HAYDON END

Blunsdon at War - this weekend

A walk around the hill

Now that the car park at the Mouldon Hill Country Park is open, you might find this walk of interest. It is a circular walk, starting in the car park. Click below to download the walk and map, in pdf format. (Warning - walk filesize is 7.5MB). As always, your comments would be most welcome.

 

 

A walk around Mouldon Hill Country Park

 

The accompanying map

 

 

Lorraine Chase for Swindon North

If you haven't seen Sleeping Beauty yet, then you might not understand the title.

 

You have only a few days left to see this excellent pantomine. It was a small audience today, because of the weather, but a noisy one as everyone enjoyed an old fashioned panto, adults and children alike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank Holiday - What did you do? (Cricklade Show)

Cricklade hosted record crowds to the 2009 Cricklade Show, on Monday. The show seemd a great success with its local flavour mixed with a variety of ring events displays and entertainment. As you can see from the photo, the sun came out just in time.

 

 

 

If you missed the show, make a note in your 2010 diaries for next year's show - not to be missed. See below for photos of the show

Bank Holiday - What did you do? (Lechlade)

Many activities were laid on over the weekend, in the local area, to temp us outside. There was a lot to choose from. Even if you didn't visit the Halfpenny Brewery's beer festival at Letchlade, the town has much more to offer.

 

A simple trip out, with a picnic packed, to Letchlade, costs little. Letchlade is just 20-25 minutes away, through Highworth. I recommend parking in the fields just before you enter Letchlade and before Halfpenny Bridge, shown to the left. You can drive across the fields very close to the edge of the Thames plus there is plenty of space for a picnic, game of ball etc.

Orchid Vale Summer Fayre

Don't forget - July 4th, 2:00-4:30pm

Local Attractions No:5 - Clifford Meadow

 

Just a short walk across the Thamesdown Drive at Junction 9, lies Clifford Meadow. As the sign says, this meadow has never been ploughed or fertilised so is has become rich in rare species. Although there is no right ...

Swindon's First Garden Show

 Swindon Garden Show, at Stanton Park, in aid of Age Concern, 10am Friday Sept 5th to 4:30pm Sunday 7th.

Local Attractions No:4 - Westmill Wind Farm

Despite the overcast weather, a good crowd gathered for the Westmill Farm Open Day on Saturday 21st June 2008.

 

From the Westmill Farm web site:

 "Westmill will be the first wind farm in the South East of England and the first 100% community owned scheme in the UK from commissioning. The scheme will produce pollution-free electricity for over 2,500 average homes and will save the emisson of carbon dioxide.

It will comprise five turbines, 81m to tip,

 

Mouldon Hill Country Park

Just a short bicycle trip away, along the excellent cycle paths, is the lake in Country Park. Go under Thames Down Drive, by the Tawny Owl, on Queen Elizabeth Drive, then ...

Local Attractions No:3 - Lydiard Park

With a new and extensive kids playground, walks in the woods, playing fields, good parking and some lovely views, there is something for all in the family at this free facility. Adjacent to Lydiard House, the park covers 260 acres of 18th Century Park Land on the Western Edge of Swindon.

 

 

 

 

 

Local Attractions No:2 - Stratford upon Avon

Maybe not quite so local, but only about 1hr 20mins/50 miles away is Shakespeare's birthplace, in the centre of Stratford. For GBP 14 each, you can tour 5 of Shakespeare's 'Houses', 3 in the centre of Stratford, and two close by.

 

[Anne Hathaway's Cottage]

 

From Swindon, go north .... 

Local Attractions No:1 - Steam Museum

Swindon's Steam Museum has many exhibits and much information about the history of Steam locomotives, railways of the past and Swindon as a railway town. Well recommended for kids of all ages.