Go to www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk and book two singles, inwards at £10.50, outwards £7.50, total £18.00 return or that still cost effective Southend fare.
Plenty of services out of London Paddington still available for the one hour journey. The 12.00 for 12.55 would leave time for a few beers.
You could make the 17.11 or the 18.04 back for £7.50, or the 17.29 or 17.41 have now gone up to £10.50.
The ground is walkable from Swindon train station and will take you around 10-15 minutes.
Leave the station, cross the road and proceed up the road between the two pubs (Great Western and Queen's Tap), continue to end of road. Turn left, proceed along Manchester Road, through traffic lights as far as you can go. At the junction turn right.
The County Ground is about 300 yards up this road on the left.
(Thanks to www.footballgroundguide.co.uk for their help with this article.)