Swindon Bank Holiday Guide

Five to ten minutes from central Swindon, next to the Designer Outlet, STEAM is home to iconic GWR locomotives, a working signal box, a train driver simulator and hands-on exhibits. Good for families with children aged 3 and up – allow 2–3 hours. 2-for-1 entry with a valid National Rail ticket. Open Mon–Sat 10am–5pm (last entry 4pm), Sun 11am–4pm. No on-site parking.

Swindon's most-loved green space. Entry is free, with a splash park (open seasonally), play areas, a miniature railway on Bank Holiday Monday, walking routes around the 56-acre reservoir and bird hides on site. Grab lunch at the café or bring your own BBQ – designated areas are free to use, just keep it off the ground.

If you're planning a day at Coate Water and want something beyond the walk, this is right on the edge of the park. The Victorian nature writer was born in this farmhouse in 1848 and grew up walking the same fields and downs that surround Swindon today. Small and personal – original manuscripts, letters and artefacts – and takes about an hour. Head to the Coate Water café next door afterwards.

260 acres of historic parkland, a Grade I listed Palladian house, woodland walks, an ornamental lake and a children's play area, all free to enter. Pick up a proper picnic before you go, then spread out on the lawn and let the kids loose on the play equipment. Add a visit to Lydiard House Museum for an extra dose of history. Parking is pay and display across the whole site.

The Wroughton site of the Science Museum holds thousands of objects too large for London: historic aircraft, submersibles, an X-ray telescope from the Space Shuttle Challenger, Professor Piccard's stratosphere gondola, and a Cyberman costume from Doctor Who. Guided tours only – allow 2–3 hours. Advance booking essential. Children under 7 not admitted.

An Iron Age hill fort perched on the North Wessex Downs, with sweeping views across the Vale of the White Horse and Marlborough Downs. The earthworks date back over 2,500 years – site of a major Anglo-Saxon battle in 556 AD. Walk the ramparts, hike along the Ridgeway National Trail, or simply sit on the picnic benches and take in the view. Car park and facilities on site.

Around fifteen minutes from central Swindon, the market town of Highworth sits on a hilltop with views stretching as far as the Cotswolds on a clear day. The town itself is worth a wander – St Michael's Church dates to the thirteenth century and the high street has a handful of independent cafes and shops. Pentylands Park is a short walk from the centre.

A working 400-acre farm open to visitors year-round. Meet sheep, Sussex cattle, Gloucester Old Spot pigs and more, then pick up something for dinner from the farm shop and butchery. The on-site café is open from 9am – an easy, no-fuss day out that works well for younger children. Book online the day before if possible; tickets are slightly cheaper and it guarantees entry.

A quiet Cotswold-edge village on the upper Thames, with stone buildings along The Street dating back to the seventeenth century. The Red Lion is the main draw – a pub that sits directly on the river and claims to be the first on the Thames from source. Arrive for lunch, eat outside if the weather holds, and walk along the riverbank afterwards.

Home to the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world – one that makes Stonehenge look modest by comparison. Unlike Stonehenge, you can walk freely among the stones, and the village itself sits inside the henge. Add the Alexander Keiller Museum, browse the NT gift shop or pick up lunch at the Circles Restaurant.