Railways Through the Vale of the White Horse by Vaughan Adrian;

Author:Vaughan, Adrian;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crowood

The classical style of Swindon station, 1961.

Gandell’s proposal was accepted by the directors. It was at this January 1841 meeting that the directors resolved that:

The Engineer and General Superintendent of the Line be required to consider with as little delay as possible and report the best mode of forming the junctions between the Cheltenham & Great Western Union Railway with the line at Swindon as well as to submit a plan of the necessary buildings there.

On 31 May 1841 the Great Western route from Hay Lane to Chippenham was opened as well as the leased C&GWU route from Swindon to Cirencester. Swindon station was incomplete but there was enough of it there for it to be opened to passengers on that day. Swindon station refreshment rooms were not ready for use until 14 July 1842. The Great Western Railway’s main line from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads was then complete, although the authorized branch line from Thingley to Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon had not been started.

Hay Lane–‘Wootton Bassett Road’ remained in use until Wootton Bassett station opened in August 1842.

Swindon station consisted of two ‘island’ platforms. Each island platform carried a two-storey main block. The ground floor design was produced in Brunel’s office in Duke Street, Westminster and the first floor was designed in the offices of Francis Thompson, the architect of the North Midland Railway. The station as an operational whole is a replica of Normanton station, designed by Brunel’s friend, Robert Stephenson, in 1840, for North Midland Railway.

The two-storey buildings were 170ft long by 37ft wide and were built of Swindon stone, rendered in cement to cover natural discolorations and imperfections in the stone.10 The two blocks had a stately dignity. This was achieved using a mildly classical style. The east and west ends of the surviving block retain its 1842 Grecian pediment. The verticals of the full height extension, standing slightly proud of the gable end, with its upper storey, square mullioned, window, under a plain cornice, adds to the impression. All along the length of the eaves of the building the simple cornice continues with the classical windows in a row beneath.

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