With Swindon’s hotly defended Front Garden frequently in the news, a new exhibition opens today at Central Library staged by the Back Garden, a community group that celebrates the good and bad things about living on the north side of Old Town.

Orlando Baker’s map of this so-called Back Garden region shows that the space between Eastcott Hill and Clifton Street was still sparsely built upon by 1883. The area of Gilbert’s Hill between Dixon and Stafford streets at the bottom and Lansdown Road at the top was described as gardens.

By 1900 land between Hythe Road and Eastcott Hill still stood empty. The Ordnance Survey map indicates that a gravel pit was located towards the top and a sand pit at the bottom in the Savernake Street neighbourhood where a play park and Community Hall stand today. The police station stood on Eastcott Road on the corner of South Street and the space opposite was occupied by just four houses, behind which were allotment gardens.

Prospect Hill was once one of the main routes from industrial New Swindon to Old Swindon. In 1881 Swindon-born suffragette Edith New aged just four lived with her widowed mother and two older siblings at 17 Prospect. Ann P Boniface was an inn keeper at 28 Prospect, while Albert T Turner ran a beerhouse at 44 Prospect.

Today the Beehive hosts live music events, art exhibitions and charity events but obtaining a licence for this pub once proved as perilous as its situation on the Prospect Hill.

The Beehive was built in 1871 by Philip Cockbill, of the Bell Vue Brewery, who applied for the licence of the Cross Keys, in Regent Street to be transferred to it. But Swindon magistrates gave permission for an off licence only.

Following a second unsuccessful application in 1873 the Beehive was sold to the Star Brewery, in Stratton. But their efforts to transfer the licence from the Malt Shovel, in Highworth, were also unsuccessful. It would be another 16 years before the Beehive was granted a full licence. The Globe, which stands further up the hill, where Eastcott Road meets Eastcott Hill, also began life as an off licence. In 1874 the magnificently named Zillah Teale was granted a beer and cider on licence. However, Zillah later left the licensing trade to run a register office for servants at 22 Prospect.

The Globe, built by William A Goodwin, the owner of Belmont Brewery, was transferred to Wadworths following Godwin’s death in 1937.

Redevelopment in the 1960s saw Horsell Street, half of Edmund Street and most of Rolleston Street and Byron streets demolished for Swindon College.

At the library exhibition look out for the aerial view of Regent Circus which shows streets that disappeared to make way for the college extension. Also included in the exhibition are photographs of Swindon College under construction. Residents now are eagerly await the long anticipated demolition of the derelict building.

And a 1850s photograph taken from Dixon Street looking across to the new Railway Village shows hay ricks in what would eventually become the back gardens of the developing New Swindon.

The Back Garden’s exhibition of photographs is being launched at the Central Library today at 6pm and continues until May 31.