| Old Windsor | |
|---|---|
| Village andcivil parish | |
 The lock hut atOld Windsor Lock. | |
  Old Windsor Location withinBerkshire | |
| Population | 4,775 (2001) 4,977 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SU9874 |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WINDSOR |
| Postcode district | SL4 |
| Dialling code | 01753 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°27′36″N0°35′10″W / 51.46°N 0.586°W /51.46; -0.586 | |
Old Windsor is a village andcivil parish, in theRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, inBerkshire, England. It is bounded by theRiver Thames to the east and theWindsor Great Park to the west.
The name originates fromold EnglishWindles-ore,Windlesora, orwinch by the riverside.[3][4][5] The village was originally called Windsor, until the (now larger) town of"New" Windsor, 3 miles (5 km) from the village, grew up next toWindsor Castle and assumed the name. Windsor is first mentioned in theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Old Windsor was once the site of an important palace of theSaxonkings. The settlement is documented as a defended royal manor inEdward the Confessor's time, but archaeological evidence suggests royal connections had existed since at least the 9th century. The Saxon royal site was excavated between 1953 and 1958, and the finds are atReading Museum.[6] Edward gave the manor to theAbbot of Westminster in 1066, but it was soon taken back into royal possession byWilliam the Conqueror.[7]
Old Windsor was popular with the monarch because of its convenient location; near to the River Thames for transport andWindsor Forest for hunting. Old Windsor was also an earlyminster location and market, probably associated with a lock, and important riverside mill complex. The Saxon palace was eventually superseded by theNormanWindsor Castle, at 'New' Windsor. The palace, however, became a popular royalhunting lodge while Windsor Castle was still afortress rather than a comfortable residence.
At the southern end of the village is the historic Beaumont Estate. First mention of the estate is recorded around the year 1300, when the estate, and much of the surrounding area was under the ownership of Hugo de Remenham. The estate was, at the time, known asRemenham, and occupied a larger area than it does now, stretching all the way down to the riverThames, and including the historicpub, the Bells of Ouzeley. After changing hands a few times, the estate was bought by Henry Frederick Tynne who had the house redesigned in 1705 by architectJames Gibbs, renamed it Bowman's Lodge. The estate was acquired in the mid-eighteenth century by Sophia,Duchess of Kent. In 1751 the estate was bought by theDuke of Roxburghe for his son, theMarquess of Beaumont, who renamed itBeaumont Lodge.
It was bought in 1786 byWarren Hastings, the firstGovernor-General ofIndia, and most notable resident of the estate, for £12,000. In 1790, the owner Henry Griffith hadWindsorian architectHenry Emlyn rebuild, and modify the house. The estate was sold in 1805 for £14,000 toViscount Ashbrook, a friend ofGeorge IV. After the Viscount's death in 1846, the Bells of Ouzeleypub was sold by his widow, and in 1854, she sold the estate to theSociety of Jesus, who used it asBeaumont College. In 1861 it became theSt. Stanislaus College, Beaumont; aCatholicboarding school for boys. In 1967, the school closed, and moved to merge withStonyhurst College, inLancashire. The estate was subsequently bought by the computer companyICL, and then by Hayley Conference Centres, in 2003.
The parish of Old Windsor contains oneChurch of England church: theparish Church ofSt Peter andSt Andrew.[8] The Parish Church was probably built on the site of achapel attached to thehunting lodge ofEdward the Confessor. After the original building was destroyed by French soldiers, the church was rebuilt in 1218. In 1865, an extensive restoration plan was carried out byGiles Gilbert Scott which included the removal of a porch which had been added onto the building during theGeorgian period. Aspire was also built to replace thecupola, and threebells were added to the original five, dating from 1775.
OnEaster Day 2008, the church suffered a serious fire, but has since been restored.[9] The original church ofSt Luke was built in 1867, but after falling into disrepair, was replaced by a newer building in the 1960s. The building was sold in 2023 as it was no longer needed for worship. The church contains a carpet which was bought in 1960 fromWestminster Abbey, where it had been used during thecoronation.[10] Achapel at Beaumont is said to be the inspiration for the chapel inEvelyn Waugh'sBrideshead Revisited. Waugh spent time inWindsor, whilst in the armed forces.[11]
Old Windsor is home to sixpubs: the Bells of Ouzeley, the Fox and Castle, The Loch and The Tyne, the Jolly Gardeners, the Toby Carvery, and the Union Inn;[12] and one members club, The Old Windsor Club.[13] There are also a small number of local shops and several restaurants.
Old Windsor is home to two state schools – King's Court First School andSt Peter'sChurch of England Middle School – andSt John's Beaumont independent school.St John's Beaumont was opened in 1888, originally apreparatory school for theJesuit public school,Beaumont College, which was also situated in Old Windsor. Beaumont College was closed in 1967.[14]
Windsor Great Park is largely within the bounds of Old Windsor, including both theRoyal andCumberland Lodges.
Old Windsor is, or has been, the home of several famous people, including:
Old Windsor lies on the south bank of theRiver Thames, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of the town ofWindsor and 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of London. It is near to the villages ofEnglefield Green andDatchet, and is connected by atowpath toOld Windsor Lock. Theparish church lies on the edge of the village by the river, at the site of the original settlement.
Old Windsor is approximately 5 minutes' drive fromWindsor and 20 minutes fromLondon Heathrow Airport, and is near to theM4 andM25 motorways. The nearest railway station is atDatchet and is just under 3 miles (5 km) away.
Media related toOld Windsor at Wikimedia Commons