Where to live and where to avoid in Swindon

My brother is moving to Swindon in a few months and is trying to get as much info as possible on where to be looking for a new house.

I live in Bristol and my knowledge of Swindon is zero so any advice would be great.

He is looking for a 3 bed home in a nice area with links to transport as his wife will be using the car most days.

Thanks all!

Oxfordshire

Just avoid all of it, that's the safest thing to do

Just avoid all of it, that's the safest thing to do

This man speaks the truth. I think everybody who has a half decent job commutes there don't they? Hence two motorway exits 🙂

*shudders*

He is moving from Edinburgh having lived there for the past 20 years. He may only live in Swindon itself for around 6 months but having never lived in England nevermind Swindon he wants to get a feel for the area but doesn't want to live in a shithole for those 6 months.

A few people have suggested the Old District but is there anywhere else worth looking at?

Wootton Bassett? (Other side of the motorway).

Does it have to be in Swindon? If not then Marlborough, Cricklade, Malmesbury. Another possibility would be the villages along the edge of the Downs like (in order of niceness) Wroughton, Chiseldon, Liddington, Wanborough and Bishopstone.

If it has to be Swindon then god help him but round the Old Town is the only area with any character. Other than that Haydon Wick although full of soulless estates is OK. Stay well away from Toothill and Penhill.

Although Swindon is mostly characterless sprawl and has a seriously rough element there are also some really nice people who are a lot less up themselves than the general population of Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.

One good thing about Swindon, as Dame Edna Everage said about Switzerland, "Its very central in 30 mins you can be somewhere interesting."

Swindon is also right next to some good countryside which the locals very rarely venture into.

I live in Wroughton for 10 years, twas ok but I must admit overlooking the Marlborough downs

Again the otherside of the motorway

Just read that he's moving from Edinburgh. In that case Swindon is going to be a shock.

Where will he be working?
Living in the villages around Swindon can be expensive.
There are decent areas in Swindon.
I live not far from the new hospital and it is OK, Old town is not bad as well.
Avoid the "P" areas: Penhill, Pinehurst, Park North, Park South.

+1 for the P's. Its the golden rule in Swindon.

There are decent areas in Swindon

Evidence required. If true,-its well hidden

God awful hell hole

as suggested above some of the outlying towns are fine, I live 20 mins away, Farringdon is ok, Highworth.

Just out of interest what is it people don't like about Swindon? I've been here 20 odd ears and apart from being a bit dull there are far worse places to live. I think the reputation is far worse than the reality.

Other side of the motorway deffo.

Edinburgh to England is bad – I know cos I did it, but Swindon? Poor sod. Mind you, Red Planet Bikes in Wood Street is rather fine.
If he must then south of M4, or as per Pigface.

yep seconded red planet great folk and superb coffee

Old Town is really nice, there are nice roads off of the Devizes Road, and around the Town Gardens. This also puts you on the side where you can access byways to the Ridgeway down to Barbury Castle and the Marlborough Downs, and over to Coate Water Park and the Sustrans route to Marlborough, which is fun to ride. Old Town has some good pubs and the Arts Centre which hosts good gigs. As others have said, stay away from the P's.

Just out of interest what is it people don't like about Swindon? I've been here 20 odd ears and apart from being a bit dull there are far worse places to live. I think the reputation is far worse than the reality.

It was probably quite a nice town when it was just the Old Town and the Railway Village its the anonymous ugly sprawl of concrete monstrosities, industrial estates and generic housing estate developments that's spoiled the place combined with chav townies relocating from London.

Agreed there are worse places to live e.g. Slough, Peterborough, maybe Hull- but that's about it.

what is it people don't like about Swindon?

I'd rather look at Swindon's plus points….

It makes where I live look even nicer!

That is all.

I was glad to leave after 20 years, never keen on the place but final straw was a wifectomy

im in chippenham and its not bad, only 15 min train from swindon, bath wouldnt be too bad a commute but espensive (for good reason) to live

Wroughton or Wootton Bassett would be good choices which are close to Swindon, but not too close. 😉

Bath Road & Kingshill are not bad area as its just far enough from both old and new town, there's actually some nice houses around there too, the connecting streets are a good place to look.

There's a canal which leads to a cycle path which you can then take to the Croft trail which is a bit of an XC whip around.

Red Planet are great as are The Big Adventure Store.

The best thing about being in Swindon is that your always never more than 10 miles from something better.

I moved to Swindon from Edinburgh 13 years ago. First 6 months were the most depressing of my life. Then I moved into the Old Town area and things got a bit better. Like anywhere it has its good and bad points.
I now live in the Sparcells area – lake with pub on my doorstep. Two large areas of parkland 2 minutes away. Lidiard park a 10 minute family bike ride away. Ridgeway. 50 minutes to Cwm Carn. 4 bike shops. Access to country lanes right on my doorstep if I feel like a road ride.

If you move to a town thinking its a hole, it will be. Every village mentioned so far has some horrible areas in it, with extra isolation thrown in. Follow MNutts advice and get to Old Town.

Just to balance the argument

Either Old Town or somewhere outside of swindon!
There are some nice parts of old town, just no-where else in swindon is there anything.

We've recently set up http://www.mbswindon.co.uk.
We organise club rides. Red planet have rides on Tuesday nights too.

We're trying to get Croft trails up to standard. See http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/croft-trail/
for more info.

hey there Tom, what's going on with the first section/jump section down Croft?

The first section and woodwork are in the process of being moved around.
See http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/trail-building-sun-18th-april-2010/

forgot to mention but the Check Inn in wroughton used to be a crackin pub alas not been there since I moved away

We go to the Check Inn every Friday night after our laps of the Croft Trail.

Things have been busy for MBSwindon / Croft Trail recently.
We're getting good feedback on the new sections of the trail. We've still got loads to do though.
The current worst section is going to be rebuilt in the coming months.
The MBSwindon club is continuing to grow. We've got loads of rides planned, including a trip to the Wyre Forest which is an ace area that few people know about.

Latest news, as ever, is on the website: http://www.mbswindon.co.uk
or our Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=41279586404

Friday night rides are attracting a lot of riders.
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Solstice BBQ and ride.
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Santa Cruz demo night with Red Planet bikes.

Essential training.
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Tuesday evening rides with Red Planet.
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Trail building.
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Trips to Afan , Cwm Carn and other places.
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We've got loads on, all listed on the online calendar.
http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/events/

My sister's in Shrivenham which seems pretty nice. Couple of miles east of Swindon (in Oxfordshire i think), seems to be a bit of countryside around it. She doesn't go into Swindon at all from what i can gather, but her hubby works there.

Apologies Swindonians….things are looking up…

How about Marlborough

Not too far to commute.
Nice posh town, friendly, good pubs etc.

Very different to Edin mind you.