Town Gardens

The main entrance into the Town Gardens from Westlecot Road is through a pair of wrought iron gates supported by brick pillars. The front lawn, with its scattered mature trees, cherry-tree lined path and colourful seasonal bedding, is the first feature that you see. This area is particularly colourful in spring and summer and is popular for people to relax and picnic.

This is thought to be an original Victorian feature of the Gardens, though it has been refurbished on a number of occasions, the last time being in 2006. The octagonal late-nineteenth century bandstand with cast-iron columns and square clock tower, which is now a Listed Building, originally had a weathervane instead of the clock. At one time the bandstand had gas lights suspended from the roof on each side and more recently seasonal hanging baskets decorated the structure. In 1912 the Gardens were the venue for a benefit concert for the victims’ families of the Titanic.

The Bandstand is still used regularly throughout the summer months for traditional and contemporary band concerts and other community-based events and activities.

The art-deco style Bowl opened in 1936 and is one of only a handful of this type in the country. It is an amazing architectural feature and was restored in 1994 to celebrate the Gardens centenary year. The Bowl originally included in the design a small rockery / water cascade with an ornamental pond at the front (now concreted over).

At the entrance to the Bowl arena is an entrance porch with iron turnstiles and brick pillars. It is known locally as the “Hollywood Bowl” and is now the venue for regular summer concerts and events. There are exciting plans to sympathetically renovate the building and the area around it to protect it for future generations.

The refreshment kiosk was built in 1915 as a trade stand for the Great Western Railway, and once travelled the country visiting large shows and exhibitions. It was placed in the Town Gardens around 1942 and is also a Grade II Listed Building. The café was renovated by the Parish Council in the spring of 2021 as part of its investment programme.

The present aviary was built in 1994 as part of the Town Gardens Centenary Celebrations, replacing an earlier timber / metal aviary that had stood near to this site since 1928. The birds have always been a very popular attraction for children, and this area was known as ‘Children’s Corner’ when the Gardens first opened.

The pond, dating from 1894, was originally an oval shape with a small island and fountain in the middle. In the 1930s the pond was changed to the shape that is seen today.

In 2023 the aviary received a full makeover and now boasts 2 sections which can hold over 100 birds in total.

A statue with a troubled history. Situated just outside the Rose Garden, the original version of this statue was stolen in 2004 and was replaced with a fibre glass replica in 2010, being unveiled by the star of the Peter Pan panto at the Wyvern Theatre that year, Richard Vincent. The original is kept in storage by Swindon Borough Council.
That might have been the end of it, but more misfortune lay ahead. The replacement statue was beheaded in 2011 and the head was never found.

In 2022 South Swindon Parish Council commissioned local sculptor Darren Scott to carve Richard Jefferies out of a Horse Chestnut Tree which was condemned due to disease.

The sculpture was officially opened on Wednesday 6th October by Parish Councillors Chris Watts and Neil Hopkins, alongside volunteers from the Richard Jefferies Museum, Terry and Andrea.

Richard Jefferies was a Victorian nature writer with a passion for the English countryside. Jefferies was born at the house which is now the museum, in Coate, Swindon, on the 6th November 1848, and died at the early age of 38 on 14th August 1887.