Datchet has always enjoyed a significance out of all proportion to its small size - especially after William to Conqueror built his great castle at Windsor, when the Datchet ferry provided a fast and private route to London. The ferry was replaced by a series of bridges which, with the demise of the last in 1850, have the distinction of being the only Thames crossing to have been lost. Described in 1724 as 'a low watr'y place', water is a dominant theme in Datchet's story, with disastrous floods, both within and beyond living memory, and with a large pond occupying the middle of the village before the familiar greens existed.
In this first modern volume and comprehensive history of the village, the author's original and thorough research demonstrates the presence and powerful influence of many kings and queens and of the lords of the manor, at Ditton Park and Riding COurt. The astronomer William Herschel's years in the village are documented, as is the extraordinary life and legacy of Robert Barker, Printer to Queen Elizabeth. Though Datchet has had more than its share of famous residents, especially in the 20th century, the ordinary village people feature largely in this detailed narrative - sometimes in poverty, adversity and crime. Indeed, at its lowest point, in the early 1800s, the village was known as 'Black Datchet'. In Tudor and Stuart times, rich citizens of London kept country houses here; while the arrival of the railway in Victoria's reign allowed daily commuters to enjoy life in a real village ... as they still do!
Using paintings, drawings, maps and early photographs, the author reconstructs the ancient village, its buildings and its entire past in a coherent story of the living community evolving through the centuries. An entertaining addition to the published history of the Thames Valley, the book will appeal to all who live - or have lived - in Datchet as well as to the vary many others who visit this still very attractive village, by road, rail or river.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
preface
Subscription List
1. The Riverside Settlement: Prehistoric Times
2. Ferry and Manor: Medieval Period
3. The Royal Village: 16th and 17th Centuries
4. Thames Bridges and Troubled Times: 18th and Early 19th Centuries
5. Railway and Revival: Later 19th and Early 20th Centuries
6. Change and Continuity: From 1914 to the Present
Notes
Index
