To encourage the workers to Swindon they built new houses. They were considered small by modern standards, but they were attractive and built in limestone. Also Swindon Works became the only industrial organisation in the world that required membership of a medical fund as a condition of employment. An a typical aspect was that, it opened swimming baths in 1869; complete with Turkish baths, shower baths and other facilities, and a small cottage hospital was built in the Railway Village in 1871. It employed two surgeons and two qualified assistants, as well as nurses. In addition, a substantial new house and surgery for the company's chief medical officer was built in 1876. Called Park House because it overlooked Farringdon Road Park, this building was to be familiar to generations of railway employees who were to have their medicals there before joining the company.
This encouraged a lot of people to come and settle because they gave the people what they wanted. This had not been done before.
2a. Investigate the Railway Village and explain how it has changed over time.
The Railway Village has changed over time. An example of this is the Mechanics Institute. It was formed in the 1844 as a social and educational group for the benefit of the employees at Swindon Works and their families. The building accommodated lecture and reading rooms, a dining hall, bathing facilities and an adjoining market. It is now a run down building which is boarded up and unused. This information is reliable because the writers, Richard Tomkins and Peter Sheldon worked very close with the information Tim Bryon created. He was involved with the GWR and wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t reliable
Another example of this is the Medical Fund Headquarters. In 1847 the GWR medical Fund was set up. This enabled railway workers to have health care, by paying a weekly subscription. At first the services provided were scattered in various parts of the Railway Village. They served Swindon ‘from the cradle to the grave’ for over one hundred years. The building opened in 1892, brought together many of these different activities. Swimming and Turkish Baths, a pharmacy, consulting rooms for doctors, chiropodists and dentists were all provided in the Milton Road premises. It is now a swimming pool which is in the constant use from the public. This information is reliable because the writers Richard Tomkins and Peter Sheldon worked very close with the information Tim Bryon created. He was involved with the GWR and wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t reliable.
The site of Temperance Union offices was another example. It was first occupied by the Temperance Union. The GWR allowed the building of public houses, but also actively encouraged the Temperance Movement. This was a movement to ban alcohol. They set up a coffee shop on the corner of Bristol Street to encourage men to drink non-alcoholic beverages rather than alcoholic ones. This was a limited success. People stilled chose the pub over the coffee house. Shortly after both places close down and is now used for housing. This is reliable because the sheet was given to me by the Steam Museum, so it has been thoroughly researched.
Another example was the site of Beasants provisions shop. Although a market was provided at the back of the Mechanics Institute Octagonal market, Emlyn Square was opened in 1854 to provide meat, fish, fruit and general provisions for GWR employees. Prior to this market, the wives had to face the long, muddy trek to old town to get provisions. The octagonal Market was knocked down and demolished in the 1890’s because the Mechanics institute was extended.
2b. Was the Railway Village a planned development?
A whole range of facilities grew up as a result of the establishment of New Swindon. A school was built for the children of the workers, a health care system was set up and a swimming/Turkish baths were set up. This is evidence of good planning because they were thinking about the needs of the workers and their families.
The estate was laid out in a symmetrical plan and ran parallel to each other. The streets were named after the railway lines and stations. The western ones being Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Taunton and the eastern ones being London, Reading, Oxford and Farringdon. This shows that it was planned. I feel that this resource is reliable because it was written by Richard Tomkins and Peter Sheldon in association with G.W.R museum. They studied the work of Tim Bryon who would have not become involved if it wasn’t reliable. However the houses weren’t very well planned. They were well constructed by the standards of the times but poor sanitation, overcrowding and a dubious water supply led to the village being a rather unhealthy place to live. Yet again I feel that this resource is reliable because yet again it was written by Richard Tomkins and Peter Sheldon in association with G.W.R museum. They studied the work of Tim Bryon who would have not become involved if it wasn’t reliable.
“The park” I feel was a planned development because it was a natural leisure place for the people of the railway village whether they were young or old. For example, a young boy could play there and run about for hours, then as he grew into manhood he could meet his mates after work and in the summer, when he’s married he can take his wife and children for a picnic there. It offers a load of fun whatever the age. So therefore this was a planned development I feel. I also think that this resource is reliable because the author has a very impressive bibliography which shows a lot of research.
By 1848 the establishment at the Works had risen to 1,880 and the railway village began to be seriously overcrowded. Further housing became essential. Long terraces of houses lined the railway track. These houses were not so nice. They lacked character and style. Overcrowding remained a problem for the next few years and workers were leaving Swindon because they couldn’t find anywhere to live. This is clearly bad planning because they didn’t realise how many people would want to move to Swindon to work there. This evidence is reliable because the author has a very impressive bibliography which shows a lot of research.
I have concluded that the railway village was a planned development because many things were planned and thought through carefully however some things weren’t which is acceptable in Swindon’s situation.
