Swindon is Still Unfolding Some Surprises...

This weekend we stayed close to home so it was a good opportunity to find out a little more about Swindon.

After a challenging spin class, we returned home to find that our flat had been evacuated in order to spray for moths. The bottom line: we needed to stay outside for the next two hours. It was fast approaching lunchtime and we were definitely still a bit soggy from the work out so we were happy to discover a new sandwich spot with outdoor seating called Gusto. After filling up on delicious and original paninis, we still had time to kill so we walked across the street to the Swindon Museum. Mike had been bugging me to go in this building since May so why not now? It was free and basically just contained some information about the history of the town along with a gallery of some artwork. The whole tour took maybe 30 minutes. Enough said.

After a quick shower, we got back to our original plan for the day and headed to Kelmscott Manor, the country home of William Morris. It is only about 15 or 20 minutes away and is situated near the river Thames. I enjoyed learning about the many interests of Morris; designer, craftsman, poet, etc. His company produced furniture, textiles, wallpapers and stained glass and his love of the countryside is reflected in his designs ad poetry. The manor house displays many tapestries and other works of art that Morris himself worked on. We wrapped up the afternoon with a stroll down the country lane to the river. Very peaceful.

Today we continued our Swindon education by heading to STEAM, the Museum of the Great Western Railway. Now this was more like it. Swindon's history and growth are directly tied to the development and success of the Great Western Railway. Many of the most advanced steam engines in the world were produced in Swindon and a whole town formed around this industry. The museum has collections of machinery, supplies, furnishings, models and more. There are also exhibits of the various workshops as well as finished steam engines and passenger cars that you can walk through. I have been shopping in the Swindon Brunel center but never realized who Brunel was. I learned that Brunel was actually a very forward-thinking engineer who was the driving force behind the Great Western Railway. This seems like a great place for families with lots of hands-on opportunities for kids and adults alike. There is a portion of the experience dedicated to the role women played in the GWR during the war. I was surprised to like this as much as I did!