The OPC is Nigel Chalk
Gorsehill Forms part of the Parish of Stratton St. Margaret
Gorsehill Photo Gallery Gorsehill Miscellany Gallery
The Church of St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas Gallery St. Barnabas Interior Gallery
St. Barnabas Church St. Barnabas Church Murals St. Barnabas Christenings 1946-1947
Baptisms
Christenings
Marriages
Burial & Funeral Services
There is no burial ground attached to St. Barnabas, the records below are for funeral services held within the church. Burials and cremations would have taken place elsewhere
History of Gorse Hill
Originally a small hamlet of Stratton with just a farm, the first buildings were a large house and The Tabernacle public house built behind where The Duke of Edinburgh is today. The long straight road through the area was used for foot-race handicaps over 100 and 200 yards, there were also dog races and shooting matches, in fact there was something most weeks.
In 1863 John Brunsden, a corn factor, was Conservative voting member.
1876 saw the opening of a Money Order and Savings Bank office, (The Star, 4/11/1876). It was burnt down in 1895, believed arson, Postmaster Mr. R. J. Walker. (The Western Daily Press 25/9/1895.)
The area was taken over by Swindon Council in 1891 when expansion of the area followed by the building of St Barnabas Church in Cricklade Road meant that it became a parish in it’s own right, the area was further extended in 1928 with Swindon absorbing the Munitions factory area. The first streets to be built were School Street which became Avening Street, Chapel, Hinton, and Bright Streets. George Whitehead (1857-1917) a property developer and builder, He built Florence Street in 1894 named after his sister Mary Florence, and Beatrice Street in 1899 named after his daughter. In 1900 he built the Princess Hotel. Gorse Hill was the only area of the original Stratton to see trams, In December 1902 the Borough Council adopted the scheme and just had to wait for parliamentary agreement, Notice was given (Swindon Advertiser 20-11-1903), and the service started in 1904, in one week in May 1905 16,273 people travelled to/from Gorse Hill with receipts over £53 (North Wilts Herald 19-05-1905 p5.) The last tram – Tramcar No.1, driven by motorman George Cathcart, made Swindon’s last tram journey over the Gorse Hill to Rodbourne route on 11 July 1929. December 1912 saw the opening of the Cinema. During the war Kembrey Street was bombed and several people killed, Italian prisoners of war were kept in some of the buildings of Kembrey Estate. Bright Street was demolished in 1973 to build a Residential Home. 1991 saw start of Cricklade Road Relief Road extension from Gipsy Lane to Crowdy’s Hill. 5th October 1986 Community Centre and Library opened in Gipsy Lane.
Swindon Society YouTube video can be seen here.
Buildings and Land
Hinton Street in Gorse Hill Built 1890 by James Hinton (b. 1842) who was a wealthy Swindon builder and Mayor of the Borough in 1903-4.
In 1937 Malvern Road was added and the extension, over a small bridge, in 1963 on site of pig farm.
The gap on the south side of Beatrice Street, was caused when two houses, numbers 152 & 153 were demolished due to subsidence in about 1980.
Cinema
Electra Picture Palace Knocked down in 1990’s and replaced with Thomas Edward Coard Building
Farms
Gorsehill Farm
Tabernacle Farm (23 acres)
Bought by Arkell’s in 1870’s from A T Reeves to build new pub. Original farm cottage still exists as 5 Argyle St.
General Building Items
New Name for Crowdy’s Hill 1981 Thamesdown Hydrotherapy Pool
Isolation Hospital
History of the Isolation Hospital
Maps
Property
In 2017, 4 New houses were built behind Majestic Wine in Caulfield Road.
Property for Let
Property for Sale
Sale of Freehold Land 1876 Seven Freehold Houses for Sale 1878 Building Plots & Property for Sale by Auction 1895 Sale by Auction of Buildings & Land 1902
Public Houses
Read more about the Public Houses of Gorse Hill by following the link
Carpenter’s Arms, (now renamed the Swiss Chalet)
Originally opened as an Off-licence in 1874 108/110 Cricklade Road, and was run by a local carpenter named William Penny.
Duke of Edinburgh
At the back of the pub, on 4th August 1928 the first ‘dirt track’ meeting took place at the ‘Swindon Auto Drome’, in a field formerly used for other sports (the Corinthians football team lost their pitch). The stadium, built by ‘Swindon Sports Club Ltd.’, had a 356-yard cinder track. The venue was never used for team racing and was re-named ‘Swindon Speedway Stadium’ in 1930, closing the same year. Tiverton Road was built on the site and remains of the cinder track ran along the end of the gardens that back onto the small field by the stream. Underneath the cinder was a hard layer predominantly chalk as it was nearly impossible to dig into the cinder most residents built sheds over the track.
The Princess Hotel
Beatrice street, later renamed The Meerkat, now closed.
The Kembrey Inn
Built 2005 by Chef & Brewer.
Crime & Legal Matters
Rd. Walker, no Dog Licence 1896
Crime Reports
1850-1899 1900-1999 2000 – Present
Drunk and Disorderly
Ann Davis, Drunk & Disorderly 1896
Theft
Charges Against Girl and Stepmother 1878
Education
Gorse Hill Education Gorse Hill School
School Attendance
Sheppard, a School Traunt 1908
School Sport
Gorse Hill School Football Team 1927/28 Recalled 1987
School Staff
Employment and Business
Employment & Business Gallery Gorse Hill Gas Works Gallery
Advertising
Early Businesses
1875-1878 John Aplin a butcher
1877 John Taylor, milkman
1878 William Easley a shoemaker of Hinton Street.
1879 Richard Hayward a grocer
1880 Joseph Goodman a draper, James Hibbert a smith
1955 saw the first launderette in Swindon area.
Argyle Street Pet & Garden Centre – 1988 to 2018 replacing an existing Garden Wholesaler. The buildings were originally pig sheds later used by a Coal distributor.
Cricklade Road Businesses 2018
Industrial Estates
Elgin Industrial Estate & Kembrey Park 2017
Elgin Industrial Estate
New Swindon Industrial Co-op Society
New Co-Op Store 2001 Co-Op Staff Then and Now 2001 Shop now on corner Cricklade Road and Chapel Street.
They also had a Furniture and white goods store next to cinema.
Plessey
Known then primarily as a manufacturer of radio components, opened its factory in Kembrey Street, Gorse Hill, in 1940, now a business estate.
Police
Following initial discussions in 1905, when there was just a police house using Gorse Hill House, which had been modified by Charles Ayde contained a charge room and 2 cells. T Walker designed a new station and December 1929 saw the formal opening of a new Police Station, first Superintendent, J. J. Meaney, first Inspector, Betteridge, also a Drill ground was added to rear at cost of £798 16s, and 2 blocks of 6 terrace houses for staff, officers billeted in main building. It formally closed in 1966 and the station has now been converted to flats.
Police Inspector Albert Enos Mitchell 1887-1940 Police Sergeant Reakes Retires 1932 (Gorse Hill)
Trades Unions
Non Conformity and Other Places of Worship
List of Non-Conformist Churches
Baptist Church
Baptist Church Incumbents List
Marriage Services 1900-1949 Burial Service 1940 1949
Methodist Church (Russell’s Memorial)
Incumbent 1965 Rev. P B Philipson
Burial Services 1920-1949
Salvation Army Citadel
The Citadel is located in Chapel Street. In 1936 the band joined with others at Chippenham for their 50th Anniversary. Leaders – 1961 Major W Pontas, 1963 Major J Riddle, 1965 Major T F Snowball. Has been rebuilt after a fire in early 2000’s.
Sikh Temple
13 January 2002: Swindon’s Sikh community opened its first purpose-built temple in Kembrey Street, called the Shri Guru Nanak Gudawara. It replaced much smaller premises in North Street that it had taken over from the Salvation Army in 1972.
Wesleyan Chapel (Trinity)
Marriage Services 1900-1949 Burial Service 1940-1949
People and Parish Notables
Entertainment
Elections, Polls & Voters Lists
For entries in the 1868 Poll Book please refer to the main Stratton St. Margaret Page.
Family Notices
Obituaries
War, Conflict and Military Matters
War Memorials & Military Gallery
Boer War
Wiltshire Imperial Yeomanry Casualties 1899-1902
WWI
Casualties
Biographies
Thomas Fox 1916 George Edward Knight 1917
British Red Cross/VAD Volunteers
Volunteers 1914-1918 Rosina Clark 1917-1918 Annie Gingell 1918 Emily Padgett 1918 Ida Sealey 1917-1918 Ethel Mary Skinner 1918
War Memorials
WWI Memorial Mystery 2015 Working Man’s Club War Memorial Wesleyan Methodist Chapel War Memorial
WWII
On the evening on December 19th 1940 167 Beatrice St that took a direct hit at around 8 o’clock from a German bomber travelling in a North Westerly direction. There was one fatality, 57-year-old Jane Hobbs who died the following day at Victoria Hospital
Interview on WWII for Peoples War 2006
