built. That’s the theory anyway
The Radnor Street club- via the Swindon Society
The street’s population
When digging around I came across this Heritage Calling blog.It asserts that, in 1981, most of Radnor Street’s residents weren’t Swindon born. Rather they were a diverse bunch hailing from many areas of the country including as far away as Scotland.
Radnor Street cemetery
Measuring 11.5 acres, this cemetery cum designated local nature reserve holds 33,000 graves. Although closed to new internments back in the 1970s, there are still burials in existing family plots. It’s also a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery with graves of 104 casualties across both world wars. Among the Swindon notables buried there we have Levi Lapper Morse (2nd mayor of the borough), Raggy Powell.
Grave of Levi Lapper Morse in Radnor Street cemetery Swindon
And someone with whom I share a birthday,Harold Morley Starr. His fate it was to be machine-gunned by WWII enemy aircraft as he baled out over Hammill brickworks in Eastry, Kent.
The Starr brother’s grave in Radnor Street cemetery SwindonGates to Radnor Street cemetery Swindon
In recent years, with much thanks to the efforts of the late historian Mark Sutton, the chapel has become a sort of treasure trove of artefacts. It’s now home to memorials and plaques that no longer have a home elsewhere. Prime examples being the RAFA propeller and the war memorial from Sanford Street School.
SSPC Join Festival Fringe. With great delight, South Swindon Parish Council announces a programme of events in the iconic Town Gardens that will join the exciting fringe line-up at this year’s Old Town Festival.
Cllr John Firmin said: ‘South Swindon Parish are delighted to be part of the Old Town Festival once again. The comedy night at the Bowl is becoming an annual favourite. And we have music events for children and Mumford & Sons fans. Our popular heritage tour of Town Gardens is running as well. So there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
‘The four events offered by South Swindon Parish Council celebrate comedy, live music and local heritage.
Comedy club
Old Town Comedy Club’s Comedy at the Bowl on 31 May returns to Town Gardens Bowl with an evening of popular stand-up headlined by comedy superstar, Sara Pascoe.
SSPC Join Festival Fringe – comedy at the bowl
On 5 June, The Mumford and Sons Story recreates the epic rise of the folk-rock giants with a fantastic celebration of the band’s unmistakable sound.
Families can enjoy Music for Miniatures on 7 June. That’s a relaxed and engaging music event created especially for young children.
Also on 7 June, the Town Gardens heritage tour offers visitors an opportunity to explore the history and stories of this much‑loved green space.
Full details and booking information for all events are available via South Swindon Parish Council’s website: www.towngardens-swindon.co.uk
Victoria Road Swindon. As with so much else in the 19th century, this link between the old and new Swindons takes its name from HRH Queen Victoria.
Mark Child, in his Swindon book, tell us: Before the 1840s a short street extended from The Sands (later to become Bath Road) to the junction with Prospect Place – a mere 100 yards away. Beyond that lay the hill sloping down towards the marshlands through which ran the Wilts & Berks canal – an area crossed by a single bridleway. On the lowlands below, New Swindon arose from the 1840s.*
In 1844 this short street still had no name – but by 1848 it appears on documents as Victoria Street. Mr Child goes on to posit that the name Victoria Street may well have been suggested by the neighbouring Albert Street in Little London. Built circa 1841, and named for the queen’s consort, it ran parallel to the newly-named Victoria Street.
View uphill of Victoria Road from Regent Circus
Just beyond
Just beyond Victoria Street there lay allotments, gardens and orchards. This was all private land but the footfalls of folk trudging (so much trudging) between the old Swindon on the hill and the new Swindon emerging below, created a desire path. This trackway comprised an alternative to the earlier route from New Swindon forged across fields and at length emerging into Prospect Place.
It appears that, as early as the 1840s, the southern section of what became Victoria Street was, in essence, an extension of Wood Street. At least in terms of commerce and trade.
At that time there was a ladies’ finishing school, the residences of the high bailiff of the county court, the town’s main auctioneer and a couple of residents of independent means. The street was also home to tailors and drapers a carpenter and a tanner.
There was one common lodging house and one beer retailer – but all-in-all, early Victoria Street was respectable. It remained so until 1871 when the Old Swindon local board proposed extending it to link Old Town and New Swindon. This began in 1873. 1875 saw it largely laid down but not finished and called New Road. And thereafter came numerous complaints to the respective local boards about the state of this section of roadway – residents of both towns now considering the initial work a waste of money. Plus ça change one might say.
A Swindon notable or two
A Swindon notable, the writer Richard Jefferies spent a short sojurn at what is now No 93, but used to be No 22, from 1875 to 1877. Look up and you’ll see a Scotch grey, granite plaque marking the dwelling, installed, in 1902, to great fanfare by the North Wilts Field and Camera Club. But before Richard Jefferies and his wife lived there, William Morris, founder and editor of The Swindon Advertiser resided there – for quite some years. The same residence also served as home to a Mr John Hampden, by all accounts a notorious flat earther. It seems he was the subject of a celebrated law-suit when he failed to prove the flatness of the earth on the Bedford Canal.
The plaque on a dwelling place of Richard Jeffries on Victoria Road in Swindon
The 1880s saw this extended thoroughfare first designated as Jubilee Road and then Victoria Street North. It became the major road between the two towns by approx. 1888, becoming tree lined in 1889.
Section of 1886 map showing Victoria Street North and a few trees appearing.More detailed section of 1886 map showing Victoria Street North
Then came plans to link the square at York Place, later to become Regent Circus, With Faringdon Road. Thus, came the assumption that the whole of this street, begun in Old Town, would, on completion, take the name Victoria Road. But that wasn’t how it panned out. Instead the section between Regent Circus and Faringdon Road took the name Commercial Road. And its continuation across the canal became, in in 1895, Milton Road – home of the famous baths.
By 1899, the section of the thoroughfare running between Bath Road and Regent Circus was entirely built-up. It took the name Victoria Road in 1903.
Notable buildings
I’ve already mentioned No 93, about half-way up on the left as you walk up the hill, erstwhile home of Richard Jefferies.
Also of note, at the top of the hill, is the Grade II listed, ex Swindon Advertiser building. Once two separate buildings, 99 and 100 features a unified Bath stone façade with classical detailing. This building’s historic interest lies in it being the erstwhile premises of The Advertiser – the first penny paper in the country and Wiltshire’s first steam-powered newspaper.
Blue plaque William Morris on the Swindon Advertiser building on Victoria Road/Street
Going to the bottom of the hill we find the 1897 Burkhardt Hall. Now converted into flats, this Flemish-Baroque style building used to serve as Swindon’s technical college.
*Jason Spickett, owner of the Swindon from the Air, Facebook page, observes: ‘Sometimes, when flying my drone, I have to look at topography maps if I’m near to, or flying from, a hill. The roundabout at the top of Victoria Road is 145m above sea-level. And Canal Walk, in New Swindon, is 108m. That’s a difference of thirty-seven metres or 121 feet. So you’d have had quite the view from the top of that hill. Indeed, Prospect Place in Old Town is so named because of its literal prospect/view over the flatlands below.
As the tram proceeded down the hill its brakes failed, the driver lost control and it crashed at the bottom of the hill. Four people died and many more were injured, for the tram was packed with people returning from the Bath and West Southern Counties Show at Broome Manor Farm.
Garden designer sows seeds for blooming marvellous competition. TV presenter and award-winning garden designer, Kate Durr, is lending a hand to this year’s Malmesbury in Bloom competition.
Kate, former creative director of Highgrove’s popular ‘Talking Gardens’ festivals, will be on hand at the launch of the competition at Malmesbury’s Market Cross. It’ll take place on Saturday May 23, accompanied by the town crier and the mayor.
Garden designer sows seeds – TV Presenter Kate Durr
New this year
This year’s Malmesbury in Bloom includes, for the first time, a sunflower growing competition for youngsters. Kate will be handing out seeds from around 11am to 1pm on May 23. And also on June 6, again from around 11am to 1pm, alongside a Malmesbury Garden Club plant sale, which starts at 9am. You an also get seeds from the Tourist Information Centre from May 23 onwards.
As a passionate proponent of gardening for better physical, social and mental health, Malmesbury-born Kate expressed her delight at supporting Malmesbury In Bloom 2026. ‘Growing up in the town, it was always fabulous to see it bedecked with plants and flowers during past competitions. Malmesbury In Bloom is a wonderful event. And, by getting outside and immersing ourselves in nature to grow and tend plants, we can find happiness. Whether you’re an experienced grower or a green fingered novice, young or old, there’s a category for everyone. So join in the floriferous fun this summer.’
As well as the sunflower growing competition, Malmesbury in Bloom features a range of ‘best garden’ categories, for residents, retailers and businesses, based in Malmesbury or the surrounding villages. The closing date for all entries is July 1, with judging taking place during the week beginning July 20. The closing date for the sunflower growing competition is August 6.
Kate will be present at the awards evening on September 11, when all the winners are announced.
The Malmesbury in Bloom launch is one activity in a bumper weekend for the town. It celebrates the feast day of the town’s patron saint, St Aldhelm. There will be a flower display in St Aldhelm’s Church (May 23). And, once again, the EAT festival takes place on May 24. It brings together regional food producers, artisans and farmers.
Barnum the Circus Musical Spectacular – front cover of programme
Well, I watched this show last night and I could sum it up in one word: Spectacular! But I’d best use a few more words to talk about it ….
Taking the lead role of PT Barnum is Lee Mead, who, apparently, shot to prominence in winning the BBC series, Any Dream Will Do, back in 2017. And he was tremendous. Well they all were TBF.
The set and the action do a clever job of evoking the excitement of being at the circus. I’m old enough to remember Billy Smart’s circus – (Billy Smart being Britain’s answer to Barnum) and this show took me back to my distant childhood. The vocalists, the acrobats, the high wire, the fire-eaters, the band and the Barnum drum – together they created an exciting circus extravaganza on the stage at the Wyvern theatre.
Oh – and the elephant! That was breath-taking! Because of course what circus could be without an elephant?!
My friend and I so loved this show and I urge you not miss it.
It’s a fast-moving, colourful, breath-taking spectacle from start to finish. As Barnum used to bill it: it’s the greatest show on earth.
A bit about Barnum the musical
This American musical, with lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, is based on the life of the famous showman, PT Barnum. It covers the period from 1835 to 1880. It’s set in American and major cities of the world where Barnum took his performing companies.
The characters include jugglers, trapeze artists and clowns. All along with such real-life personalities as Jenny Lind and General Tom Thumb.
The original Broadway production ran for 854 performances. A London production followed.
