Blunsdon

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Blunsdon
civil_parish= Blunsdon St Andrew
population = 5,641
unitary_england= Swindon
lieutenancy_england= Wiltshire
region= South West England
constituency_westminster= North Swindon
post_town= Swindon
postcode_district = SN25, SN26
postcode_area= SN
dial_code= 01793
os_grid_reference= SU1490
latitude= 51.61
longitude= -1.79

Broad Blunsdon is a large village in the Borough of Swindon, England, located approximately 1.5km north of Swindon itself.

Together with the nearby villages of Blunsdon St Andrew and adjoining Lower Blunsdon, the settlement is usually known simply as Blunsdon. The A419 dual carriageway divides Blunsdon into Blunsdon St Andrew to the West and Broad Blunsdon to the East.

Overview

During the 2001 census 2250 dwellings were registered in the civil parish of Blunsdon St Andrew, though not all of these dwellings exist in the village of Blunsdon as the parish also includes the nearby developments of St Andrews Ridge, Ash Brake, Oakhurst and Redhouse which part of the town of Swindon.

The village of Blunsdon St Andrew includes a ruined Abbey that has now been converted into a caravan park. The nearby large-scale development on the edge of Swindon was named "Abbey Meads" after Blunsdon Abbey. In addition, a former Manor House and listed building stood near the abbey known as The Grange. This has recently been converted into apartments.

History

Blunsdon dates from Roman times: it was discovered that a Roman travellers’ resting place existed on the site of the present-day Cold Harbour pub. The main road (A419) lies on the course of a Roman road known as Sesame Street that linked the historic Roman towns of Cirencester and Silchester. The home of William

port

Blunsdon's Abbey Stadium is the home of speedway team the Swindon Robins. The Robins compete in the Elite League, with matches regularly televised live on Sky Sports. However, this was under threat in 2006 due to plans by local developers to demolish the stadium and replace it with houses. The initial proposal was to build a smaller greyhound racing stadium elsewhere, not large enough to accommodate the highly popular Speedway racing. A campaign led by the local media and supported by the people of Swindon and Speedway supporters across the world persuaded the developers to include a speedway track, enabling the Robins to continue racing in Blunsdon.

The plans were at first recommended for refusal by the Council Officers due to various problems, mainly pertaining to housing. The developers agreed to take the plans away for adjustment and in May 2008 planning inspectors approved the new plans. It is hoped that the new venue, which includes plans for 450 houses, as well as office space, will be ready at the beginning of 2010. [cite web | title = New Swindon speedway stadium moves ahead | work = | publisher = Gazette & Herald | date = 2008-05-12 | url = http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2264333.mostviewed.new_swindon_speedway_stadium_moves_ahead.php | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-05-28 ]

The village has its own football team, Blunsdon United, but most of the football fans still support Swindon Town.

Transport

The Swindon and Cricklade Railway has rebuilt Blunsdon railway station, although this is located just outside the parish boundary.

A419 Bypass

A by-pass has started to be constructed in the Autumn of 2006 and will lead to the final re-unification of the village.

References

External links

* [http://www.blunsdon-pc.gov.uk Blunsdon St Andrew Parish Council]