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I'm working back in Swindon, at 'the place with the woods behind it'. Traffic up Marlborough Road is, as ever, shocking, and the number of people now working at 'the place with the woods behind it' means that the car parking situation is, well, mental.
So, I'm thinking of parking at Coate Water and walking or cycling the last bit, cos I think that will actually be quicker (I'm also going to ride in from home, Ciren, once a week). It also means I can buy a Brompton 🙂
Having looked on the council website I think the car park is open all day, but anyone know of any problems with my plan? Any issues with cars being broken into or anything? It won't be a posh car, it's a ratty little old Mazda.
Many years ago I parked up at Coate Water then met up with some friends for an all day bike ride. Returning in the dark I opened the car boot and started putting my bike inside. As the interior light came on, several of the parked cars started flashing their lights at me, putting on their interior lights and waving. It was some sort of dogging meet up place, I left so quickly that I was on the M4 before I realised that I still had my helmet on!!!
Don't know what it is like now though...............
Well, I thought my journey to and from work would be drive, ride, ride, drive. Sounds like it might be drive, ride, ride, ride, drive 😉
I’m working back in Swindon, at ‘the place with the woods behind it’.
Shame I'm not there currently, even though half my team still is!
I lived up the road from Coate for 20 years. Rode through the park most weeks on night rides.Never seen any dogging ever?
A better bet is the car park next to the Calley Arms in Hodgson
Coate car park fee is in place now - not sure if it was when you last worked there.
Ignore above. It's £2 a day.
Another option would be to drive in on the Cricklade to Purton road and park somewhere in West Swindon, car park at Shaw Shops on Ramleaze drive for instance, then cycle in. When it's dry you could take the old railway cycle track (you could when it's wet too but the Brompton won't like it!). Coate is pay to park as said above. I cycle through there at night fairly often and never seen anything going on in the car park, always dead quiet.
If you are coming in from M4 Junction 15 then Maybe there is a local shop car park in Dorcan / Liden?
Thanks all. I realise there's a fee at Coate, but you can get a season pass for a year for £20
A better bet is the car park next to the Calley Arms in Hodgson
I thought about over that side, but it means I have to get down to and across the M4, so that's more queuing to Jct15, or messing about on back lanes around Liddington and having to get out and across the A436 in Chiseldon, which I can imagine is fun at that time in the morning
drive in on the Cricklade to Purton road and park somewhere in West Swindon, car park at Shaw Shops on Ramleaze drive for instance, then cycle in. When it’s dry you could take the old railway cycle track (you could when it’s wet too but the Brompton won’t like it!).
Yep, wondered about that too, and that's kind of the direction I take when I ride in from home, but in the car I'd be queuing around West Swindon and then it's about 20 minutes on the bike, so it'd take me quite a while longer overall.
Maybe there is a local shop car park in Dorcan / Liden?
This is my other option to explore...
For Calley Arms simply drive past Coate up Marlborough Road then left into Broome Manor Lane. Not much more hassle than parking at Coate.
Actually Broome Manor Lane is an option as well for parking
For Calley Arms simply drive past Coate up Marlborough Road then left into Broome Manor Lane. Not much more hassle than parking at Coate.
Problem is the traffic on Marlborough Road; at about 8am I could definitely cycle, and probably walk, from Coate to Broome Manor Lane quicker than drive it
p.s. How's your mum?
Stanton might work for you. Come off the 419 at Blunsdon or Honda depending on traffic and then cycle in from there. Nice quiet car park and no parking restrictions or charges I’m aware of.
Well, I tried it this morning. Parked up at Coate Water, had a lovely brisk walk through the frosty woods (even had a fox coming down the path towards me, who legged it when he saw me) and across the playing field, made it into work about, I reckon, five minutes later than I would have done had I driven all the way. I think I might be on to a winner 🙂
p.s. How’s your mum?
If you meant my Mum? Thanks for asking, she's stable but it's all taken a little turn for the worse with my Dad becoming seriously ill and committed to a care home for palliative treatment. Mum is still housebound, paralysed but coping well and the better news is her lung cancer nodules have not accelerated in growth so she is looking at a longer prognosis than before. Thanks again to all who wrote to her as it made a massive difference.
Did you walk in on the path below the Croft Trail? I used to run that a lot. It's one of the only things I miss about Swindon 😉
Yep, your mum. Good news about her prognosis but sorry to hear about your Dad, all the best to you and yours.
I walked up pretty much parallel with Marlborough Road, behind the houses. Of the 20 minutes, 15 of them were of road, it was lovely. I tend to forget that there are nice bits of Swindon, but there are...