The residents of Swindon's Railway Village recently came together to give new life to an old substation, which was covered in a mural celebrating Swindon's industrial heritage.
The substation is owned by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), and underwent roof repairs in 2023. Instead of leaving it in a state that the South Swindon Parish Council described as "plain" and "unimaginative," the council commissioned two artists from the charity, Artsite, to design a mural commemorating the landmarks and history of Swindon.
The artists, Caryn Koh and Paul Exton, did not do everything, however: once they had finished the design, they invited local resident to help "paint by numbers" during the Blossom Festival last April.
"It was a great idea getting children, and adults, to take part in the mural by 'painting by numbers," said local resident Becky Cox. "My four-year-old very much enjoyed it. It will be lovely to pass by the mural when it's complete and say that we helped create it."
The mural was unveiled to the public last June 10. Among its features is a section facing the Mother Language Memorial, with the word "Welcome" translated into the many languages spoken across Swindon.
SSEN also expressed their appreciation, with area team manager, Phillip Harland saying: "It's great to see the transformation of this SSEN substation, from a plain building to this fabulous work of art that everyone can enjoy."
GWR Village was established in 1843, when the Great Western Railway came to Swindon. A strip of land west of the village was purchased in 1844 for use as a cricket ground. This later became GWR Park, Swindon's oldest dedicated public park.
The mural caps two years of improvement works on the park, as part of the Historic England Heritage Action Zone initiative. The project has also seen the addition of a new Blossom Circle, formal gardens, park furniture and information boards.
