Settling in · Highworth
Landing in Highworth? Start here.
The first fortnight in Highworth, in order: the paperwork that has to happen, then the places that make it feel like somewhere you could stay.
Week one and two
The order to do things in
1
Ring your Sama contact when you land
Whoever placed you. Tell them you arrived and that you are all right.
2
Apply for your National Insurance number
You can start work before it arrives, but do not leave it: your tax will be wrong until you have it.
3
Open a bank account
Passport, visa or share code, and proof of address. A letter from your employer usually does it.
4
Get a UK SIM
A local number makes the bank and the GP straightforward.
5
Register with a GP
Free at the point of use. Do it in your first week.
6
Check your tax code with HMRC
Get on the right code early or you will be paying too much for months.
7
Save your share code
You will be asked to prove your right to work and rent more than once.
8
Find the nearest shop, place of worship and club
The part that decides whether you stay, and the part no handbook covers.
Official, and free
Official finders
Run by the State, so they stay current. Search each one for your own town.
Find a GPThe NHS list of GP surgeries, searchable by postcode.Apply for a National Insurance numberYou need one to be taxed correctly. Apply once you are in the UK.Find an NHS dentistHarder than the GP. Start early and ring around.Check your visa and BRP or eVisaView and prove your immigration status online.Find your local police stationEmergency is 999 or 112. Non-emergency is 101.Understand your tax codeCheck what HMRC thinks you earn, so you are not overtaxed for months.Driving on a foreign licenceHow long you may drive on it, and whether it can be exchanged.Renting: know the rulesYour rights as a tenant, deposit protection and what a landlord may and may not do.Citizens AdviceFree, independent help with anything at all.Public transportNational rail and bus times and tickets.
Near you
76 places in Highworth worth knowing in week one
From OpenStreetMap, the map that locals build, plus places our team knows. Every card has a map link. If one has closed or moved, WhatsApp us and it comes down.
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Places of worship
Every faith near you, listed so people can find a community when they arrive. Sama Talent Group is not affiliated with any religion or religious organisation.
Churches
The Salvation Army - Swindon Gorse Hill
Christian, Salvation army
Chapel Street, Swindon, SN2 8DA
About 8 km away
The Salvation Army Swindon Citadel
Christian, Salvation army
46-50 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BG
About 10 km away
Shrivenham Methodist Church
Christian, Methodist
Manor Lane, Vale of White Horse, SN6 8AB
About 5 km away
St Mary the Virgin, Buscot
Christian, Anglican
Lechlade Road, Vale of White Horse, SN7 8DQ
About 6 km away
Mosques and prayer rooms
Swindon Masjid
Muslim, Sunni
124-125 Broad Street, Swindon, SN1 2DR
About 9 km away
Gurdwaras
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo, Swindon
About 9 km away
Park South Community Centre, Cranmore avenue, Swindon, SN3 2ER
Worship services: Tue 8:00pm · Sat 10:00am · Sat 12:00pm · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Oxford
About 42 km away
Wheatley Park School Sixth Forom, Sixth Forom, Wheatley Holton, Oxfordshire, OX33 1QH
Worship services: Wed 7:15pm · Sun 10:00am · Sun 12:00pm (children)
Iglesia ni Cristo, Cheltenham
About 42 km away
SPRINGBANK COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE, Springbank Way, Cheltenham, GL51 0LG
Worship services: Tue 5:45pm · Sat 5:00pm · Sat 7:00pm (children)
Addresses and worship service times from the Iglesia ni Cristo directory, checked October 2026. Times can change, so check the locale's own page before you go. directory.iglesianicristo.net
Shops from home
Food and takeaways
Nando's
Chicken, portuguese. restaurant
Manor Farm, Blunsdon St Andrew, SN25 4AN
About 8 km away
China Kitchen
Indian. restaurant. Hours: We,Th,Su,Mo 16:45-22:00; Fr,Sa 16:45-22:30
51 Commercial Road, Swindon, SN1 5NX
About 10 km away
Sports and clubs
Swindon Supermarine Football Club
Soccer. Sports centre
Supermarine Road, Sevenhampton, SN3 4BZ
About 3 km away
Moredon Sporting Hub
Soccer, cricket, bmx, cycling, croquet, running, fitness, softball. Sports centre
Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, Swindon, SN2 2QJ
About 9 km away
Futsall 5-A-Side Indoor Football
Soccer. Sports centre
Bramble Road, Swindon, SN2 8HB
About 7 km away
Foundation Park
Soccer, athletics. Sports centre
County Ground Lane, Swindon, SN1 2FD
About 8 km away
Shrivenham Smallbore Rifle Club
Shooting. Sports centre
Highworth Road, Vale of White Horse, SN6 8BH
About 5 km away
Shrivenham Bowls Club
Bowls. Sports centre
Martens Road, Vale of White Horse, SN6 8AX
About 5 km away
Kingsdown School Sports Centre
Sports centre
Ermin Street, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7NG
About 6 km away
Thamesdown Hydrotherapy Pool
Swimming. Sports centre
Jefferies Avenue, Swindon, SN2 7HJ
About 7 km away
Freedog Urban Activity Centres
Gymnastics. Sports centre
30 Bramble Road, Swindon, SN2 8HB
About 7 km away
Days out and things to do
Rockstar Climbing Centre
Sports centre. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-18:00
Radway Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN3 4WH
About 6 km away
Flashpoint Swindon
Sports centre
30 Bramble Road, Swindon, SN2 8HB
About 7 km away
Driving schools
Community and support groups
Eastcott Community Centre
Community centre
Savernake Street, Swindon, SN1 3LZ
About 10 km away
Meadowcroft Community Rooms
Community centre
Cowleaze Walk, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7LQ
About 6 km away
Chippenham Close Community Centre
Community centre
Chippenham Close, Broad Blunsdon, SN2 5DB
About 6 km away
Coleview Community Centre
Community centre
Towcester Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN3 4AS
About 7 km away
Lechlade Memorial Hall - Pavilion
Community centre
Gassons Road, Cotswold District, GL7 3BH
About 8 km away
Barbers and hair specialists
Barbers and salons
Pixal Rose Hair Design
Hairdresser
199A Rodbourne Road, Swindon, SN2 2AA
About 10 km away
Perfection Unisex Salon
Hairdresser. Hours: Tu-We 09:00-18:00, Th 09:00-20:00, Fr 09:00-18:00, Sa 08:00-16:00
Purton Road, Swindon, SN2 2LT
About 9 km away
Cinemas and libraries
Lechlade Community Library & Visitor Information Centre
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo,Sa 10:00-13:00; We 13:00-16:00
2 Market Place, Cotswold District, GL7 3AB
About 7 km away
Old Town Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo-Fr 10:30-16:00, Sa 10:00-13:00
6 Devizes Road, Swindon, SN1 4BJ
About 10 km away
Upper Stratton Public Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Beechcroft Road, Stratton St. Margaret, SN2 7QQ
About 6 km away
DCMT Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Homeleaze Road, Vale of White Horse, SN6 8TS
About 6 km away
Penhill Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
44C Penhill Drive, Swindon, SN2 5DU
About 7 km away
Pinehurst Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
The Circle, Swindon, SN2 1RF
About 7 km away
Covingham Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
St. Paul's Drive, Swindon, SN3 5BY
About 8 km away
North Swindon Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Manor Farm, Blunsdon St Andrew, SN25 4AN
About 8 km away
Rodbourne Cheney Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi. Hours: Mo 10:00-20:00; Tu 10:00-17:00; Th 10:00-20:00; Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00
Church Walk North, Swindon, SN25 3DJ
About 8 km away
Park Library
Library, free to join, warm, and with wifi
Cavendish Square, Swindon, SN3 2LZ
About 9 km away
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. We do not make places up: if the map has it wrong, fix it on openstreetmap.org and it comes through at the next refresh.
Saving money
What locals use to spend less
The shops and sites people here use for cheap clothes, second-hand furniture, a car, and the weekly shop. We are not paid to list any of them.
Facebook Marketplace and GumtreeSecond-hand furniture, bikes, tools and cars, often for very little. Meet in public, and never pay before you see it.Freecycle and OlioThings people give away for free, and food from neighbours and shops that would otherwise go in the bin.Too Good To GoSurprise bags of food from cafes, bakeries and supermarkets at the end of the day, at a fraction of the price.PrimarkCheap everyday clothes, work basics and bedding.Aldi and LidlThe cheapest big supermarkets for the weekly shop.B&M and Home BargainsCleaning products, kitchen kit and household bits for less.Charity shopsClothes, coats and furniture, and the money goes to a good cause.MoneySavingExpertFree guides to cheaper phones, energy, bank accounts and sending money.
Getting around
Getting around from Highworth
TravelineBus, coach and train times for the whole of Great Britain.National RailTrain times, tickets and railcards.Transport for LondonThe Tube, buses and the Oyster and contactless fares.
Driving here on your licence
Once you live in Great Britain you can drive a car or motorcycle on your full, valid licence for 12 months. After that, a licence from a designated country can be exchanged for a GB licence; from other countries you apply for a provisional licence and pass the theory and practical tests. Lorries, minibuses and buses have stricter rules: check before you drive one.
Check your licence on GOV.UK Exchange a licence
Hiring a car
Each rental company sets its own rules on age, how long you have held your licence and which licences it accepts, and young drivers often pay more. Check those rules before you book, and bring your licence and passport to the desk.
Driving rules taken from the official pages linked above, checked October 2026. They change, so the official page is the one to rely on.
While you are here