(A) The Oasis Leisure Centre. The Britpop band Oasis took their name after singer Liam Gallagher saw the name as a venue from a poster. In November 2011, twenty years after naming his first band after this leisure centre, he performed there for the first time with new group Beady Eye.
A cafe and toilets can be found in the Oasis Leisure Centre. Car parking is also available on site.
[1] With the entrance of the Oasis Leisure Centre behind you, head down the footpath towards the access road. At the end of this footpath take a right turn and continue to follow the path around the perimeter of the Oasis Leisure Centre buildings. As you walk long this path, the car park will be on your left, with the Oasis Leisure Centre on your right.
[2] At the end of the formal car parking area you will reach a T-junction in the footpath. At this T-junction turn left and this will lead you onto North Star Avenue (by a bus stop). Cross North Star Avenue and once reaching the pavement on the other side, turn right passing the bus stop and shelter serving Swindon College.
This college campus opened in 2006 after relocating from its Regent Circus site.
[3] At the next road junction, follow the path as it turns to the left and head along Polaris Way. Cross the entrance the Swindon College car park and continue straight on to where you will see the road narrows and becomes a bus only access route. The pavement will lead up to its junction with the Great Western Way.
[4] At this junction, use the traffic island to cross over Polaris Way access and follow the pavement with the vegetation on your right and the Great Western Way on your left. At the next junction remain on the same pavement and head towards the bridge ahead of you. This is Corporation Street. Walk underneath the bridge, known as Whitehouse Bridge, that carries the Great Western Main Line Railway, which at this point is six tracks wide.
(B) Whitehouse Bridge. The headroom under Whitehouse Bridge is 10ft (3.1m) - not enough room for a coach, let alone a double-decker bus, but that doesn't stop drivers trying the impossible. Now officially the country's most dangerous bridge, it was hit by over 130 vehicles in the 1990s alone.
[5] Once you have passed beneath this bridge you will come to a traffic-light controlled junction. Cross over at Station Road and continue to walk along Corporation Street, crossing over a back lane entrance, pass a greengrocers called Vegland and a second back lane entrance. Cross straight over at Haydon Street and passing the Rendezvous restaurant and across a further back lane.
[6] At the junction with Corporation Street and Manchester Road, take a right turn. Walk along Manchester Road, crossing over Aylesbury Street.
[7] Use the pedestrian crossing facilities to cross Wellington Street and onto Milford Street. Cross over again at Gloucester Street (watch out for taxis turning into this one-way road). Follow Milford Street, with a blue and grey coloured office block on your right. At the entrance of Milford House, the path curves to the right, with raised bedding areas on either side.
[8] The path leads to a pedestrian crossing. Use this pedestrian crossing to reach the other side of Holbrook Way and turn left and then right at the next turning, taking you into Fleet Street. Continue along Fleet Street, which becomes a pedestrianised area.
[8] Once you reach the junction with Bridge Street, where you will see a Wilkinsons store, turn left. Head along Bridge Street, which features a combination of bars and shops. Continue straight on at the first set of crossroads (with King Street on your left and Queen Street on your right). Continue to the next crossroads (which features a sculpture) and take a right turn onto Canal Walk [9]. Head along Canal Walk, which follows the route of the former Wilts and Berks Canal (C). Pass the entrance to the Brunel shopping centre and then through Wharf Green on your left Hand Side, with features a big screen television and the House of Frasers Clearance store of your right. Follow the walkway that continues through the Brunel West multi-storey car park.
[10] Once you have been passed beneath the multi-storey car park, turn Right and head down Farnsby Street. Safety note: when walking along Farnsby Street, keep aware of the entrance and exit lanes to the multi-storey car parks along Farnsby Street.
[11] Cross at the junctions with Villet Street and use the pedestrian crossing to cross Farnsby Street. Head along Faringdon Road, crossing Milton Road, where you will pass the Milton Road Baths.
The Milton Road Baths were built in 1891 to provide washing baths and recreational swimming and Turkish baths. The building also housed a wide range of the Medical Fund facilities such as the dentist, the dispensary and consulting rooms.
[12] Cross over at Chester Street, Theobold Street and Maxwell Street (note these are one-way roads). As you head along this road, look across to the opposite side and you will see parts of the historic Railway Village. The walk will pass through this area on the return to the Oasis Leisure Centre.
[13] Cross once again at Cambria Bridge Road, passing the Grapes Hotel pub and the San Marco Italian restaurant. Continue along Faringdon Road and pass the Greyhound pub. Cross over at an unamed road, pass a hairdressers and betting shop, where you will come to a pedestrian crossing. Use this pedestrian crossing facility to reach the other side of Westcott Place.
[14] Turn right, passing the entrance to 12 Bar and cross over at Birch Street, where you will pass a chemist and florist on your left as you join Park Lane. Cross over Jolliffee Street and use the pedestrian crossing provided to reach the other side of Park Lane.
[15] Once you have crossed Park Lane, follow the path that leads immediately into what is known as Faringdon Road Park.
(D) Faringdon Road Park. Previously known as the Great Western Railway (GWR) Park and before that as the Cricket Field, it played a large part in the social life of the railway villagers. Gifted in 1844 to them by Colonel Villett, a local landowner,it hosted many inter-shop cricket matches as well as fixtures,against other towns.
[16] At the next junction, take a left turn and follow the path as it works around the edge of the park as indicated in the map provided. After walking halfway round the park, you will come across a further T-junction. Take the Left Hand Path, which will lead you onto Church Place.
[17] Cross over at Church Pace and head along Exeter Street, using the pavement on the Left Hand Side, until you reach the Cricketers Arms pub. Cross over at Emlyn Square, pass the derelict. Mechanics Institute building. Follow the pavement round until you come across a pedestrian crossing. Use this to reach the other side of Emlyn Square, where you end up beside a further pub landmark on this route, the Glue Pot.
The Glue Pot got its current, unusual name because of its association with the woodworkers from the nearby carriage shops. The local streets were named after important stations on GWR network.
[18] Once you have crossed over, turn left and follow Emyln Square, crossing over at Oxford Street. The road then turns a corner, becoming London Street. Walk along London Street, crossing over at East Street. London Street then becomes Sheppard Street. Cross over at Bridge Street.
[19] Once you have crossed Bridge Street, use the pedestrian crossing to cross Sheppard Street.
[20] After crossing Sheppard Street you will join a signed cycleway-pedestrian path. This route is signposted towards Oasis Leisure Centre. Follow this footpath and cycleway passing beneath the subway structure. Safety Note: when using subway, please take note of the associated risks. Keep to the Right of the path to avoid cyclists. As you come out at the other side of the subway, you will set a ramp and set of steps leading up the embankment. Do not turn at this point. Instead continue to head along this shared cycleway-pedestrian path - along the route of the former North Wilts Canal.
(E)The North Wilts Canal. The North Wilts Canal was 8 miles long and ran between Swindon town centre to Cricklade, providing a critical link between the Thames & Severn and the Wiltshire & Berks canal. This canal opened in 1819 but was abandonedby Act of Parliament in 1914
[21] You will see a tarmac path leading off to your right, with the Oasis Leisure Centre buildings in the background. Take this path up the embankment. Once the path has levelled off, the path will join a T-junction. Take the path heading off to the left, passing between a cycle speedway track on your left and a set of BMW ramps on your right. Follow this path until you reach an access road. You are now again on the site of the Oasis Leisure Centre, with a sports hall building in front of you.
[22] Cross this access road and head straight on using the footpath provided with the sports hall building on your right. The path curves to the right, following the building. Head across the paved surface on your left, which leads to a T-junction, with the ramp up to the entrance of the Oasis Leisure Centre complex on your right. Turn right and head up the ramp to the entrance area that marks the end point of this walk.