A recent survey on the best places to live in the UK by OneFamily found that Swindon ranked number 7, the only town in the southwest of England to break the top 25. Over the past decade, Swindon routinely features in the top 10 best places to live rankings from various sources. But what makes Swindon such a great place to live?
Amenities
There’s plenty for Swindon residents to do around the town. The town centre has a fully pedestrianised high street which features a huge range of independent shops and major brands. There is also a weekly market held on Thursdays and Saturdays, where local suppliers sell their wares and sees much support from the local community. Plus, Swindon has a monthly ‘fine food Farmers’ market’ every third Friday where visitors can purchase the best in local produce.
As well as shopping Swindon also offers many different cuisines and dining options, from quirky independent cafes to high-end restaurants, with Indian, Caribbean, Italian, and Chinese all included.
There’s also plenty of choice for residents looking to keep active, with state-of-the-art gyms and leisure centres featuring everything from skating to swimming. Residents can also enjoy plenty of outdoor space and green parks, whether to keep fit, go for a walk, or have a picnic.
Events
Deemed by some to be a “quiet” town, Swindon holds plenty of cultural events and festivals throughout the year. These include the Swindon Spring Festival, which focusses on literature and arts, and the Old Town Festival, which has a parade, live music, and stalls with local suppliers.
There’s also the Cheese and Chilli Festival, which sees between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors, and the MFor festival, which features live music of all types of genres. Swindon also has an array of theatres, live music venues, and art galleries that often hold shows, productions and exhibitions.
Schools
Swindon has 85 primary schools and 20 secondary schools, with the quality of education generally being high across most of these. In fact, 6 primary schools in Swindon have received an Outstanding Ofsted rating, and 51 have a Good rating.
There is one secondary school in Swindon that has an Outstanding rating – Uplands School – and 10 others that have received Good Ofsted ratings. These include Swindon Academy, The Commonweal School, Crowdys Hill School, and Nova Hroed Academy.
With such a choice when it comes to quality education, it’s clear to see why Swindon is so popular with families.
Transport Links
Swindon has developed into a transport hub over the years, being at the junction of two Roman roads. Whilst the infamous ‘magic roundabout’, which is made up of six interconnecting roundabouts, might be off-putting to some drivers, the town is well connected to all areas of the UK. It has two junctions – 15 and 16 – on the M4 motorway, connecting the town to South Wales in the west and over to London in the east.
Swindon also has a railway station on the Great Western Main Line, serving as an important junction with regular trains to London, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol, and Cardiff. The town is also well served with bus routes, making it a breeze to travel around the town and further afield.
Safety
Swindon is generally a safe town with a low crime rate, at 80% of the national crime rate. With 28.2 crimes reported per 1,000 working people per annum, it’s the 18th lowest crime rate out of 94 postcodes areas in England and Wales.
Swindon also has the Swindon Community Safety Partnership, made up of the Swindon Borough Council, Wilshire Police, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, Southern Western Ambulance Service and the Police Crime Commissioner. Their aim is to create a safer place for people who live and work in Swindon and improve the quality of life with practical initiatives and campaigns.
Property Prices
Swindon boasts generally lower property prices than the national average. The average property price in Swindon is currently at £316,000, which is £26,000 lower than the national average of £342,000. It’s the 49th cheapest postcode area out of 105 postcodes areas across England and Wales.
Considering everything else we’ve seen on this list that Swindon can offer, house buyers in Swindon could find themselves a great deal to purchase property this far below the national average in such a sought-after area.
Moving to Swindon?
If you’re thinking of moving to Swindon to enjoy all these features, Britannia Quickmove can offer a reliable and cost-effective removals service. We have over 50 years’ experience in removals and storage across Swindon and the wider areas of Wiltshire and Somerset. We can also assist with national and international moves as part of the Britannia Movers International network.
For more information about Swindon removals, contact us on 0208 256 1730 or sales@britannia-movers.co.uk. You can also use the Quick Quote box for a free, no-obligation quote.
