(10 km) northeast of Swindon and 69 miles (109 km) west of London. Culture and community The town is twinned with Pontorson in Normandy and Wassenberg in Germany. Highworth Community Centre opened in the former Northview Primary School in June 2011. Landmarks The Church of England parish church of St Michael (see below) is at the centre of the town, at the corner of the High Street and the A361 Swindon Road. The centre of the old town, with many fine Georgian and Queen Anne houses, has been a conservation area since 1976. The Old Manor House in the High Street, parts of which date back to the late 15th century, is a Grade II* listed building. Transport Highworth was the terminus of a Great Western Railway branch line from , the Highworth branch line, which was closed to passengers in 1953 and to goods in 1962. Nowadays, the nearest station is at Swindon, to the southwest. The Great Western Main Line passes through open countryside around 3 miles south of the town, en route to Reading and London. The A361 road forms a north–south route through Highworth, while the B4019 is on an east–west axis passing through the suburb of Hampton. Education Highworth Warneford School is a secondary school on Shrivenham Road. Southfield Junior School borders it, and Eastrop Infant School is nearby. Churches The Church of England parish church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. The parish includes the churches of St James, Sevenhampton and St John the Baptist, Inglesham. The Highworth Community Church was founded more than 30 years ago and is based in the Community Centre. Two Methodist chapels were built in 1838 and 1842. The first one proved too small so a new one was built on the Elms in 1856. In 1964 the two congregations combined to build a larger chapel on the current site. This church was in turn enlarged in 1992. Sport Highworth Town F.C. is a Non-League football club that plays at the Elms Recreation Ground. Highworth Cricket Club are in the Wiltshire County Cricket League and South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Village League (Sundays). The club play at the Elms Recreation Ground. Public services Highworth was first recorded as a post town in 1673. From 1835 to 1839 there was a Penny Post between Highworth and Cold Harbour, a village on the Swindon – Cirencester road near Broad Blunsdon.