Rainbow Bookshop

Edgeware Road, Swindon - next to the Parish Office

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday:  9.00am - 5.00pm

Telephone: 01793 694583
   Fax: 01793 491065
Owned by the Parish of Swindon New Town

Our shop has a wide variety of cards and gifts at affordable prices for all occasions.  We also have a supply of Paschal Candles, Palm Crosses and other Church requisites which we are pleased to supply to congregations by invoice.  Please ring us with your order.

First Holy Communion and Confirmation - the new season's cards and gifts have been delivered and will be on display at the beginning of May, but we are happy for customers to browse through the stock in advance should they need something prior to this date.

Historical background

In 1966, the Victorian St. Paul’s Church, in the town centre, was demolished to make way for the retail development of Woolworth’s.  The site was sold by the Church Commissioners, with the proviso that a chapel would be built on a piece of the consecrated ground.  Thus a new building was erected, incorporating a small modern Chapel, dedicated to St. Aldhelm, the first Abbot of Malmesbury, and a hall which could be used by the local community.  In the mid- 1970’s the Vicar at the time, Fr. Allan Hawkins, conceived the notion of a religious bookshop to minister to the local community, and in 1978 the Rev’d William Awdry, author of “Thomas the Tank Engine”, came to open the original, small shop.  Two separate expansion programmes have been undertaken in the intervening years, and the current premises offer an even greater range of goods.