More people than ever have been visiting Swindon Borough Council’s Civic Offices building in Euclid Street now it houses the town’s museum and art gallery.

But the rooms where the decisions are made by councillors and officers are probably less well-known.

Now the council is throwing open the doors to some of the rooms on its ground floors where its business is done as part of Heritage Open Days.

Visitors will be shown around the Mayor’s chamber, Committee Room One and the Council Chamber in the Grade II-listed buildings built in the 1930s.

The council’s head of place Dave Dewart will conduct a tour along with an elected councillor and Swindon Mayor Imtiyaz Shaikh.

Mr Dewart said: “We want people to see how beautiful the building is. It’s a really good example of 1930s Art Deco, which is why it’s a listed building.

“It was built when David Murray John was the town clerk, which was the name then for the most senior council officer, and he really left a legacy.

“Having such a beautiful building  for the council offices also shows the ambition and status of Swindon at the time.”

In the mayor’s parlour the beautiful wood panelling that characterises the building will be easily visible, as well as the mace of office, which is carried before the town’s first citizen into council meetings.

One curiosity about the mace is that as well as the coats of arms of the current borough of Swindon  and Thamesdown, it bears the coat of arms of the borough of Swindon as it was in 1936 when the mace was created, as well as the royal cypher of King Edward VIII, who was on the throne at the time.

But his reign was very short-lived, as he abdicated after just 10 months, so Swindon’s mace is just one of five to bear his cypher.

Visitors will also be able to see into Committee Room  1, which has pictures of every Mayor of Swindon up to the present day, and the council chamber, where motions are debated, and votes held.

Mr Dewart said: “If there’s something contentious especially if there’s a big planning committee meeting, this does get very full, it can hold around 100 people.

“We’ll be talking to people about how important local democracy is and there will be a question and answer session with the elected member and the Mayor about their experience of representing the people and making decisions on the council.

The tour of the Civic Offices will start at 3pm on Saturday September 7.

Contact Mr Dewart on 07769 281727 to book a place.