New streets named after town's role in James Bond film

A number of streets on a new housing estate have been given James Bond-related names to honour a town's ties to the film franchise.

The Robin Gardens development in Swindon, Wiltshire, has had its roads named after actors who starred in the The World Is Not Enough in 2001. It is after the town's former Motorola building, now a base for Vygon UK, appeared very briefly in the film.

Names include Bond Place and Dench Close, after Dame Judi Dench who played M, the head of MI6 - after Swindon Borough Council was approached by developer Taylor Wimpey.

Councillor Dan Adams, who came up with the theme along with councillor Jake Chandler, said they did it "so that little bit of history wasn't lost".

There are also roads called Desmond Crescent and Llewelyn Road for actor Desmond Llewelyn, who played the character Q.

The five roads in the new neighbourhood, next to the former Speedway venue Abbey Stadium, also include a nod to Bond actor himself Pierce Brosnan.

Adams said: "It was so in the future people would remember why they've got these weird Bond movie names even if people do forget in 300 years what Bond even is."

The former Motorola building - which is renowned for its futuristic, high-tech design - doubled as a Turkish oil refinery control centre in the film.

Swindon film and TV extra Nathan Pegler said more streets should be named after popular culture.

"I would love to live in a street that was named after any Bond-related thing. Let's have some more interesting names."

Peglar said he was "very privileged" to have worked on an "amazing set" in Bond actor Daniel Craig's final film No Time to Die, which was filmed at Pinewood Studios and was released in the UK in 2021.

Swindon Borough Council said most of the streets in Robin Gardens were now occupied by residents.

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: "Street naming at Robin Gardens was led by the local authority, and we were happy to support their vision to celebrate this important part of Swindon's identity."

The World is Not Enough, the 19th entry in the 007 series, was not the first time Swindon has featured in Bond's adventures.

The town first appeared in A View To A Kill in the 1980s.

And, the final resting place of the Bond author Ian Fleming is between Swindon and Highworth.

He was buried at St James's Church after living his final years nearby.

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