Health Hydro site and historical tour

Join us for a tour of the Health Hydro, a rare opportunity to see inside this unique building during its first phase of refurbishment.

Built by the Great Western Railway Medical Fund in 1891, this Grade II* listed building has a fascinating social history. Set up as a cooperative, workers contributed to its upkeep and, in return, received free treatment when they needed it. The first sustained experiment in socialised health care was so revolutionary for the time that it was visited & adopted by Nye Bevan &William Beveridge, architects of the National Health Service. After visiting, Bevan said “There it was, a complete health service. All we had to do was to expand it to embrace the whole country.”

The tour is an opportunity to see inside the building & learn more about the current refurbishment project, which seeks to sensitively modernise the facilities & restore the purpose of the place. This will include a Health & Safety induction from Beard, an update on the phase 1 project, & a presentation from a representative of the Friends of Swindon Health Hydro on the important history of this building, its links to the Railway Village & its national significance as a pioneering health offer, emblematic of Swindon’s motto: Salubritas Et Industria (Health and Industry).

Please note numbers are limited. We specifically encourage those who have not seen the building since closure March 2023.

Timings & Tours

Thursday 12 September:

1330 & 1500

Location & directions

Milton Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 5JD

Directions:

Please meet at the site entrance on Faringdon Road, close to the bus stop (bus stop ID: swimapm)

Contact on day:

Ruth Pritchard

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Via Eventbrite, link TBC. Or email [email protected]

Booking contact name:

Ruth Pritchard

Booking email:

[email protected]

Accessibility details

Access is restricted, with uneven floor surfaces. This is a working construction site with uneven floor surfaces. Attendees will be required to wear PPE including gloves, a hard hat, hi-vis jacket and steel toe-capped boots, all of which can be provided on-site. Please confirm your shoe size when signing up.

Additional information

This is a working construction site with uneven floor surfaces. Attendees will be required to wear PPE including gloves, a hard hat, hi-vis jacket and steel toe-capped boots, all of which can be provided on-site. Please confirm your shoe size when signing up.

Max no of people per tour:

15

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s)

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