Old Town Swindon: The Hill That Predates the Railway

Origins: Swine Dun and the hill

Old Town developed on a limestone hill approximately 450 feet above sea level. The settlement was originally Anglo-Saxon, with its name deriving from the Old English words swīne (pig) and dūn (hill) – "pig hill." The name suggests a place where pigs were bred or foraged, common in Anglo-Saxon agriculture. Recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Suindune," Swindon remained a small agricultural community for centuries. By the late 13th century it had gained a weekly market and grown into a modest market town – perhaps 600 inhabitants – but it stayed that way for hundreds of years.

Market Square and town life

The Market Square was the heart of Old Town. Before the railway's arrival in 1840, most workers were employed in agriculture or served the local gentry. The square hosted pastimes such as bull-baiting and backsword-playing – both popular medieval entertainments. Bull-baiting continued until around 1810, and the last notable backsword bout occurred in 1841.

Four annual fairs brought livestock and goods from across Wiltshire. It was a quiet, traditional country town: small, self-contained, and rooted in the rhythms of farming and the seasons.

The Locarno, Corn Exchange, and Market Hall

In 1848, as the new railway town was growing in the valley below, a decision was made to build a Market Hall in Old Swindon. The Locarno – a public room that could accommodate up to 600 people for meetings and events – was commissioned in 1852. In 1865, Ambrose Goddard released adjacent land to construct the Corn Exchange, which featured an 80-foot tower and a triangular market hall covered by a glass dome. These buildings reflected an attempt to modernise Old Town and retain its role as a commercial centre even as the focus of Swindon's growth shifted downhill.

Rivalry and shift: Old Town vs New Town

By around 1848, the centre of trade had begun to move away from Old Town. The new industrial town at the foot of the hill – the Railway Village, the works, and the streets serving the GWR workforce – was where growth was happening. Old Town did not disappear; it evolved. Over time it became a distinct neighbourhood, retaining its hilltop character while the valley filled with industry and housing. Today, Old Town functions as a cultural and retail hub – restaurants, independent stores, and historic buildings – offering a different atmosphere from the modern town centre and the Designer Outlet. Walking its streets, you can still sense the older Swindon, the one that existed before the railway changed everything.