Visit Datchet Places

Welcome to Visit Datchet Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Datchet

  

Datchet Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Datchet

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Datchet history

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There is evidence of people living in the area which would become Datchet shortly after the end of the last ice age, between 10,000 and 6,500 years ago, and of a multi-period settlement at Southlea from the Neolithic to late Roman periods. An excavation at Riding Court, a Manorial sub-division of Datchet, has revealed a monument complex that included a cursus, ring ditches, oval barrows and causewayed enclosures. The monuments had developed alongside the Thames, one of the great rivers of Britain that acted as both a barrier, gateway and routeway to other regions. The 2017 investigations at Riding Court Farm have provided evidence for Early Neolithic activity (4000–3350 BC) with the discovery of a previously unknown causewayed enclosure. Datchet is first mentioned between AD 990 and 994, when King Ethelred made small grants of land here. In the Domesday Book, in 1066, the lords were Saewulf brother of Siward and Siward brother of Saewulf. In 1086 the lord and tenant-in-chief was Giles brother of Ansculf, also referred to as Giles de Pinkney. In 1150, the church already existed in Datchet and the Pinkney family sold it to the abbey of St Albans, Hertfordshire. As such the Abbot became rector as impropriator of the parish and had the right to appoint vicars. There was a ferry at Datchet Ferry which provided a shorter route from London to Windsor Castle and was frequently used by royalty. In 1249, Henry III gave a great oak from his Windsor forest to make a barge for passage from Windsor to Datchet. In 1350, Edward III gave Datchet Church as part of the endowment of his new church and college of St George at Windsor Castle. St. Mary’s church originated as a rectory in the 13th century. 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. On the Dissolution of the monasteries, the Crown confiscated the rectory, which was sold by Parliament in 1659 to William Stanbridge and Thomas Roberts. In 1641, Charles I sold the manorial house and estate of Riding Court to William Wheeler, then it was sold out of the Wheeler estates, and, after passing through various hands, was finally conveyed to John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu in 1742, and therefore once more came 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 of Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. From 1802 the title followed the same descent as Datchet and Ditton in Stoke 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 Thames through Datchet was replaced by Datchet Bridge. The crossing was replaced three times until it was finally demolished in 1851 as part of re-routing roads and bridges when the LSWR Company’s line was built from Richmond to Windsor. Traffic between Old Windsor and Datchet now uses a southerly route along Southlea Road and crossing Albert Bridge, while a new Windsor Road was built from Datchet riverside and crossing the new Victoria Bridge. In 1742, John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu bought 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. In 1790, a workhouse was built in Holmlea Road and in 1820 an almshouse belonging to the workhouse was turned into a shop. In 1848, the first train went through Datchet to Windsor and 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 that Aylesbury County Jail had one building known as the ‘Datchet Wing’ filled mostly with poachers, for which there is good evidence. Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat describes Datchet as a minor riverside resort. This has descriptions of the Manor Hotel and the Royal Stag. In early 1911 a young Sydney Camm watched Sir Thomas Sopwith land his aircraft on Datchet golf course, on his return journey from Windsor Castle. From 1911 to 1914, cars were made at workshops at the end of Holmlea Road; Lord Montagu was the landlord. Windsor Guards polo grounds in Horton was where the Queen Mother Reservoir now stands. In 1931, the Pavilion club was built on Datchet riverside. Dame Vera Lynn sang here and the ‘London Set’ socialised here. Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson had secret meetings here.

You can visit Datchet places with Walkfo Datchet to hear history at Datchet’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Datchet has 100 places to visit in our interactive Datchet map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Datchet, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Datchet places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Datchet & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 100 audio facts unique to Datchet places in an interactive Datchet map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Datchet Places Map
100 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Datchet historic spots	Datchet tourist destinations	Datchet plaques	Datchet geographic features
Walkfo Datchet tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Datchet

  

Best Datchet places to visit

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Datchet has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Datchet’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Datchet’s information audio spots:

Visit Datchet plaques