Talk a walk around the GWR community (From Swindon Advertiser)

Talk a walk around the GWR community

8:02pm Wednesday 20th January 2010

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Did you know that the Rose Street housing development in Rodbourne is built on the site of the former Cellular Clothing Company? The factory opened in 1902 and provided much needed jobs for local women at a time when few were employed in the railway works.

When the GWR “company houses” proved inadequate to accommodate the growing workforce at the railway works, development began along the lane leading to Rodbourne Cheney.

The sale of Northlaines, Edwards and part of Even Swindon Farm in 1870-71 made way for a myriad of roads, two schools, numerous shops and a whole new community just outside the factory walls.

Rodbourne Community History Group guides will be able to tell you all about the the people and places on their local patch during a series of guided walks to begin in the spring.

The thriving local history group has held several exhibitions and produced a website and a sheaf of publications before branching out into the popular tourist trade.

“We completed several guided tours of the route in September during the Open Heritage weekend and have got people booked in for the spring tours as well,” said Gordon Shaw, secretary and founder member.

From its early beginnings in 2003 as the Rodbourne Living Story Project, a pilot community history project supervised by Jane Golding, Elaine Davis and Ros Wilson at the English Heritage Outreach Department based at the National Monument’s Record Centre, the group has drawn upon a wealth of local memories.

In 2005 the group of local history enthusiasts secured a grant from the Lottery Fund’s Awards for All Scheme and continue to compile a permanent record of their community. The group’s archive now includes transcriptions of original documents, more than 1,200 photographs and several filmed interviews.

To book your place on one of the forthcoming walks, contact Gordon on secretary@rodbournehistory.org or telephone 01793 616558. Tours begin at the yellow crane in the West Mall at the Designer Outlet village.

If you can’t wait for the better weather and want to tread the trail now, pick up a copy of Rodbourne Trail available at the Tourist Information Office, Regent Street; the National Trust Heelis building and the Designer Outlet Village.

For the “armchair” walker the trail is also available on the group’s website, but nothing beats getting those personal details and reminiscences first hand from a fully fledged Rodbournite.

Rodbourne Community History Group holds monthly meetings at the Even Swindon Community Centre, Jennings Street, with the events kicking off on January 27 at 7pm and a talk by Ray Rumming on Women and Water of Swindon. Meetings are open to all, with a charge of £2 to non members. An annual single subscription costs £10 and joint membership £15 – members receive copies of the quarterly newsletter Brick Wall.

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