Datchet Totally Explained

Everything about Datchet totally explained

Datchet is an English Thameside village situated in the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire. Prior to the 1974 boundary changes, Datchet was situated in Buckinghamshire.
The village developed particularly because of its close proximity to Windsor and the ferry service which connected the main London road to Windsor across the River Thames. The service was eventually replaced with numerous bridges across the river.
The name "Datchet" is thought to be Celtic in origin, and the last part may be related to cet (meaning wood). In the Domesday Book it was named called "Daceta".

History

The story of Datchet starts at the end of the ice-age. Between 1000-6500 years ago there was evidence of people living in the area which was to become Datchet. They didn't settle but travelled through the area. First evidence of settled village was 440-2700 years ago (Bronze Age). .
Datchet Manor is in the Domesday Book (1085-86).
1150: Church already existed in Datchet and was given to the abbey of St Albans, Hertfordshire. The Abbot was rector of the parish and had the right to appoint vicars.
1249: King Henry III gave a great oak from his Windsor forest to make a barge for passage from Windsor to Datchet.
1348: The Church took direct control from Edward III
1350: Edward gave Datchet Church as part of endowment to his new church and college of St George at Windsor Castle. .
1600's: Traffic went to London via Horton. Horton Road began to be built up and extended by the wealthy next to the hovels of the poor. The great plague came to Datchet before and after the great plague of London. An unsubstantiated story is that King Charles II kept his mistress Nell Gwynne at Old Bridge House in Datchet
1706: The ferry was replaced by a bridge at the end of the High Street. It was replaced three times but finally demolished in 1851. The only Thames bridge that has been lost.
1742-onwards: The Duke of Montagu and family owns Datchet.
1782: William Herschel (astronomer to George III and discoverer of the planet Uranus) lived with his sister in a house on Horton road.
1783-85: Hershel occupied "The Lawn" on Horton Road and built a 20ft telescope in the garden.
1790: Workhouse built in Holmlea Road.
1820: Almshouse belonging to the workhouse turned into a shop.
1848: The first train went through Datchet to Windsor. The most famous person known to have used Datchet Station was Charles Dickens who varied his routes to Slough visiting his mistress.
1886: Datchet was known as Black Datchet because a large number of bad characters lived here. This was borne out by Aylesbury County Jail having one building known as the 'Datchet Wing' filled mostly with poachers.
1860: Datchet Common's oldest beer house The Plough (now Mulligans) was in existence.
1889: Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat describes Datchet as a minor riverside resort. He describes both the Manor Hotel and the Royal Stag in his book.
1895: Hon. Evelyn Ellis drove the first ever motor car to be driven or owned in Britain to his home in Southleigh Road. The actual car can be seen in The Science Museum in London. Ellis was closely associated with The Prince of Wales (the later King Edward VII) and gave him his first ever ride in a car.
1905: Tree fell through the roof of the Plough public house.
1911-1914: Cars were made at workshops a the end of Holmlea Road, Lord Montagu was the Landlord. Hon. John Scott Montagu - Lord of the Manor of Datchet and Ditton was another early motoring pioneer whose families continued interest resulted in the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.
1911: Sir Thomas Sopwith landed his light aircraft in Datchet eight years after the first flight in the USA by Orville Wright. His company built Sopwith and Hawker fighter planes. Windsor Guards Polo grounds in Horton was where the Queen Mother Reservoir now stands. The houses opposite were built in the late 1800s to house the workers on the grounds. 140 Horton Road was an old school house. Lady Bowes-Lyon a relation to the late Queen Mother lived in Horton but came to shop in Datchet.
1931: Pavilion club built on Datchet riverside is where Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson had secret meetings. Dame Vera Lynn sang here and the 'London Set' socialised here.
1961: The Manor House was sold but the title was not

Commerce and services

Datchet railway station is situated in the centre of the village, and is on the line from Windsor & Eton Riverside to London Waterloo.
   One of the landmarks of this village is the Datchet Manor. The manor is currently used as a hotel and conference centre. The history of the manor begins in 1335 when King Edward III gave the manor of Datchet to William de Montacute, who then passed it on to Sir John Molins, who held it until 1631. The manor changed hands several times until it became the property of the Duchess of Buccleuch in the 1700s. Mulligans Fish Restaurant was originally The Plough and following a major fire changed its name to The Sportsmans due to the bare knuckle fighting which took place on the green opposite before the houses were built, bets being wagered in the pub.
   Datchet is home to two schools - Churchmead School, which is a secondary school, and Datchet St Mary's Primary School.
   Datchet also boasts several sporting options including Datchet Village Football Club (Sundays), Datchet Golf Club and the Datchet Health Centre.
   Many people connected with film and stage have lived in Datchet: Valentine Dyall, Billy Cotton, Billy Whitelaw, and Sir Donald Pleasance. Joan Collins still retains the house of her late father (a theatrical agent) in the village. More recently Danniella Westbrook was a resident.

Further Information

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