Happy to share info. Swindon Library's Flickr site is a great place to view Swindon of old.
Might have to back track a bit on the pub idea, I’ve had another look at the info I have – in the 1851 census, the property recorded before the Whale Beer House is identified as ‘One House Uninhabited’ below is written ‘Engineer Arms Inn’ – so it could have been a pub at one time. It appears to be known as Spur Lodge in the 1861 census.
An advert in a June 1873 Swindon Adver is for the freehold sale of what was described as – ‘a substantial stone-built dwelling house with convenient offices, and a valuable piece of land, used as a garden, attached containing about an acre. The dwelling house contains – dining and sitting room, 6 bedrooms, kitchen, large brewhouse, cellars and all other suitable offices and is now in the occupation of Samuel Carlton Esq’.
A month later a short report on property sales in the Adver, indicates that the auction reserve was not met on a dwelling house and piece of garden land, known as Elm Villa, in the occupation of Mr S. Carlton.
Swindon Council purchased Elm Villa c1959, I don’t know when it was demolished, but by the mid/late 1960’s a postal sorting office had been built on the site – it’s possible that the foundations of the old house are still buried beneath the now cleared site.
Kevin.