Historic Swindon buildings to become innovation centre

The Carriage Works in Swindon are on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register

Work has started on transforming a Victorian steam carriage works into a sustainability research facility.

The iconic 19th Century railway sheds in Swindon are on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

The £11m regeneration scheme at the Great Western Railway will include the conversion of the industrial site into modern work spaces.

One of the largest spaces there will be occupied by the Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies.

Work is already under way to transform the Grade II-listed site.

Built in about 1876 as part of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Works, the buildings were once the largest carriage works in the country.

Network Rail transferred ownership of the Carriage Works to Swindon Borough Council in a land swap agreement in 2018 to pave the way for the multi-million-pound regeneration.

The research and development centre, based at the University of Bath, conducts research into manufacturing and engineering materials, biobased feedstock, biodegradable circular plastics, and other sustainable technologies.

The Carriage Works is already home to the Royal Agricultural University's Cultural Heritage Institute and the Workshed business hub as part of earlier Phase One work.