Swindon grew as an industrial town, with its wealth coming from the Great
Western Railway works in the town. Today the railway works are no longer important,
but other high tech industries have taken over. And there is a railway museum
and Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous railway village are close to the town
centre. The old town on the hill still has the air of a market town
Avebury
Although the village of Avebury is picture book perfect, it is better known
for the Avebury stone circle. It is thought to date earlier than Stonehenge
by a few hundred years. The ring consists of around 100 large sarsen stones
of local sandstone. The ring is about 400 metres across, and the stones weigh
up to 40 tons each. The whole area is rich in remains from this Bronze Age
period
Cricklade
Cricklade is on the River Thames, with a history from Roman times, via the
Saxons to today. The parish church was built in 1553
Marlborough
Perhaps the quintessential English market town. Itt has a very wide main
street to accommodate the original market, surrounded by medieval half timbered
cottages and fine Georgian collonaded buildings. The towns history as a coaching
stop can also be seen in the ins grouped round the main street. Marlborough
College, the public school, was built on the site of the old castle in 1843
