LIKE many older parts of Swindon, Stratton St Margaret was once a village. Before that, its ancient landscape would have been part of the scenery enjoyed by travellers along Ermin Street, the Roman road.

Later the settlement, as with the areas we now know as Upper and Lower Stratton, would have depended for its livelihood on agriculture.

At the time, the same was true for all of the old communities that eventually became a part of modern Swindon. Among them was the modern Old Town.

In subsequent centuries, of course, the economy diversified, initially due to the arrival of Brunel's line and the Railway Works.

Later, other companies set up home in and around Swindon, some of them local from the beginning and others originating from outside.

The resulting influx of workers needed housing, and this ultimately led to Swindon evolving from a collection of villages and hamlets into the large community it is today.

Nevertheless, each of those small communities retained aspects of their earlier individual identities.

In Stratton St Margaret, for example, the parish church is still very much a part of community life, just as it has been since the era of the Norman Conquest.

The area is a proud part of Swindon but also has an atmosphere all its own, complete with local shops, businesses and amenities.

2:22pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

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