One of Swindon’s hidden gems could be in line for a makeover after almost 30 years. 

The Town Gardens Aviary has been a fixture in the park since 1928, sitting next to a small pond that dates back to 1894.

Although hidden away in a corner of the site, South Swindon parish councillor Neil Hopkins believes it is one of the most popular attractions – particularly with young visitors.

He said: “If you stand here any time of year and you look at where the children come to in the park, it’s the first place they come to. 

“All the parents will come here –- particularly those with small children because they want to come and see the birds. 

“Anything with wildlife is a draw. And to be honest, it's the children we should be thinking about – our future generations.”

A noticeboard states birds inside the cage include Kakarikis from New Zealand, Cockatiels from Australia and around 50 budgies that were bred in Swindon.

There are no concrete plans to update the bird house but Coun Hopkins wants to see it refurbished in the near future. 

He added: “We will be looking to repaint it and give it some love and attention. But the gardeners take care of it and they do a good job of it. 

“The trouble is, when you talk about an aviary, people don’t think the birds should be caged and I have some sympathy for that but these aren’t the kind of birds you can just let out. 

“It could do with a spruce-up, at some stage some of the fencing will need renewing and maybe the insides should be repainted. 

“We’ll have a really nice-looking aviary and hopefully we can get someone to do a mural inside it.”

Despite its popularity, Coun Hopkins thinks the aviary will remain a one-off in the town.

“I think this is a bit of a one-off.” He said. “I’m not sure people would put these in these days but it’s here and it’s our responsibility to look after it and nurture it. 

“In 1928, people were looking for features in their park, this probably would have featured in a lot of Victorian parks but over the years they would have decayed and not been replaced. 

“We’re lucky here that when the wooden structure went someone decided to invest in something more permanent.”