Jobs in Swindon | Pictures of Swindon

Melinda Messenger, Billie Piper and trains is what typically springs to mind when most people think of Swindon. But there is more to this town than blond bombshells and cloth caps. Indeed, Swindon's economy continues to outperform the rest of the UK, unemployment levels are one of the lowest in the country and over £1bn of investment is being used to improve the town's leisure and retail offering.

And with almost 40,000 new homes earmarked for construction over the next 20 years to cope with demand, Swindon's attractiveness as a highly desirable place to live and work runs deeper than the ‘Swindon babes' that stereotype it.

Getting around Swindon
Swindon is easily accessible via a number of routes with the M4 at its doorstep and a number of arterial roads into the town centre itself. But watch out for some of the daftest planning decisions every made – the roundabouts.

The town is notable for its roundabouts – a sad fact that is even ‘celebrated' in a calendar featuring a different roundabout for each month. The best-known roundabout is the 'Magic Roundabout', which is actually not a roundabout but a gyratory, at the junction of five roads including Drove Road , Queens Drive and Fleming Way - not even the two Park & Ride schemes to the north and south of the town can escape them.

Thamesdown and Stagecoach are the main bus operators running services from across the Borough into the centre of town. Whilst the train station is on the direct line for all services running from Bristol , Chippenham and Didcot.

Eating, drinking and shopping in Swindon
The regeneration of Swindon town centre promises to enhance its reputation as one of the fastest growing towns in Europe . And this is good news for shopaholics and gastronomes alike.

Home to no less than six very distinct shopping districts, Swindon has one of the strongest retail offerings in the South. In the centre there are the Brunel and Parade Shopping Centres hosting all the big high street names, with over 100 shops and restaurants between them including House of Fraser, Lush, Marks & Spencer and the obligatory Starbucks.

Elsewhere there are a number of out of town retail parks such as West Swindon Shopping Centre. But if you are planning to shop away from the city centre, McArthur Glen Designer Outlet is arguably the pick of the bunch.

Built using the structure of the disused railway engine works, McArthur Glen is a bargain-hunters paradise where you can buy designer label clothes and products with as much as 50 per cent discount – just like having the January sales all year round. Alternatively, Old Town has a good selection of independent and smaller retailers.

And it is in the Old Town that some of the best restaurants can be found. Whether you are looking for a good place to entertain a client at lunch time or for somewhere to eat en route to the pub later that evening, the Old Town - along with Bridge Street , Victoria and Farringdon Road 's - have a number of restaurants, eateries and pubs serving grub.

Similarly, much of Swindon 's nightlife is centred in and around these areas. Admittedly, Swindon 's club scene does not live up to its full potential - generally the clubs are seriously outdated except for a few exceptions, such as Longs Bar, Mckenzies and Apartment.

But if you are looking for something to do during the weekend, the town has a fair few places worth having a look at.

Famous for its railway connections, Swindon has a rich industrial history that includes being the location of the large Swindon Railway Works for Brunel's Great Western Railway and is now celebrated with the Steam Railway Museum that sits on the former site.

In fact, Swindon has no less than six museums including the Museum Of Computing , National Museum of Science And Industry, Richard Jeffries House and Museum and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery .

Other local facilities include two multi-screen cinema complexes, the Wyvern Theatre, the Arts Centre in Old Town , 10 pin bowling and an ice rink which is also home to the Swindon Wildcats Ice Hockey team. The town has several leisure centres offering sports activities and facilities, as well as golf courses, gyms and a large number of sports teams and clubs.

Swindon has many parks and local areas of open country for recreation, including Coate Water and  Lydiard Park (set in the grounds of Lydiard Manor). Just outside the town, en route to Cirencester, is the Cotswold   Water Park , a series of lakes offering fishing, water sports & leisure activities set in an area of natural beauty.

Major residential areas
A high proportion of Swindon's residents live in relatively modern accommodation, typically less than 15 years old thanks largely to a spate of new property developments that continue to be built to meet the growing demand and, therefore, reflect Swindon 's increasing desirability factor. In the centre itself, Old Town is arguably the most popular location to live on account of its close proximity to Swindon 's café culture and nightlife.

Over the coming months, The Hub and Swindon Central are major new developments with over 500 residential apartments being built offering greater choice in the town centre for those wanting to combine modern living with accessibility.

Outside of town, the major residential areas are Freshbrook, Blunsdon St Andrew, Broad Blunsdon, Haydon Wick, Coate, South Marston and Stratton St Margaret.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Swindon.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Swindon below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Swindon or find out more information on the local area.