The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 50: Aug/Sept 2020 | Page 15

LOVE LOCAL
Swindon, Old Town
sponsored by The National Self Build
& Renovation Centre
This area of Swindon is quite distinct from the current town centre and
represented the centre of economic activity prior to the railways in the
mid 1800s. Its historically linked to the Goddard family who were very
much associated with this area of Swindon during the 17th Century.
It was then a market town with wealth coming from the agricultural
trades and it is known for its honeycomb of underground tunnels and
cellars. Today it’s a thriving satellite centre with independent shops
and businesses and also home to the town’s museum and art gallery.
Love Local Old Town, Swindon is
sponsored by The National Self Build
& Renovation Centre, which is run
as a employee-owned business. It’s
open Tuesday to Sunday all year round
and is free to visit. The team can
help anyone interested in improving
or extending their existing home,
seeking new kitchens and bathrooms
or loft conversions through to people
designing and building their own dream
homes. The Managing Director is
Harvey Fremlin who adores Old Town
and Swindon in its entirety. “I have
always found Swindon to be full of
opportunities and a great place to live
and work. The recent ‘Switch on to
Swindon’ business campaign helped
highlight the many positive aspects of
our town, including our outstanding
connectivity to the rest of the UK and
blend of urban and rural living.
“Having lived in Old Town until
quite recently, it has always felt like
the heart of Swindon, with a nice mix
of pubs, restaurants and independent
retailers. My personal favourite part
of Old Town is the old railway line,
leading down to the canal and new
Wichelstowe development – a regular
running route.
“During lockdown, it has been
nice to see more people enjoying the
open spaces and hidden tracks our
town offers, while running, cycling
or walking with their families. Life
in lockdown gave us more time to
appreciate how accessible the open
country is – something that may not
mirror peoples pre-conceived idea of
Swindon.
“The most loved part of Old Town
is Wood Street, a vibrant, attractive
street which is often bustling with
activity, day and night. If you have run
the latest Swindon Half Marathon
route in recent years, you’ll know
that the dash along Wood Street
(towards the end of the route) is a
real highlight – with the support the
residents and retailers offer runners
showing the close-knit community
the area has developed.”
5 OLD TOWN INDEPENDENT SHOPS RECOMMENDED BY HARVEY
1. DOTTY’S CAFÉ Devizes Road.
I’d love to admit to a slightly healthier
favourite, but you cannot beat it. They
offer a friendly service, the menu is
simple, exactly what you’d hope for in a
café – and they always deliver amazing
quality food and are great value too:
www.dottysoldtowncafe.co.uk
2. RUN Wood Street is a brilliant
independent retailer, serving the town’s
healthy (in all senses) running community
and I was impressed with how they have
offered a virtual fitting service during
lockdown:
www.runswindon.co.uk
3. RAYS ICE CREAM is obviously my son’s
favourite on Devizes Road and is high up
there on the list for me too! They now
offer a home delivery service which was
successful during lockdown:
www.raysicecream.co.uk
4. MAGNUM WINE SHOP Another fave on
Wood Street. When we first took over
the NSBRC, I purchased several bottles
of wine, with bespoke hand-written
messages, as gifts for our team:
www.magnumwineshop.co.uk
5. THE ARTS CENTRE - For me, one of the
saddest outcomes of the coronavirus has
been the (hopefully temporary) closure
of venues and theatres across the UK,
which includes Old Town’s Art Centre. As
a former actor I know the arts have been
suffering particularly badly and I can’t wait
to get back to seeing plays, musicians and
comedians on the stage:
www.swindontheatres.co.uk/Online/
whats-on-swindon-arts-centre
And finally, I’d like to mention Robert
Buckland MP, who has an office on Wood
Street. Robert has been a strong supporter
of our business, and the community, over
the years and is an approachable, visible
ambassador for Swindon.
Visit The Business Exchange website and follow the #LoveLocalWilts hashtag on social media from Saturday 8th August- Friday 14th August
as we put the spotlight on more Swindon businesses thanks to NSBRC.
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2020 15