Spring Blossom Festival will highlight Swindon heritage and nature

A special festival celebrating blossom will be hosted in Swindon throughout April.

South Swindon Parish Council, supported by the National Trust, Historic England, the Town Gardens Café and Swindon Borough Council, will host the Blossom Festival to celebrate the completion of the Blossom Circle at GWR Park and as part of the National Trust’s Helping Communities Blossom programme. 

The Festival launched on 14 March, with the Director-General of the National Trust, Hilary McGrady, and representatives of South Swindon Parish Council, Swindon Borough Council and Historic England formally opening GWR Park’s new Blossom Circle.

Cllr Janine Howarth, Vice-Chair of South Swindon Parish Council, said: “I am delighted that we can bring a Blossom Festival to Swindon and showcase South Swindon’s blossoming outside spaces and nature, including GWR Park in Central Swindon, the Town Gardens in Swindon’s Old Town area and Shaftesbury Lake on the south-east of Swindon. 

"The festival comes off the back of the wonderful improvements we have made to GWR Park, thanks to funding from Historic England and the National Trust. 

"This includes GWR Park’s new Blossom Circle, which is situated in the position of the park’s old bandstand, which will prove to be a fantastic place for the public to relax and enjoy nature, as well as a new events space to enjoy arts and music.

"I would like to extend my thanks to the National Trust for sponsoring this event and all other partners of this year’s Swindon Blossom Festival."

The Swindon Blossom Festival will feature: 

- GWR Park Blossom Circle Workshops, Wednesday, 5 April, between 1pm and 5pm. Artsite, Prime Theatre and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will be hosting creative workshops for young people throughout the day, encouraging the development of creative skills and an appreciation of blossom and nature. Playsteps Nursery will be performing in the new Blossom Circle from 4pm to 5pm.

- Shaftesbury Lake Wildlife Discovery Day, Saturday, 15 April between 10am and 3pm. South Swindon Parish Council will host a day for residents to learn about the nature and wildlife native to the lake and the South Swindon area. 

- Yoga in the Town Gardens with Uptown Yoga - Friday, 28 April 6-7pm.

-  Blossom Music Concert  at GWR Park, Saturday, 29 April, 8.30am and 3.30pm. South Swindon Parish Council and the National Trust will be hosting a concert throughout the day. Swindon Young Musicians will play their rehearsals in the newly formed Blossom Circle, showcasing the young talent that Swindon has on offer. There will also be free nature-based workshops hosted by Artsite and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Free heritage tours of the park will be offered, so people can learn about the significant history of the park and its importance to the development of Swindon in the industrial era. The Railway Village Museum and Central Community Centre will be open with historical displays and workshops.

- Blossom Events at the Town Gardens, Saturday 29, April, 10am – Pottery Painting with Charlotte Manser Ceramics. 3-4pm – A walk and talk to learn about the spring blossom and floral and fauna of the Town Gardens with Kathryn Hay.

- Kids Flower Crown Workshop at the Town Gardens, Sunday, 30 April, 11am and 2pm

- Blossom BBQ with the Town Gardens Cafe and Andrews Quality Meats butchers, Sunday, 30 April, 6-8pm. 

- Music and Movement for ages up to four years at the Town Gardens, Monday, 1 May. 

The Swindon Blossom Festival is connected with the National Trust’s Festival of Blossom which started on 20 March. 

It follows a Blossom Festival held last year by the café in Swindon’s Town Gardens, which is recognised as significant area for mature cherry blossom trees. The café will again be hosting workshops and activities to celebrate the blossom in the Old Town Park. 

The festival this year also follows a series of recent heritage improvements made to GWR Park, including the new Blossom Circle on the eastern entrance to the park. 

The Church Place entrance is now lined with six cherry blossom trees which lead up to the new Blossom Circle and formal gardens. 

The park furniture including the benches, bins and noticeboards have been replaced with new furniture in a consistent style and in keeping with the park’s heritage. 

More information about the improvements to GWR Park can be found at www.southswindon-pc.gov.uk/heritage-action-zone

The park is a key project within Swindon’s Heritage Action Zone, through which Historic England are supporting Swindon Borough Council and local organisations such as South Swindon Parish Council to deliver a range of projects aimed at revitalising the wider Railway Village. 

This project also benefits from additional funding from the National Trust through its Blossom programme. The total investment into GWR Park from Historic England, the National Trust and South Swindon Parish Council is more than £125,000. 

Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the creation of this new Blossom Circle in Swindon.

"It is our seventh urban planting project since we launched our blossom campaign in 2020, and particularly exciting with our head office just down the road.

“Promoting beauty and nature for everyone to enjoy is a fundamental part of our mission. We know just how important green spaces are to people, and we hope that these trees will mean more people in Swindon can experience the magic of blossom and this special moment of spring.

“We look forward to seeing these trees become more beautiful with age as they burst forth with more blossom each year – encouraging us all to take a moment to stop and enjoy the joy of nature.” 

Rebecca Barrett, Regional Director at Historic England said: “It’s inspiring to see GWR Park’s transformation thanks to the hard work of local people who love this historic green space. We’re really pleased to join in the celebrations as part of the Blossom Festival.” 

Councillor Matty Courtliff, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “The spring season is one of the prettiest times of the year and the Swindon Blossom Festival will only highlight that further. 

"We have many parks for residents to enjoy and I’m pleased to see work nearing completion at GWR Park, a beautiful green space in the heart of the town. 

"I’m delighted we’ve supported the delivery of this scheme, which complements the Council's Heritage Action Zone programme in the Railway Village. I can’t wait to see the blossom circle in full bloom and I hope everyone will enjoy it.”