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**If you are looking for information about the Active Swindon Challenge and app, which operated in 2022, please see this page : Active Swindon Challenge.
If you are looking for information about the Swindon Summer Trails Challenge, which operated in 2024, please see this page: Swindon Summer Trails**

 

Active Swindon Trails Challenge

About the Challenge

Starting in July 2025, we are launching short walking trails around Swindon for you to explore all year round.  There will be three trails per “season” and for each trail you complete, you can collect a badge and enter the prize draw.

The trails, which are all between one and three miles long, will take you to some great local arts, heritage and historical sites, as well as places of natural beauty. There’s a limited edition badge available for the first 100 people to complete each challenge, while for every trail you complete, you will gain an entry into our grand prize draw.

Wherever possible, the routes have been designed to be accessible, with alternative suggestions provided if this is not the case. Details for getting to the start of each of the walks by public transport will also be provided.

Getting started

Each season, starting on July 1st, we will officially launch 3 trails.  There will be trail leaflets to pick up from Swindon’s main libraries and our partner locations*.  You can also download the season’s trail leaflet from this website (below) on launch day.

Complete the trails each season, collecting badges and entering the prize draw as you accomplish each one.  At the end of each season, we will pick the lucky winners in the prize draw.

Prizes

One lucky winner each season will receive £100 supermarket voucher in the grand prize draw, whilst 5 runners up will win smaller prizes for each trail – such as t-shirts, STEAM family passes, walking books, GWR rail voucher and food hampers.

The Trails

The three SUMMER season trails are:

1) Moredon Trail (The Robin Trail)

2) Wichelstowe Explorer Trail (The hedgehog trail)

3) The Eastern Flyer (Pig Trail)

1) Moredon Trail (The Robin Trail)

Enjoy this circular route from the Moredon Sporting Hub

Distance: 2.2 miles

Starting Point
The trail starts at the Moredon Sporting Hub, where you’ll find car and cycle parking, a café and toilets.  The nearest bus stop is on Akers Way, served by bus numbers 15 and 16.

What Three Words: ///beast.status.flags

  1. With your back to the car park and the main pavilion building on your left, take the wide path on the right that runs alongside the cycle track.
  2. Continue past the shipping containers
  3. At the end of the path you’ll see a gravel path on the left with a dog bin.  Follow this path.
  4. Keep following the path.  This may be bumpy for pushchairs / wheelchairs, and muddy after heavy rain.
  5. The path brings you out into a field.  Take the path to the left, where you’ll walk alongside the river.  Head towards the power lines.
  6. Go under the power lines and you’ll come out on Route 45.
  7. Turn right so that you are heading north. Keep going along this pretty stretch.
  8. The path emerges onto Purton Road, where you turn right and follow the path into the housing estate.  Turn right so that you are following the pavement along Chicory Close.
  9. Head uphill to the very top of Chicory Close where there is a short path to connect you onto Akers Way.
  10. Turn right on Akers Way and follow the pavement all the way to Nova Hroed School.
  11. Turn right and head down the school’s driveway.  At the bottom of the hill, use the pedestrian crossing to get to the gravel path on the left.
  12. Follow this gravel path, with the cycle track appearing on your left. You’ll soon be back to the dog bin, where you turn left, walk back past the shipping containers and this will bring you back to the pavilion where you started.
  13. Pop into the pavilion where you can collect a Robin badge from the reception and enter the prize draw.

2) Wichelstowe Explorer Trail (The hedgehog trail)

This is a trail with no start point and no end point.   We recommend you start at Middle Wichel (Bus 9 and Bus 11 will take you to the Waitrose bus stop) where we challenge you to take a walk to find the objects shown in the trails brochure.

You can track down the objects and tick them off in the brochure, but if you have a smartphone, then why not download the Huntly app from the App store, or download the Huntly app from Google Play.  Enter the unlock code 9183 to access the Wichelstowe Explorer Trail.  Then simply track down the listed items, photograph the ones you find and submit them to get your free trail badge and enter the prize draw.

3) The Eastern Flyer (Pig Trail)

Enjoy this linear route from Greenbridge into Swindon Town Centre

Distance: 1.9 miles

Starting Point
The trail starts on the cycle path outside Greenbridge Retail Park, at the Eastern Flyer plinth near to the bus stop.  You can get here by bus – plan your journey at https://www.swindontravelchoices.co.uk/plan-a-journey/.

What Three Words: ///empire.laying.engine

 

1) Walk along Drakes Way with Greenbridge shops on your right.  Keep walking until you get to the Garrard Way junction.

Did you know?

The ‘Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing Company Ltd’ had several factories in Swindon from the 1920s to the 1980s.  The factories employed thousands of Swindonians and manufactured high quality gramophone turntables.

2) Cross Garrard Way using the pedestrian crossing.  Keep straight and you will pass the car showroom and storage business on your right, then the path slopes downhill.  At the bottom, take time to admire the mural in the subway that leads to Marlowe Avenue, but then turn right and head along the path.

3) Head over the footbridge over the River Cole and then take the path on the left.  You can glimpse the River Cole on the left – most of this river runs underground through the Swindon area.

4) At Ocotal Way, use the pedestrian crossing to get over the road and continue straight.  This is the old canal route into Swindon.  You will pass under Marsh Farm bridge, which dates from 1805.  It’s one of the oldest bridges in Swindon.

5) As you emerge onto Queens Drive, turn right and follow the pavement in an anti-clockwise direction around the Magic Roundabout.  Once past Swindon Town Football Club, use the pedestrian crossing to get over County Road.  Turn right and take the first road on the left (Gambia Street).

6) At the end of Gambia Street, turn right onto Roseberry Street, then at the next junction turn left (Bathurst Road).  At the end of Bathurst Road, carefully cross onto Medgbury Road and continue until you come out at Corporation Street.

7) Take a moment to look behind you at the mural on the side of the building.  Then use the crossing to get over to the Leonardo Hotel.  Follow Princes Street round the corner and head up towards Regents Circus.   Use the pedestrian crossing after the bus stops and you will see the Swindon Central Library ahead on the right.  Pop into the Central Library (Open 10am – 5.30pm Mon to Friday, 10am – 4pm Saturday, closed Sunday) and ask for your Pig badge and post your competition entry in the postbox.

Getting back to the start

Catch Bus S6 on Fleming Way (Spring Gardens stop, opposite The Range).

Future Trails

The proposed future trails are:

SEASON TRAIL ROUTE
AUTUMN Old Town Railway path Mannington Retail Park to the Old Town Library
Coate Water Clockwise circuit from Marlborough Road to the cafe
NEW – North Swindon  Loop around Haydon Wick and Abbey Meads
WINTER Wichel Canalside Canalside into town – end at Central Library
Railway Village Railway station to loop of railway village and end at STEAM
NEW – Stanton Chase circular From Catsbrain, around G Park, through Stratton Wood.
SPRING NEW – Wanborough Trail 1 Blue route
NEW – Highworth Trail TBC
Lydiard Park Circuit – end at Forest cafe

 

Download the Trail leaflets

The Prize Draw will reopen summer 2025

Swindon Summer Trails Challenge

Enter the grand prize draw for the Swindon Summer Trails Challenge here

Name(Required)
(For statistical purposes only)
(We will only use your email to inform you if you have won)
Which trail have you completed?
Enter numbers only
Enter numbers only
Competition Terms and Conditions(Required)

 

Winners are:

SUMMER 2025

Prize

Winner

£100 shopping voucher

Trails 1-3

Prize

Winner

Runner Up

Runner Up

Runner Up

Runner Up

Runner Up

Winners will be contacted by email.  (If you are named above and have not received an email, please email swindontravelchoices@swindon.gov.uk)

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