BLIND mother-of-three Jane Lovett is looking forward to appreciating Swindon's history with her family, thanks to a new audio tour of the former Great Western Railway works and Railway Village.

The tape designed for the visually impaired has clear directional aids, enabling the blind or partially sighted to learn about local heritage.

Jane Lovett, 35, from Pinehurst, said: "It's great that I can now discover Swindon's past with my children, Patrick, Keith and Abigail."

Jane walked the course four times with her husband, Mark, to make the tour safe.

"You need masses and masses of clear, accurate detail for people who can't see.

"After resolving a few glitches near the fire escape, we perfected the tour," she said. But because the route covers a wide area and involves crossing open spaces, Jane advises blind people to take the tour with other people. "There's a lot of interesting information on Brunel and Gooch. It's good educational value and would be great for school parties of visually impaired children," she added.

A basic language tape has also been created so people with learning disabilities or young children can also learn about the industry that was once the town's biggest employer.

The Health Hydro, GWR works tunnel and National Monuments Record Centre are among the buildings featuring in the tour. The two tapes, created by Libertas charities' group, cost around £3,500 to produce. But this price excludes equipment, such as personal stereo sets.

Jonathan Rix, a Libertas trustee who also wrote the basic language audio tour, said: "These tours provide greater access for more people, without a huge outlay."

The new facility is funded by Swindon Council, English Heritage and the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Centre.

Mike Bawden, leader of Swindon Council, said: "This is a fantastic addition to the resources available to visitors. It's wonderful that more people now have the opportunity to enjoy a vital piece of Swindon's history."

And the audio tours were rapturously received by disabled people.

Lyndea Gawke, director of the Swindon Coalition of Disabled People said: "I think it's an excellent idea and positive news that the council is thinking about all categories of disabled people in Swindon."