We visited a south Staffordshire village which sits as a gateway to the countryside and is described by those who live and work there as a wonderful community

It is also an area full of small and quiet villages, full of communities who work together to keep the area as one that anyone visiting can feel welcome to and comfortable in.

One such village is Swindon, a small, but perfectly formed one located between Wombourne, Enville and Wall Heath and sitting on the edge of the South Staffordshire countryside, almost acting as a gateway to the area.

Swindon has remained a robust village with a strong neighbourhood spirit demonstrated in its community centre and cricket club, which play a vital role in the village, and has a history which goes back as far as the early 14th century, having been part of the parish of Wombourne under the ownership of the Englefield family.

It developed from a tiny hamlet into a thriving village in the 19th century with the development of the Baldwin iron works next to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, and while the works have since been demolished, they are remembered in modern housing development Baldwin Way on its former site.

The South Staffordshire canal and railway which used to serve the works run almost parallel through the village and offer a variety of routes for walkers and cyclists.

Modern day Swindon is accessible by road through car and bus and also contains two pubs, a shop, a fish and chips takeaway and a selection of beauty places, as well as being home to a small, but much used United Reformed Church.

It has become a place that people flock to in order to work and live and those who live or work there say they are very happy to be part of a strong and vibrant neighbourhood.

At the Amathus Hair Salon, Alison Crump is one of the members of staff who comes to work in Swindon from her home in Kingswinford and said Swindon was a place to be because of the people in it.

She said: "I think it's the community which makes Swindon such a nice place as the people are lovely, friendly and just really good to get along with, so you feel a part of the place as they welcome you in with open arms.

"The business is always busy because we have a lot of visitors who become regulars and because it's a bit of a cut through as well, we get a lot of people from the outside area, which helps us a lot.

"I think Swindon attracts people because it's such a nice community and they're just lovely to talk to and will tell you everything that is going on, plus you have pretty much everything you need here, from the hairdressers to the chip shop and everyone supports everyone."

That sentiment about the tight-knit feeling of the community was one echoed by Jan Corns, secretary of the United Reformed Church, who said she loved coming into the village from Kingswinford.

She said: "I think it's a wonderful little community where everyone tries to look after everyone and it's a good one.

"The church doesn't play as much a part in the community as it used to, but we do hold wonderful services here and special services, which we are nearly always full for, and we've got a warm space on Wednesdays, prayers on Thursdays and coffee mornings on Saturdays.

"I have been coming here nearly 40 years and I still love it after all this time."

Someone who could speak about life living in the village was Ian Smith, owner of Mr Smith's Fish and Chips shop, and he said that while the traffic could be a bit much, it was still a lovely place to live.

He said: "It's a good community, no trouble at all and very clean, plus it's on the edge of all the other areas to get to.

"The traffic can be very busy at times, with a lot of cars going through, but it's still great, and I've been here for 30 years in my business and seem to always do well.

"It's just a great and friendly community to be part of."