Swindon - Geography

Geography

The town has an area of approximately 40 km² (25.33 mi²).

Swindon has a temperate climate, with roughly equal length winters and summers. The landscape is dominated by the chalk hills of the Wiltshire Downs to the south and east. The hill that makes up what is known as Old Town consists of Purbeck and Portland stone; this was quarried from Roman times up until the 1950s. The area that was known as New Swindon is made up of mostly Kimmeridge clay with outcrops of Corrallian clay in the areas of Penhill and Pinehurst. Oxford clay makes up the rest of the borough. The River Ray forms the town's western boundary, including its tributary of the River Cole.

• Nearby towns and cities: Chippenham, Royal Wootton Bassett, Cirencester, Cricklade, Highworth, Marlborough, Malmesbury and Calne
• Nearby villages: Aldbourne, Badbury, Blunsdon, Chiseldon, Hook, Lambourn, Liddington, Lydiard Millicent, Purton, Ramsbury, South Marston, Wanborough, Washpool and Wroughton
• Nearby places of interest: Avebury, Barbury Castle, Crofton Pumping Station, Silbury Hill, Stonehenge and Uffington White Horse
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Swindon include — Coate Water, Great Quarry, Haydon Meadow, Okus Quarry, Old Town Railway Cutting and Lydiard Country Park