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 ,
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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
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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 .” |
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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
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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
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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 . |