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Princes Street, Swindon, Wiltshire



Even in the few years since we started taking a few photographs in our home town, Princess Street has changed.  It is located fairly close to the town centre and seems to be constantly re-inventing itself to adapt to the ever expanding Swindon.  The latest (current) changes involve a new development called Kimmerfields (which has already changed its name from Union Square even though building work hasn't even finished yet!).

A photograph on Flickr taken in 1968 brought home to us the changes are not a new thing to Princes Street - take a look at the  Photograph  and you will see just an ordinary row of terraced housing with perhaps the only sign of its central location being a road sign to a car park.

During the very late 1960s and/or early 1970s we remember the housing being demolished and shiney new offices being built.  From memory, a large building for Nationwide Building Society had an impressive entrance with water surrounding it and a bridge across it to the front door - the water had live goldfish swimming in it.  We don't think the fish lasted long as we remember it then being filled in.  This building has long since been demolished.

At one end of Princes Street is Regent Circus and at the other is the Whalebridge junction, which itself used to be a roundabout until recent years.  The police station has been built and demolished, a car show room (Walker Jackson or Skurrays?) now replaced by Jurys Inn hotel.  About the only thing that remains the same since our childhood is that it is a dual carriageway!

We have various photographs of Princes Street which were taken mainly of buildings on or near it rather than of the street itself.  Have a look at the buildings in the background and spot the changes.

Our photographs are a snapshot in time to record a building's history.  Businesses shown may no longer be trading there.
Oops photo: 09209 is missing - please let us know
Princes Street taken from Fleming Way
Photo No: 09209     Size: 1239k
Photo Date: August 2017
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Roughly the same view - the (now demolished) Wyvern Bridge is in this one
Photo No: 02708     Size: 1280k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Same view while the Kimmerfields buildings are under construction
Photo No: 02038     Size: 1823k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Looking back to the junction with Fleming Way
Photo No: 02707     Size: 1075k
Photo Date: May 2013
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These next four photographs were taken from the same spot and show some of the changes. The first has the Whalebridge roundabout, the car show room and the site of the police station (since demolished) in the foreground.
Photo No: 00214     Size: 1044k
Photo Date: March 2006
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The trees are much bigger now and the car showroom has been demolished
Photo No: 00909     Size: 484k
Photo Date: September 2007
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The roundabout has turned into a junction, an hotel has been built on the showroom site and construction work has started in the foreground
Photo No: 02460     Size: 1454k
Photo Date: July 2012
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The final one in this sequence shows the construction of Kimmerfield Court well underway and obscuring the view along Princes Street.
Photo No: 02522     Size: 1628k
Photo Date: March 2013
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The two photographs show the same two buildings - the left side became the Travelodge hotel after underoing considerable updating (including adding two levels) whilst the building on the right (the Paramount) is being constructed in the first photograph.
Photo No: 00216     Size: 897k
Photo Date: March 2006
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Taken from the roof of the Fleming Way car park, Princes Street is on the right hand side of the picture.
Photo No: 02493     Size: 1126k
Photo Date: July 2012
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The Travelodge and Paramounts buildings complete
Photo No: 02544     Size: 1352k
Photo Date: July 2012
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The Jurys Inn with Princess Street to the right
Photo No: 02618     Size: 1362k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Kimmerfield Court now complete ...
Photo No: 02625     Size: 1178k
Photo Date: May 2014
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... during construction.
Photo No: 02481     Size: 1597k
Photo Date: May 2013
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The Whalebridge car park complete ...
Photo No: 02502     Size: 1300k
Photo Date: May 2014
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... and from the other end ...
Photo No: 02498     Size: 1106k
Photo Date: May 2014
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... and during construction.
Photo No: 02464     Size: 1188k
Photo Date: May 2013
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This taken from roughly the same spot as the last photograph, showing the now demolished police station.
Photo No: 00207     Size: 225k
Photo Date: June 2005
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The tower of the police station (since demolished) shows the end of Princes Street.
Photo No: 00206     Size: 503k
Photo Date: June 2005
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Across to the other side of the road - looking towards the Whalebridge roundabout/junction.
Photo No: 01148     Size: 619k
Photo Date: May 2009
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Travelodge Hotel and Recycles (run by the Salvation Army).
Photo No: 02705     Size: 1208k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Photo No: 02706     Size: 1178k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Taken from Beckhampton Street looking towards the new Kimmerfields development.
Photo No: 02490     Size: 1116k
Photo Date: May 2013
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Photo No: 02703     Size: 1475k
Photo Date: March 2013
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Wat Tyler House.
More photographs
Photo No: 02598     Size: 1188k
Photo Date: March 2013
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Clarence Street junior school
More photographs
Photo No: 02595     Size: 2755k
Photo Date: March 2013
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Standing at Regent Circus looking along Princes Street
Photo No: 02704     Size: 1843k
Photo Date: May 2013
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More photographs
At this address:
Central Library (ground floor)    [Source: Our Memory]
Kiss Gym (Ground Floor)    [Source: Photograph 02702]
Photo No: 02702     Size: 1198k
Photo Date: March 2013
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Photo No: 02709     Size: 1403k
Photo Date: May 2013

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This page was last updated on 31/08/2022 23:09:26
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