We are delighted to reveal the locations across Swindon which will home our Swindogs this summer.
The Big Dog Art Trail, which will be raising vital funds for Julia’s House children’s hospice, is coming to Swindon from 15 July to 3 September, 2023.
There will be 30 Swindogs placed around Swindon in the UK’s first-ever balloon dog art trail, which will cover 20 miles between them.
Now we can announce that the sculptures will be at the following locations, with some locations hosting multiple dogs…
- Lydiard Park
- The Link Centre
- The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet
- STEAM Museum
- GWR Park
- Pinetrees Community Centre
- Broadgreen Community Centre
- Swindon Town Football Club
- Nationwide’s Oakfield Development
- St Marks Park
- Lawns
- Old Town Gardens
- Queens Park
- Old Town Library & Arts Centre
- Swindon Train Station
- Swindon Council Office
- Wyvern Theatre
- The Parade
“We have tried to really showcase Swindon and the fantastic areas it has with this trail.
“From the variety of stunning public parks, to heritage sights including the railway works, to areas of significance for local communities.
“This trail is something Swindon should be proud of and will enable not only people visiting the area to discover new parts of the town, but also residents to go out and explore what is on their own doorsteps.”
Chris Hyde, Project Manager of The Big Dog Art Trail

As well as the 30 Swindog sculptures, there will also be 42 miniature Swinpup sculptures on the trail as part of our Learning Programme.
On Monday, schools and community groups picked up their sculptures at an event held at the Wyvern Theatre, who are a sponsor of the trail.
You will be able to find the Swinpups at the following locations…
- North Swindon Library
- Central Library
- West Swindon Library
- Pinetrees Community Centre
- The Wyvern Theatre
- The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet
Ahead of the opening weekend of the trail, there will be physical maps available purchase for a small donation going to Julia’s House and an app where you can collect the sculptures and find out more about their artists and the companies sponsoring them.
Sign up to The Big Woof newsletter to keep up with all the latest announcements regarding The Big Dog Art Trail.
Your donations make a life-changing difference
Julia’s House is your local children’s hospice charity, providing a lifeline of care for the most seriously ill children and their families across Wiltshire and Dorset.
Each family we support is unique and so is the care we provide. When a family finds out that their child has a very serious medical condition their world falls apart. Julia’s House exists to help these children and their families.
Find out more about Julia’s House
Join the conversation
#BigDogArtTrail
bigdogarttrail
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bigdogarttrail
Sep 29
Of the thousands of you who came and enjoyed The Big Dog Art Trail 2023 – we had many a smile, and a selfie!
Here some of the top tail-wagging pics we had sent in 🐶
Find out what exciting plans we have next by following us @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or by signing up to our newsletter.
Link in our bio or here: www.juliashouse.org/BigDog
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #bbcwiltshire #bbcwest #visitengland #visituk #visitswindon #igersswindon #swindonsmallbusiness #swindonbusiness #swindonvolunteers #swindonlife #swindonartist #wiltshire #visitwiltshire …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 28
Bow-Wow what a summer it’s been! We’re so grateful for all of you who came along to enjoy the trail this year.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane on some of the trail’s top dog moments, including:
🐾 Hours of painstaking BTS scenes with our incredible artists hard at work
🐾 An exciting launch weekend
🐾 Fun in the sun on our Sponsor Selfie day
🐾 Farewell Weekend filled with all the pups back together again
🐾 Our Grand Auction, where we raised more than £165k for the incredible @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice
Thank you Swindon – we couldn`t have done it without you!
Don`t forget to follow @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or sign up to our newsletter to find out what exciting plans we have next!
Link in our bio
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #swinpup #swindonsummer #outdoorconcerts #pimmsfestival #pimmsinthepark #swindonevents …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 27
Pup, pup and away!
They`ve loved their adventures across town, but the time has come for the Swinpups to go back home…
One of the most magical parts of The Big Dog Art Trail has been seeing the joy and creativity that the sculptures sparked in schools and community groups across Swindon.
We`re so grateful to every single teacher, leader, student, artist and supporter who helped to create the 42 Swinpups that made the trail absolutely paw-some.
And a special thanks to Swindon Borough Council, the trail`s Learning Programme Partner.
Get all the pup-dates and find out what`s next for Julia`s House by following @JuliasHouseChildrensHospice or by signing up to our newsletter. Link in our story. …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 24
The Big Dog Art Trail isn’t just about tail-wagging fun and stunning art…🐾
The trail supports the essential work of your local children’s hospice, Julia’s House, who offer practical and emotional support for families caring for a child with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions.
Thanks to your contributions to the trail this year, we’ve been able to raise vital funds to help Julia’s House provide a lifeline of care to the most seriously ill children and their families in Swindon and Wiltshire.
This will help more families access:
⭐ Emotional and practical support from expert nurses and carers
⭐ Respite sessions so they can take a break from caring around the clock
⭐ Bereavement advice and support
You can find out more about Julia’s House families and events by signing up to our newsletter here/via the link in our bio: www.juliashouse.org/BigDog
@JuliasHouseChildrensHospice
#bigdogarttrail #thebigdogarttrail2023 #wildinart #juliashousechildrenshospice #juliashousehospice #swindonarttrail #swindog #swinpup …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 23
If you missed out at our auction and would love a mini balloon dog of your own, we`ve got a paws-itively fab offer from @YappieDogs to share!
When you use promo code JH10, you`ll get 10% off their colourful range of resin balloon dogs. Plus Yappie Dogs will also donate £10 to Julia`s House on your behalf.
Just head to their website and enter the promo code JH10 to redeem the offer: www.yappiedogs.com
#bigdogarttrail #balloondogs #yappiedogs …
bigdogarttrail
Sep 20
Drumroll please… the results from our Grand Auction are in! 🥁
We had an incredible evening and bid-tastic time at the STEAM museum – raising a woofing £165,800 for @Juliashousechildrenshospice 🐶
All 34 auctioned Swindogs have now gone to their fur-ever homes to unleash a new life.
Thanks so much to everyone who bid on the night! Your support will help us continue to provide our lifeline of care to local families of seriously ill children.
#JuliasHouse #WildinArt @wildinart …