Swindon - Part 2

For part two of our visit to Swindon we start off on a journey heading south from the town centre towards the old town, the town before the railway. The main route south is via Victoria Road, the name reflecting the period when the focus of the town shifted northwards to meet the new railway.The clock in the Post Office window on Victoria Road is just a run of the mill example, but is recorded here for completeness. The Town Gardens provide some welcome shade from the blistering heat. The gardens are on the site of an old Purbeck limestone quarry, which explains the differently levels which can be found within the site. The gardens were officially opened in May 1894. It is believed that the bandstand was in place from the start, and hence my go-to bandstand book (Bandstands of Britain by Paul Rabbitts) would suggest that this was manufactured by James Allan Snr & Co at the Elmbank Foundry in Glasgow. The bandstand was originally topped by just a weathervane, with the current clock a…