Saturday 20 October 2007

'Old' Old Town

King William Street School
Designed by Thomas Lansdown - who has a nearby street named after him.
Built of local Swindon (Purbeck) stone, the school was opened in 1871 and is a direct descendant of the first Free School which opened in 1764. The school's early history is well documented despite having had several name changes and changes of location.

The Goddard Arms
This is probably the most historically important hotel or inn in old Swindon and was previously called the Crown. Sited near to Swindon's original Town Hall and Market Place it was bought by the Thomas Goddard in 1621 but its name not changed until 1810 - which was of course a tribute to the Lords of the Manor (Goddard Family). It is now at risk of redevelopment into apartments which I'm sure all would agree would be a great loss.





A row of houses build of locally quarried Purbeck (Swindon) stone at Prospect Place - the heart of Old Town.