Remember?

[leefer]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/swindonlocal/3696882935/lightbox/

Remember as a kid thinking this building..the Tabernacle on the left, was massive....made of Bath stone it was pulled down in 1978 and bought by a rich American to be rebuilt in the states....alas he didn't bother and it remains in a field somewhere...each piece of stone numbered ready to be assembled one day hopefully.
Was talk of it coming back to Swindon a few years back...seems sadly that talk is all it was.

Edit......look at the whole album,some great old photos on the site.

[Ardiles]

Assume you're talking about the Baptist Tabernacle and not the Cenotaph (which is still there?)  I'd love to know why it was pulled down.  In a town that doesn't score too highly on the architecture front, it's practically criminal that buildings like this were allowed to fall in to disrepair.

I really hope that in 10 or 20 years from now we're not talking about the Mechanics' Institute in the same terms - but sadly, I can see history repeating itself.  I just couldn't see this happening anywhere else.  So much talk and so little action.

[leefer]

Assume you're talking about the Baptist Tabernacle and not the Cenotaph (which is still there?)  I'd love to know why it was pulled down.  In a town that doesn't score too highly on the architecture front, it's practically criminal that buildings like this were allowed to fall in to disrepair.

I really hope that in 10 or 20 years from now we're not talking about the Mechanics' Institute in the same terms - but sadly, I can see history repeating itself.  I just couldn't see this happening anywhere else.  So much talk and so little action.

Yes the Baptist Tabernacle.........the cenotaph is a very impresive monument compared to many towns efforts in fact.
But i agree...why wont the National Trust help..............would seem logical seen as they have just built a great big place(head office?)next to the Steam Museum.

[Barry Scott]

Why would the National Trust help when the yokels and the council couldn't give less of a fuck about it? People are so worried about it falling down or being razed they oppose every single idea that it could be used for. I used to get really angry about it, but now I think the building should fall down to spite the populace.

[leefer]

Why would the National Trust help when the yokels and the council couldn't give less of a fuck about it? People are so worried about it falling down or being razed they oppose every single idea that it could be used for. I used to get really angry about it, but now I think the building should fall down to spite the populace.

Cannot agree Barry...what can people like myself do?..i would love to keep our old buildings and heritage.
Us as locals pay through the nose for our local services etc...its the fault of the local council whos job it is(hard i know at present)to preserve the towns cultural heritage.
My feeling is someone like the NT could help more seeing as they have built in the Town....maybe it is not stately enough for them.....

[Talk Talk]

The Baptist Tabernacle frontage is in the possession of the council. Council leader Bluh is committed to reconstructing it. The plans were to use it as the front entrance to the new shopping/residential development that is going on the car park round the back of what was McIlroys.

Unfortunately the crash has put paid to all of that for the time being as I think the developers went bust (along with the ones who were supposed to be redeveloping the old college site).

Hey ho. We will just have to put up with the town centre looking like something out of the blitz for the foreseeable future.

[Talk Talk]

More on the Tabernacle's return:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2006/04/19/baptist_tabernacle_cine_footage_feature.shtml

http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2006/9/6/276457.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/jan/12/britishidentity.comment