Datchet
| Datchet | |
|---|---|
| Village andcivil parish | |
 Datchet village centre | |
  Datchet Location withinBerkshire | |
| Population | 4,913 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SU988771 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SLOUGH |
| Postcode district | SL3 |
| Dialling code | 01753 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Datchetis a village andcivil parishin theRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenheadin Berkshire, England, located on the north bank of theRiver Thames.Historicallypart ofBuckinghamshire,and theStoke Hundred,the village was eventually transferred to Berkshire, under theLocal Government Actof 1972. The village developed because of its close proximity toWindsorand the ferry service which connected it to the main London Road across the River Thames. The ferry was later replaced by a road bridge at the foot of the High Street, which was rebuilt three times. There is also a rail bridge approaching Windsor across the river, and two road bridges above and below the village.[2]
Toponymy
[edit]The name "Datchet" is thought to beCelticin origin, and the last part may be related tocet( "wood" ). In theDomesday Bookit is called "Daceta".[3]
History
[edit]There is evidence of habitation in the area shortly after the end of the lastice age,between 10,000 and 6,500 years ago, and of a multi-period settlement at Southlea from the Neolithic to the lateRomanperiods.[4]An excavation at Riding Court, amanorialsub-division of Datchet, has revealed a monument complex that included acursus,ring ditches,oval barrowsandcausewayedenclosures. The monuments had developed alongside the River Thames, which acted as a barrier, a gateway and a routeway to other regions. The 2017 investigations at Riding Court Farm have provided evidence of Early Neolithic activity (4000–3350 BC) with the discovery of a previously unknown causewayed enclosure.[5]
Datchet is first mentioned between 990 and 994, whenÆthelredmade small grants of land here. In theDomesday Book,in 1066 the lords were the brothers Saewulf and Siward. In 1086 the lord and tenant-in-chief was Giles, brother of Ansculf,[3]also referred to as Giles de Pinkney.[6]In 1150, the church already existed in Datchet, and the Pinkney family sold it to theabbeyofSt Albans.The Abbot becamerectoras impropriator of the parish and had the right to appoint vicars.[citation needed]There was a ferry at Datchet Ferry which provided a shorter route from London toWindsor Castleand was frequently used by royalty.[citation needed]
In 1249,Henry IIIgave a great oak fromWindsor Forestto make a barge for passage from Windsor to Datchet. In 1350,Edward IIIgave Datchet Church as part of the endowment of his new church and college ofSt Georgeat Windsor Castle. St. Mary's church originated as a rectory in the 13th century.[7]: 24 A church, dated from 1559 by the parish registers, was dismantled in 1857, rebuilt, and reopened in 1860. It is notable in that its tower is octagonal, the greater number of church towers being square or round.[7]: 27 On thedissolution of the monasteries,the Crownconfiscated the rectory, which was sold byParliamentin 1659 to William Stanbridge andThomas Roberts.[6]
The history of the manor begins in 1335 when Edward III gave the manor of Datchet to William de Montacute, who then passed it on to SirJohn Molyns,who held it until 1631, when it passed to the Winwood family and eventually to the Buccleuch and Montagu families.Lord Montagu of Beaulieuis still thetitularLord of Datchet Manor but owns no property here.
In 1641,Charles Isold the manor house and estate of Riding Court to William Wheeler. It was later sold out of the Wheeler estates, and, after passing through various hands, was finally conveyed toJohn Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montaguin 1742, and so came once more under the same ownership as Datchet Manor. After the death in 1790 of his son-in-law, George,Earl of Cardigan,created Duke of Montagu in 1766, the manors passed to the latter's daughter Elizabeth wife ofHenry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch.From 1802 the title followed the same descent as Datchet and Ditton inStoke Poges,and the manorial rights were vested in John Walter Edward, the second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, until recently transferred to David Mapley, the current owner.
In 1706, the ferry that carried traffic across the River Thames through Datchet was replaced byDatchet Bridge.The crossing was replaced three times until it was finally demolished in 1851 as part of the re-routing of roads and bridges when theLSWRrailway line was built fromRichmondto Windsor. Traffic betweenOld Windsorand Datchet now uses a southerly route along Southlea Road and crossingAlbert Bridge,while a new Windsor Road was built from Datchet riverside and crossing the newVictoria Bridge.[citation needed]In 1742,John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagubought Datchet manor, and his family owned it until at least 1925; at one point it was owned by the head of the influential Montagu-Douglas-Scott family,Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch.[6]
In 1790, aworkhousewas built in Holmlea Road and in 1820 analmshousebelonging to the workhouse was turned into a shop. In 1848, the first train went through Datchet toWindsorand by 1860 Datchet Common's beer house, The Plough, was in existence. In 1886, Datchet was described as having been known as Black Datchet in the early 1800s because of a large number of bad characters living there, and thatAylesburyCounty Jailhad one building known as the 'Datchet Wing' filled mostly withpoachers,for which there is good evidence.[8]
In early 1911 a youngSydney Cammwatched SirThomas Sopwithland his aircraft on Datchetgolf course,on his return journey fromWindsor Castle.[9]
In popular culture
[edit]InJerome K. Jerome'sThree Men in a Boat,the narrator describes a previous visit to Datchet, during which he and his friends experience extreme difficulties in getting lodgings for the night. This has descriptions of the Manor Hotel and the Royal Stag.[10]
Commerce and services
[edit]Datchet railway stationis on theWindsor & Eton RiversidetoLondon Waterlooline with a journey time of around 55 minutes.[11]The Manor is a hotel and conference centre, originally part of the Manor House range of houses, owned but never occupied by any lord of the manor. There is one pub in Datchet, The Royal Stag. The former Morning Star is now aCosta Coffeeshop and the Plough is a branch ofTesco.Datchet has three schools;Churchmead School,a secondary school, Datchet St. Mary's Primary School, and Eton End, a privatepreparatory school.
Sport and social clubs
[edit]Datchet has a number of sports clubs, including Datchet Cricket Club,[12]Datchet Football Club (Senior & Junior Football), a golf club founded in 1892,[13]and a sailing club at theQueen Mother Reservoir.[14]Datchet Players are an amateur dramatics society that have been putting on productions in the village hall since the 1960s.[15]
Notable residents
[edit]- William Herschel,astronomer, lived atThe Lawnon Horton Road from 1782 to 1785.[16]
- Hon Evelyn Ellislived atRosenauon Southlea Road in the 1880s. He owned the first motor car in Britain.[17]
- Barry Davies,sports commentator, lives in Datchet.
- Stephen Tompkinson,actor, has lived in Datchet since 2003.[18]
References
[edit]- ^"Civil Parish population 2011".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics. Archived fromthe originalon 23 November 2016.Retrieved22 November2016.
- ^"The Downstream Bridges of Windsor and Datchet. History by ThamesWeb, Windsor".thamesweb.co.uk.Retrieved23 October2021.
- ^abPowell-Smith, Anna."Datchet".Open Doomsday.Anna Powell-Smith.Retrieved27 September2020.
- ^Martin, Julia (5 June 2016).Evidence of Prehistoric Settlement at Southlea Farm, Datchet(PDF).UK.: Datchet Village Society. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 5 June 2016.Retrieved23 October2021.
- ^Krakowka, Kathryn (28 March 2018)."Neolithic causewayed enclosure discovered in Berkshire".Current Archeology.Current Publishing.Retrieved27 September2020.
- ^abc"Parishes: Datchet | British History Online".www.british-history.ac.uk.
- ^abOsborn, S. (1896).The History of Datchet(2nd ed.). Windsor, UK: Oxley and Son.
- ^Osborn, Samuel (1886).The History of Datchet.British Library.
- ^Sweetman, John (2019).Sydney Camm Hurricane and Harrier Designer, Saviour of Britain.Newburyport: Pen & Sword Books.ISBN9781526756237.
- ^Jerome, Jerome K (1889).Three Men in a Boat(1964 ed.). London: Folio Society. pp. 118–122.
- ^"National Rail Enquiries".nationalrail.co.uk.Retrieved23 October2021.
- ^"About us".Datchet CC.Retrieved22 January2023.
- ^The Golfing Annual – Volume 23.UK: H. Cox. 1910. p. 262.
- ^"Datchet Water Sailing Club".Datchet Water Sailing Club.Retrieved27 September2020.
- ^"About Page".Datchet Players.
- ^HOLDEN, EDWARD S. (1881)."Chapter 3".Sir William Herschel – His Life and Works.Charles Scribner's Sons.Retrieved26 September2020.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^Kennish, Janet."Evelyn Ellis and the First Motor Car in England".Datchet History.Retrieved26 September2020.
- ^Sturges, Fiona (25 February 2004)."Stephen Tompkinson: Made in Britain".The Independent.Retrieved27 September2020.
External links
[edit]
- Datchet Village WebsiteArchived16 May 2006 at theWayback Machine
- Datchet Parish Council
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