Unity Place Zurich Building.
Hurrah! At LAST I’ve made it to No 50 in this Swindon in 50 More Buildings blog series. I began it back in the before times, in 2019, with this piece about the County Ground Hotel. But then the pandemic got in the way. And then a joint authorship of a book about West Swindon interfered. But at last I’m here. I have intention of turning these fifty blog posts into a physical book. With hopes that it doesn’t take me a further five years!
The Bothy at Burderop, in the walled garden that once belonged to Burderop Manor is going to make an unusual and terrific home. A simply delightful couple, Jules Gilleland and Mark Wheeler, are converting the bothy, and the walled garden in which it sits, into a home. See more about the bothy gardens and the couple’s plans for it here: https://swindonian.me/2024/08/30/introducing-bothy-gardens/
21 Bridge Street Swindon. AKA A branch of Swindon Co-operative Provident Society from 1927 onwards.
St Mary’s Church Rodbourne, given a Grade II listing by Historic England in 1951. The British Listed Buildings website tells us that this is an Anglican parish church of C13, C19 and C20. 1848 saw a rebuild by S. Sage of Swindon.
Well. The Baptist Tabernacle. This building, unlike the Corn Exchange demolished by default, is most definitely in the ‘demolished’ category. Having met its date with the wrecking ball back in 1978.
I’m including the Burton building Swindon in this series for much the same reason as I’ve included 20 Fleet Street – the YMCA building. That reason being to record a fine building (another one) going to waste and dereliction.
Otherwise known as 24-25 Bridge Street, AJ Colborne built it for Montague Burton Ltd and the Lucania Temperance billiard hall. Begun in 1929, 1931 saw it completed.
94 Ermin Street Stratton. Today it’s an estate agent but this unprepossessing building was the crucible of the Morse family’s commercial empire. For 94 Ermin Street was the retail premises of Primitive Methodist, Charles Morse. And, if you’ve any knowledge of Swindon’s history at all, the name Morse ought to be familiar to you.
The carriage works. The first thing to say about them is that, despite what you read on the Internet, this collection of buildings are NOT Brunel’s. They are in fact the work/initiative of chief mechanical engineer, Joseph Armstrong.* Brunel died in 1859. And the carriage works didn’t appear for another decade!
Inglesham Church, aka The Church of St John the Baptist, is the second of a trio of 13th century churches that I’m including in this Swindon in 50 More Buildings series. Not that they’re in any particular order, but the first of them is the church of St Michael and All The Angels in Highworth. The third one will focus on St Mary’s church in Rodbourne Cheney but in this post we’re going to Inglesham.
St Michael’s church Highworth, or to give it its full title, St Michael’s & All Angel’s Church lays claim to being the only 13th century church in the borough of Swindon. So the church’s website states. But St Mary’s at Rodbourne Cheney is 13th century, as the British listed buildings website states. And so too is is the church of St John the Baptist in Inglesham. So that’s a trio of 13th century churches in the borough that I know to. Are there more?
St Andrew’s North Swindon – Blunsdon to be precise – isn’t a church I’m familiar with myself. But a Twitter chum, Lee, suggested I include it in Swindon in 50 More Buildings because it’s a delightful church and little known. So here it is.
20 Fleet Street Swindon is in a sorry state. Even so it warrants a place in Swindon in 50 More Buildings? For this once fine building has had a varied history. One that I think should be recorded before it gets into a worse state and/or ends up ruined like its near neighbour at No 24 Fleet Street. Otherwise known as the Public Benefit Boot Company. The developers actions on the windows of that building are an utter travesty. That’s with ‘enforcement’ apparently …
