Dorney Island Loop

Up to Norman Times the area around Maidenhead Bridge was a minor trading post between two Saxon burghs. However, in the mid 13th Century a wooden toll bridge was built with a wharf on the western bank of the river. The area prospered and a substantial settlement grew up next to this important crossing point of the Thames, on what was the main route from London to Bristol. The name Maidenhead is thought to have derived from, "maiden" meaning new and "hythe" meaning wharf. Although other sources claim there was a wharf before this time owned by a local nunnery, hence "Maidens' Wharf". In 1400 the bridge was the scene of a three day battle where supporters of Henry VI fought those of the deposed Richard II. John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury led the rebellion to have Richard re-instated, but some of his followers were defeated attempting to hold Maidenhead Bridge whilst the Earl tried to amass more recruits. The Earl had earlier tried to murder Henry at Windsor Castle, but failed. Soon after the battle the Earl was captured at Sonning and beheaded.

Between 1772 and 1777 the wooden bridge was replaced by the current one. This beautiful balustrade bridge was authorised by an Act by Parliament in 1772, designed by Sir Robert Taylor and built of Portland Stone. Today it carries the A4, over the Thames as it journeys from London to Avonmouth, just past Bristol. The A4 is one of England's old main roads and is sometimes referred to as the Great West Road or Bath Road. Most of the route is dual carriageway, but as it travels over the bridge it converts to a narrow lane. The toll stayed in place for over 650 years and was removed in 1903 after a legal challenge by Joseph Taylor, the same Eton man who 5 years earlier also succeeded in having the toll on Windsor Bridge removed.

The A4 goes straight on into the centre of the Maidenhead. The centre of the town is set well back from the river because of problems with flooding over the centuries. Two plaques (see photo1 and photo2) on the foot of the bridge, next to the Bridge Gardens, on the other bank of the river, record the history of the bridge and the flood of 1947.

The Thames Path soon passes in front of Maidenhead Rowing Club and then left, up a ramp, to come out onto River Road. Turn right along the road.

As you can see from the photo below, taken in July 2007, the Thames Path, by Maidenhead Rowing Club, can sometimes flood.

9.0 Just before Maidenhead Railway Bridge, veer right onto the walkway next to the River Thames.

The railway bridge was built by Brunel in 1839. It carries the Paddington to Bristol railway line. The two arches, each 128 feet long and only 24 feet above the river, are reputedly the longest and flattest brickwork spans in the world. They are known as "The Sounding Arches" because of the perfect echo. A walkway next to the road passes under one of the arches allowing the echo to be tested. The central pillar of the bridge sits on Guards Club Island, named after the club which sat on the opposite bank up until 1977 when it was replaced by Guards Club Park. Turner used this bridge as the setting of his 1844 painting "Rain, Steam and Speed on the GWR". In 1893 the bridge was widened to carry 4 tracks and in 2006 it was used on a royal mail stamp to celebrate the 200th year of his birth. If you visit this link to "Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide" website (sponsored by the "River Thames Society") you will find lots more information and some photos of this magnificent bridge. At YouTube (below) there is a wonderful aerial video of the bridge, entitled "Maidenhead Railway Bridge, Boats and Trains".

As you leave the walkway, to re-join River Road, look up to see the plaque which gives details on The Sounding Arch.

Continue south along River Road. Then after 600 yards and just past the last house to your LHS, stay straight on along the path.

Soon after the Thames Path sweeps around to the left (at 9.8 miles) the village of Bray is visible on the opposite bank. It is famous for its legendary vicar who would change his beliefs each time the leadership of the country would change hands. The old ballad "The Vicar of Bray" tells the story - listen at YouTube. The tower of the 13th Century Parish Church of St Michael can easily be made out. The church dominates the village and is said to have replaced an older Saxon church at Water Oakley. An old legend tells of trouble had from demons whilst trying to rebuild the older church and why the site was moved to here. There are many interesting things to see at the church including a statue of a Sheela-na-Gig (also see sheelanagig.org). The Sheela-na-Gig was used by churches to scare men away from sex, but probably had the opposite effect. It is just inside the main door and a bit damaged. The church also has a memorial brass of 1378 to Sir John Foxley and his two wives - not both at the same time. To the south east of the churchyard is the Lych Gate and Lych Gate Cottages dating from 1448.

Bray village is a really pleasant and peaceful place with lots of history and buildings from many eras. In 2005 and 2014 it won the "Small Village Award" in the Britain in Bloom competition. The Jesus Hospital alms houses of 1627, endowed by William Goddard, still serve their original purpose. This was the setting for Fred Walker's painting "The Harbour of Refuge". The village is unique by being home to two of the world's top restaurants, The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn, two of only a few restaurants in the UK with 3 Michelin Stars. In 2005 the Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck was awarded best restaurant in the world. The same year the nearby Alain Roux's The Waterside Inn was ranked 19th best in the world. The Fat Duck also won the top award in 2010. The properties along the riverside here are very desirable and sometimes the local press refer to the upstream riverbank at Bray as "Millionaire's Row". There is no wonder Bray attracts many tourists and is home to a long list of celebrities

At 10.38 miles we pass Bray Lock, built in 1854 (see Wikipedia entry). The Thames previously flowed very swiftly in this area and until the lock was built, it was bypassed for navigation by "the Cut" (or "York Stream"). Originally the lock was only used when water levels were low. Closing the lock allowed deeper channels to form thus enabling barges to continue using the river. Behind Bray Lock Island, on the other side of the river, is a long narrow island called Pigeonhill Eyot. This stretches upstream from the M4 road bridge to just past the lock island. Immediately upstream from this is Headpile Eyot - again just off the opposite bank and long and narrow. Both islands are wooded and have evidence of Bronze Age and Celtic settlements. At times of drought the narrow water between both can dry up, thus joining them.

To the LHS, after 200 yards, a path leads away from the river to Amerden Lane. Our route stays with the Thames Path. However, if you intend to camp on this walk, just 100 yards along the lane is Amerden Caravan & Camping Site (see official website).

At 10.56 miles follow the Thames Path under the M4 road bridge.

To the right, after another 340 yards is Monkey Island. The name is thought to have derived from an earlier one "Monks Eyot" after monks who used the island. The monks were a cell of Merton Priory and had a fishery just upstream at Amerden Bank, near Bray Lock. They lived on a moated site established in 1197, on the north bank of the river. In the 14th Century the island became the property of the nearby Burnham Abbey, a house of Augustinian nuns founded in 1266. However, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century the abbey was closed. It is worth mentioning that in 1913 the remains of the abbey were bought by Lawrence Bissley who restored many of the buildings and converted the original chapter house into a chapel. In 1916 a community of Anglican Augustinian nuns moved back into the abbey and as you can see from their website the sisters of the "Society of Precious Blood" are still there today.

Up until the 17th century the island was very susceptible to flooding, but with the Great Fire of London in 1666, Berkshire stone was brought up the river in barges from Oxford for rebuilding and on their way back they carried rubble from the burnt-out buildings. Much of the rubble was dumped on islands along the Thames, raising them up and making them less vulnerable to flooding. Monkey Island was one of these dumping grounds and as a result is indebted to the fire.  

Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough bought the island from Sir Francis Englefield in 1723 after seeing the property whilst attending a meeting of the Kit-Kat Club at nearby Down Place. He was a keen angler and commissioned architect Robert Morris to build a fishing lodge (now the pavilion) and fishing temple. The Lodge was built from wooden blocks made to look like stone and still survives in its original form today. On the ceiling of one of the rooms there are strange monkey paintings by French artist Andie de Clermont. Many sources claim the island gets its name from the paintings, but the story about the monks seems more feasible.

By 1840 the Pavilion had been converted into a riverside inn, reachable only by ferry from the south bank. The island became very fashionable from 1900 when Edward VII and Queen Alexandra often came here with their three children for afternoon tea on the lawn. All three would be future monarchs - George V, Edward VIII and George VI. Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934) is said to have composed his violin concerto in 1910, plus some of his other works, at his friend Francis Schuster's house The Hut (now Long White Cloud) on the Berkshire bank adjacent to the island. In 2007 a blue plaque was unveiled to commemorate Elgar's association with the property. Monkey Island was often frequented by HG Wells and Rebecca West during their 10 year love affair. Rebecca used the place as the setting for her first novel "Return of the Soldier".

The footbridge was built in 1956 making the island more accessible from the south bank. Since then many additional rooms have been added, and both the original buildings have been restored and are now Grade 1 listed. The buildings then all became part of the Monkey Island Hotel. It was here in 1991 the "Birmingham Six" spent their first night of freedom in secrecy. In 2007 the island and hotel were sold by Metropolitan Hotels International to London based Greek publisher Dr Andreas Papadakis for 7.5 million. During 2017 / 2018 the hotel and island underwent major renovations and will re-opened later in 2018 by YTL Hotels year as the Monkey Island Estate.  

The short aerial video below shows Monkey Island and lots around this area. You can see: the river up past the M4 bridge and as far as Maidenhead Railway Bridge; the Thames Path; Bray Lake; Bray Marina; Summerleaze Footbridge; Dorney Lake and Queen's Eyot. You can also read more about Monkey Island at Wikipedia.

At 11.11 miles we pass under the Summerleaze Footbridge as it crosses the river. It was built in 1995 as a conveyor belt to transport gravel from the digging of Dorney Lake to the Summerleaze processing plant at Bray. It doubles as a footbridge and cycle link and takes its name from the gravel company. The payment for the gravel helped finance the building of the lake and the boathouse. Next to the bridge on the opposite bank a stream called “The Cut” goes away from the Thames through Bray to join the York Stream through Maidenhead, eventually rejoining the Thames at Cookham. This was dug in c1819 and was used as a canal or relief stream. For many years “The Cut” has been unused and has deteriorated greatly. However, the Maidenhead Waterways Restoration Group (MWRG) was established in 2006 with the aim of restoring original waterways through Maidenhead to a navigable standard so this and other streams can be used to bring river transport back to the centre of the town.

For the next two miles Dorney Lake is through the trees, to the left of the Thames Path - it's huge.

According to the Dorney Lake website:

“Dorney Lake was conceived as an idea by Eton College rowing teachers in the 1960's. They felt a still-water rowing course offering greater safety than the River Thames, with its fast currents, varying widths and increasing traffic, and having an all-year safe facility was important. Over 40 years later their dream came true.

Serious planning took several years in the 1980's and 1990's and a 10-year construction period began in 1996. Completion was achieved on target in 2006.

The original aim of constructing a high-quality rowing course for Eton College pupils has been far exceeded. The site is acclaimed as one of the finest in the world, as affirmed by its selection as a 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games venue for the Rowing and Kayak Regattas.

With the water course being set in the added attraction of spectacular surroundings and whole-community access being accorded, Dorney Lake has become a local, national and international asset. As a world-class centre of sporting excellence and a special venue for many other activities, Dorney Lake is set for a wonderful future.”

Continuing downstream, the next island passed is Queen’s Eyot. This is a small island which has been owned by Eton College since 1923 when it was sold to them for a meagre 10 shillings (50 pence). Soon afterwards the college built an attractive clubhouse on the island to be used by the “boys” for their enjoyment. This burnt down in 1990 and the college built a new one. The island, covering an area of four acres, has been beautifully landscaped is still used by the college, but can also be booked for special occasions such as weddings, parties or corporate functions.

On the opposite bank, soon after Queen's Eyot is Bray Studios and then the Oakley Court Hotel.

Oakley Court (at 12 miles) is a magnificent Victorian, gothic, turreted house built in 1859 for Sir Richard Hall Say. The area around the building is called Water Oakley which has Roman and Iron Age connections. It was also once the site of the Saxon church of Bray parish.

According to the Oakley Court Hotel website, Richard Hall married Ellen Evans of the nearby Boveney Court in 1857, and built the house two years later. He was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1864, then in 1874, he sold the house to Lord Otho FitzGerald, MP for Kildare, then to a John Lewis Phipps and in 1900 to Sir William Avery. In 1919 the house together with 50 acres of land was purchased by Ernest Olivier for £27,000. He was an eccentric character and often entertained foreign diplomats, flying their country’s flag from the house’s flagpole during their stay. It is believed that during World War II the house was used by the French Resistance and General Charles de Gaulle (1890 – 1970) is reputed to have stayed.

Next to Oakley Court is Down Place, a pretty 17th Century riverside mansion and once home to publicist Jacob Tonson Snr (1656 – 1736). Jacob was described as the first modern publisher, making many books available to the masses for the first time – these included Shakespeare’s finished plays. He was founder of the notorious Kit-Kat Club in the late 17th / early 18th century. The club’s original aim was to promote literature and the arts, but it later became a Whig society helping to ensure the continuance of the Royal House of Hanover. The Duke of Marlborough, Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Sir Robert Walpole, Jonathan Swift, and William Congreve were members. The club often held meetings at Down Place. However, The Studio Tour questions this.

In 1951 Hammer Film Productions made a derelict Down Place their home and built studios here the following year. They called them Bray Studios after the local town. It was here Hammer produced many of their early horror movies, including the Frankenstein and Dracula ones.

In 1965, Ernest Olivier, owner of the neighbouring Oakley Court died and the house was left uninhabited. The house proved to be an ideal setting for many productions including the Hammer ones. The last Hammer production made at Bray was “The Mummy’s Shroud” completed in October 1966. The following year the company moved filming to Elstree. However, films and TV productions continued to be made here, some using Oakley Court as the main setting. “Half a Sixpence” with Tommy Steele (1967), “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), “Alien” (1979), “The Wildcats of St Trinian’s” (1980) and ITV drama Inspector Morse were amongst some of the later ones.

In 1979 work started on converting Oakley Court into a hotel. After 2 years and at a cost of £5 million, Oakley Court Hotel opened on 7th November 1981. Since then the hotel has been enlarged with new wings added. It also now boasts a health and fitness club, a 9-hole golf course, two tennis courts and a meeting room called the Boathouse on the banks of the Thames.

For just over a mile we continue along the Thames Path. Across the river you'll first see the entrance to Windsor Marina and later the entrance to Windsor Racecourse Marina. The entrance to Racecourse Marina is provided by a small winding river, the Clewer Millstream. The Millstream leaves the River Thames at Bush Ait and rejoins the Thames over a mile downstream and just above the A332 road bridge.

At 13.01 miles we cross the slipway of a large boathouse belonging to Eton College.

Our route continues straight on along the Thames Path, but if you wish you can take a minor diversion to visit Dorney Lake and the picturesque, tiny village of Boveney. The diversion adds half a mile (see map) and re-joins our route again by Boveney Church at 13.21 miles. This does add some extra interest, as you can see below.

Dorney Lake is an amazing place. The boathouse backs onto the Thames Path but the trees block the view from the path. The aerial video below does show how close it is to our walk and to the River Thames.

DETAILS of MINOR OPTIONAL DIVERSION via Dorney Lake and Boveney Village.

Just past the slipway to the large boathouse belonging to Eton College (mentioned at 13.1 miles above), immediately left on footpath down side of boathouse to Dorney Lake. At road, turn left towards Dorney Lake Boathouse, then just before boathouse, turn right to Dorney Rowing Lake.

The Dorney Lake Boathouse is an impressive building, as is the view along the 2,200m rowing lake. In total the whole park covers an area of 450 acres and is privately owned by Eton College. The construction took over 10 years to complete. Over 30,000 trees were planted, many miles of footpaths and roads were laid and the college had the foresight to allow public access. During the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games the lake was used as the venue for the rowing and kayak regattas. Over 400,000 spectators attended the events and the crowd support (aka “The Dorney Roar”) became a highlight of the games. The lake was voted the top London 2012 Olympic venue by an exit poll of spectators. To get a feel of why the final stages of each event became known as "The Dorney Roar" see the last 5 minutes of a video at YouTube.

In order to cope with the huge crowds (up to 30,000 a day), a large temporary footbridge was also built across the River Thames from Windsor Racecourse to just upstream from the old church. That way the racecourse acted as a transport hub and spectators just had to walk over the footbridge to reach the venue. There are many videos of the 2012 Olympics at Dorney on YouTube.

At the lake turn right and follow the path as it veers left along edge of lake. At fork veer right, then right again at 2nd fork to T-junction with road. Turn left and after another 150m turn right towards gate and go through wooden kissing-gate on right, then straight on to Boveney.

At T-junction turn right along road (Lock Path). 

To the left is Boveney Road which goes north across Dorney Common to Dorney Village. It is the only road that connects Boveney to the outside world, and possibly the reason why it is so well-preserved. Some of the old buildings here are hidden from site, and many of them are historically listed. You can read about those that are at Dorney History Group - see the ones on Boveney Road and Lock Path.

Records of Boveney date back to Saxon Times, when it was referred to as “Bufanege”. Apparently, meaning “above island” or above an neighbouring island on the River Thames. This tiny village (or hamlet) is way off the beaten track and difficult to find. It is only reached by a narrow road across the Dorney Common flood plain, but there are some substantial house here which are centuries old and a riverside church dating from before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Before the construction of Dorney Lake, Boveney was surrounded by huge flood plains on three sides, and with the Thames to the south. To the north, the east and to the west of Dorney Lake these flood plains still exist. Most have never been built on and Dorney Common has had “Commoners' Rights” for many centuries.

On a personal note, in 1994 and before the the construction of Dorney Lake commenced, I walked west from Boveney on a footpath across a field towards the River Thames. I was developing a scenic, charity relay run and long distance footpath around the outside of London, the Green Belt Relay and the Green Belt Way. The field was flat and I was walking towards a solitary tree in the centre. As the tree took a time to get to, I realised how large the field actually was, On reaching the tree, I could see it was very old and must have been there for a reason. However, I can find no records. I also wondered about the road across Dorney Common as it appears to have been built on a low causeway with still obvious extra defences from flooding. With the amount of archaeological finds in the Boveney area (for examples see Buckinghamshire's Heritage Portal) this route has to follow that of a much older, maybe even going back over 1,000 years. In 1947 much of the Thames Valley suffered its greatest floods of the 20th century. The Royal Air Force took photos of the floods from above. You can see the Boveney ones at Britain from Above – I have added most of the points of information to the photo so you can understand it. From the photo you can see: Boveney, as an island, in the centre; the line of Boveney Road is just visible across a flooded Dorney Common; the meandering line of trees, in the lower half of the photo, marks the north bank of the River Thames and another marks the south bank; Boveney Church has its own smaller island and is joined to Boveney by an the tree-lined path; below Boveney Church, the circular clump of trees is Bush Ait; and the well-defined line of trees, cutting across to the right from Boveney, is Lock Path.

As I wrote earlier Boveney means “above island” which people take to mean above an neighbouring island on the river. However, could it mean that the village is built on an island above the River Thames or the flood plain.

After 140m stay on past the entrance to the Ramblers Car Park to your right. Then after another 150m turn right onto a signed path across the grass towards Boveney Church.

At this point it's worth going another 50 yards along Lock Path to see a beautiful old house, then retracing your steps back. The Old Place is a Tudor farmhouse and the nearest property to the church. It is linked to the church by a slightly elevated path, so for centuries, the congregation would have walked along Lock Path as far as here, then turned right to get to church – just like we are about to do. The Old Place also offers accommodation for groups of up to 19 people in three apartments and a log cabin. Just follow the link for more information.

After 160m the path leads past Boveney Church to a clearing next to the River Thames. Turn left across the clearing and along the Thames Path.

This is the END OF DIVERSION and we have re-joined our walk at 13.21 miles.

The church of St Mary Magdalene (at 13.21 miles) is partly 12th century and built on the site of an earlier Saxon church. It was made redundant in 1975 and was due to be demolished or converted to a residence. However, due to local support this little church was saved and ownership taken over by the charity Friends of Friendless Churches in 1983, Since then they have spent years completely restoring the building and have won an award in doing so. Their website states:

"The building is listed Grade I despite its low-key exterior. What tips it into that highest of all listing categories is the remarkable vernacular interior with 18th and 19th Century fittings, its romantic location adjacent to the Thames and its very early origins in the 12th Century. The church was built to serve the bargemen or bargees as they were called who plied their trade on the river, although the quay immediately adjacent is long lost. Outside you will notice the little slivers of flint pressed into the mortar coursing lines - this is a partly decorative, partly functional technique known as galletting. 

St Mary's has proved to be the biggest single challenge the Friends have ever faced. The church has just emerged from major building campaigns, grant-aided by English Heritage, especially to the tower and roof. Further works are planned which should be completed before the building is visited by the thousands who will attend the Rowing competition for the 2012 Olympics which will be held just a few hundred yards away. 

We are very grateful to the local group of Friends (www.st-mary-magdalene-boveney.org.uk) who are helping us manage the church. They will particularly come into their own when it emerges early in 2012 from the final completion of the programme of conservation that has been a major pre-occupation of The Friends for almost a decade.” 

The church is one of the quaintest and most unique I have ever come across. The setting, overlooking the river, is so remote and beautiful. If you want, you can hire the church for appropriate events such as, wedding blessings, concerts, literary, etc. For just a visit, the keys are available from the look-keeper at Boveney Lock during working hours. At YouTube you can watch a video showing both the inside and outside of the church.

The video below is mainly about Boveney Weir and Lock, which we pass soon, but it does show the area around this and includes Windsor Racecourse, the Thames Path, Boveney Church, Dorney Lake and more.

13.21 miles Continue downstream along the towpath and after 400m past Boveney Lock.

The lock was first built in 1838 and rebuilt in 1898 closer to the north bank of the river. Before then the Thames through here was dangerous and feared by river-folk – see Where Thames Smooth Waters Glide. If lucky, on the walk to the lock, you may see boats vying for position after exiting the gates. Also, as you pass Lock Path, to your left, look for a strange direction sign in the shape of a fishtail.

Just over half a mile later, to your right is a bench and memorial stone marking “The Bathing Place of Athens”. There are two inscriptions on the stone. The first one states:

“The Bathing Place of Athens, Eton opened by "Hiatt C Baker in memory of his son, a brilliant swimmer who spent many of the happiest hours of his boyhood here, killed in a flying accident in August 1917 while still a member of the school."

The other is a bit more formal and “From School Rules of the River 1921” telling “undressed boys” how to cover up if boats containing ladies come into sight. You can read it and more about the history of swimming at Eton by following the link.

If you sit for a while on the bench and look across the river, you get a good view of the Royal Windsor Racecourse. Horse-racing started here in 1866 and it remains a popular venue today. I wonder why there are no rules about “undressed boys” bathing during racing. Surely, ladies may turn their view to the river, and what then. Another thing I often wonder is, in the movie “My Week with Marilyn”, based on the book by Colin Clark, was this where they were supposed to have went skinny dipping after visiting Windsor Castle and his old school at Eton? We may never know, but we'll look for Lord Lucan later, and if we find him we'll ask as he attended Eton at the same time.

14.25 miles. Cross footbridge over Cuckoo Weir, then straight on along well-defined footpath. On reaching the river again, turn left and follow Thames Path under A332 road bridge (wall under bridge is decorated with murals)

Cuckoo Weir Island is bordered by the Thames and the small river which gives the island its name. It is cut in two by the Queen Elizabeth Road Bridge, opened in 1966. The island is home to a swan sanctuary run by the charity Swan Lifeline. During the 2012 London Olympic & Paralympic Games 36 swans from Dorney Lake were housed here for their own protection and re-released after the games.

The tow-path crosses over two footbridges in quick succession and just ahead is Brunel's “Bow & String” Windsor Railway Bridge crossing the Thames and the brick arches continuing north towards Slough and keeping the railway well above the flood-plain. The Great Western Railway branch line opened in 1849 and links Windsor & Eton Central to the mainline at Slough. The construction of the line was delayed due to objections of the Provost of Eton College. The bridge is the world's oldest surviving wrought iron bridge still in use.

After passing under the “Bow & String” Bridge (at 14.75 miles) stay straight on along the riverbank across Brocas Field and eventually through a narrow ally to Brocas Street.

Some of the best views of Windsor Castle are from The Brocas (or Brocas Field). Across the river is Alexandra Park and look left to see the top of Eton Chapel, visible above the trees. The Brocas gets its name from Sir John de Brocas, who acquired this and much other land in the area in the early 1300s. King Edward III appointed him Master of the King’s Horse and later Chief Forester of Windsor Forest. The Brocas stayed in his family for generations before being given to Eton College.

15.14 miles. Go straight on along Brocas Street past the Waterman's Arms pub (to your LHS) and to a T-junction with Eton High Street. 

The Waterman's Arms pub is said to be haunted. According to Haunted Hostelries it is,

"Named after the men who made their livelihood working on riverboats or barges, this pub is over four centuries old. It has several ghosts in residence, including a young orphan boy sitting warming himself at a fireside. Two ghosts here were two former scholars of Eton College, who became highwaymen. Both came to predictably bad ends. One was Henry who used this inn. The authorities hanged him at Tyburn in 1747. The other was William Parsons, a nobleman expelled from Eton for gambling, drinking, with then turning to robbery with other crimes. He met his hideous fate when authorities caught him on Hounslow Heath. He hanged in 1751."

Eton High Street, which runs from the bridge to the College, is a delight with many old shops, galleries, inns, restaurants and hotels. The oldest being the Cockpit, a half-timbered building dating from 1420 and up until recently an Indian restaurant. This was once the setting for the barbaric sport of cock-fighting. The original cockpit still exists behind the building and is one of only a few remaining in the country. It is said the building is haunted by a little old lady who flirts between the tables, as if looking for something lost. Her manner is so unobtrusive, that successive owners have left her to her own devices.

There are lots more things of interest to see in Eton. In 2017, the Eton Walkway was launched. According to Julia Bradbury's wonderful walking site,  The Outdoor Guide: 

"... Eton Walkway, a 2-mile circular route connecting 18 points of rich heritage in the historic Berkshire town of Eton was launched.

Starting at Windsor Bridge and celebrating Eton’s diverse community, culture and stunning architecture, this one-hour walk takes you through a wonderful mixture of scenery as well as exploring the banks of the River Thames.

Permanent bronze markers are set in the ground to identify the route of the Walkway and are emblazoned with Eton’s coat of arms, originally given to the town by King Henry VI in 1449.

The Walkway is coordinated by local volunteers through the Eton Community Association, and delivered by the Outdoor Trust."

Quote above and video below is Copywrite @TheOutdoorGuide

You can watch a short video about The Eton Walkway from The Outdoor Guide's channel below at YouTube.

One point that that seems to be omitted is my favourite. The 25 mile marker for the 1908 London Olympic Marathon. The race started at Windsor Castle and finished in front of the Royal Box in White City Stadium at Shepherd's Bush. The distance was 26 miles and 385 yards. It was supposed to be about 25 miles, but Polytechnic Harriers who organised the race adjusted the distance. Eventually, this became the recognised marathon distance and is still today. The race had a dramatic finish with the winner collapsing just before the finish line and was disqualified for being helped to the end. After the games a Polytechnic Marathon was held every year up until 1996. West 4 Harriers were the last running club to organise it from 1993 to 1995. A commercial company took over in 1996, but due to traffic congestion the event was then cancelled. Two members of West 4 Harriers, and previously involved in organising the Polytechnic Marathon, Tony Hopkins & Mark Critchlow, continued to run the route each year up until 2006.

15.19 miles. Turn right to cross Windsor Bridge and go straight on along Thames Street to the junction with Datchet Road. Turn left along the pavement to Windsor & Eton Riverside Station at 15.35 miles.

In the late 1990s, archaeology evidence was found to suggest there was a bridge between Windsor and Eton as far back as 1400 – 1300 BC during the Bronze Age - so states the Windsor website. However, during Roman Times there is no evidence of a bridge. The next bridge was believed to have been built just after the Norman Invasion of 1066 when William the Conqueror fortified the town with his wooden castle. From the Domesday Book we know a farmer called Osbert de Bray collected over £4 from tolls for boats passing under the bridge. In 1242, the bridge was rebuilt using local oak trees and this stayed in place until the 1820s. The older bridge was replaced when the current one was opened in 1824. This was a toll bridge, but with local campaigns, led by Joseph Taylor, the tolls were removed in 1898. A blue plaque at the toll house remembers Taylor and Charles Hollis, architect of the bridge.

With the growth of motor vehicles through the 1950s and 60s, Windsor Bridge started to develop cracks and by April 1970, it was decided to close it to traffic. By the start of this millennium, the bridge needed reinforcing due to the volume of pedestrians who used it. When the work was completed, Queen Elizabeth II officially reopened the bridge on 3rd June 2002. There were many new additions such as seats, flowers and other things to add to it appearance. The occasion was commemorated by the unveiling of a circular plaque on the ground in the center of the bridge.

On the Windsor side, to the right is the Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel. Wren’s father was appointed Dean of Windsor in 1635 when Christopher was two years old. Christopher spent a lot of his childhood living in Windsor, and studied mathematics, science and Latin at Oxford. By the age of 30 he was elected Professor of Astronomy at Oxford. He was President of the Royal Society from 1680 – 82. However, he is best known as one of Britain’s greatest architects, and St Paul’s Cathedral in London is his most famous work. He was knighted in 1672. Wren built the house in Windsor as his family home in 1676. In the 1920’s the house was converted to a restaurant and guest-house. Since then it has changed hands many times and has been extended greatly, but has retained many of its original features. Currently it is a Grade II listed, 4 star, 96 bedroom hotel owned by Sarova Hotels. Directly across the street, and also next to the bridge, is a smaller house which is also called Christopher Wren’s House, maybe this was his original house at Windsor. The house featured in the popular ITV drama, Midsomer Murders and is one of a few locations used in the series which we pass on our route.