Riverside, north bank west of the Tower Datchet and Southlea

This posting shows sites north of the river only in this square. Sites to the south are in Windsor Home Park Eastern Riverside

Post to the north Datchet and Windsor Home Park Bathing Pool
Post to the south Albert Bridge and Southlea

Green Lane
Scout Hut. This was opened in 1992 and is used by the 2nd Datchet Scouts and other groups.

High Street
Datchet High Street once ran down to a bridge which crossed the Thames and continued to Windsor. Changes to the Home Park, and the instability of the then bridge in the 1850s meant that it was replaced by the Victoria and Albert Bridges some distance to the east and west.  The design of the road however is of a town centre street going to a river crossing. No trace of the old bridge remains
Old Bridge House. This was built in the early 18th on the site of the ancient ferry which was no longer needed following the building of a bridge. In the later 18th it was a pub called the White Horse
20 In the early 17th this was a pub although there are remains of a house probably built around 1400. The pub was called the Rose and later the Duke of Northumberland’s Head. From 1750 until the 1970s the buildings were a butcher’s business with a shop in the front with a slaughterhouse and grazing meadow behind.  In the 1970s it was investigated by new owners and thought to be a medieval hall house. However it is now thought that to start with it was an open hall with a central hearth. The current main room is a three-bay barn from the 1600s which would have been separate from the earlier house and while it was a slaughter house it was lined with corrugated iron. The house was rebuilt with a brick front wing probably in the 1770s and here is a door frame at the back which may have been the new front door, moved here when the shop front was added later. This rebuild included servants’ quarters in the attic and a new kitchen area. Behind the 17th barn is another brick one built in the 1800s, originally separate but now joined, which may have been built to house cattle awaiting slaughter. In the 20th a gallery was added between the early house and the 19th block using some old timber from elsewhere and two windows were inserted which copy the originals. Most recently it has been a hat showroom.
31 St, Helens. This is an 18th brick rebuild of a 17th timber framed building -evidence of the timber frame can be seen in the north end wall. From 1960 it was owned by actor Donald Pleasance  and re-named Holiman's Plat. From the middle ages there was a Manor of Datchet St Helen's as well as a Manor of Datchet arising from an endowment to St.Helen's Nunnery, Bishopsgate by Sir Richard Mandeville in 1263. This arrangement ended at the dissolution. This house may have been originally under the jurisdiction of Datchet St Helen's.

Datchet Station.  This lies between Sunnymeads and Windsor and Eton Riverside stations on South Western Trains. It was opened in 1849 by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway, but had previously been open from in 1848 as the temporary terminus of the line from Richmond before Windsor was ready to open.  It then had goods facilities on both sides of the line which eventually in 1965 and now serve ads car park and a site for industrial units. A goods shed was demolished in the early 1990s. A fire in 1986 destroyed the up side building – these were the original main station buildings and have been rebuilt with flats above. The wooden down side buildings have also gone. The original station master's house remains.


Manor House Lane
Industrial units on the site of the old goods yard


Riverside
Landing places. These were created by the Barker Bridge House Trust after 1865 when the final Datchet Bridge was built.  Up until then the river bank just ran alongside the road. The current river wall with path and steps was built by Sears & Sons. In 1894 responsibility for upkeep was passed to the new Parish Council. By 1893 there were two jetties, for the use of residents’ with three floating wooden pontoons for boatmen who hired out canoes and rowing boats.
Kris Cruisers. Members of the Clark Family bought John Hicks’ Boatyard in 1966. They hired out punts and then started a hire fleet, Castle Line, with a cabin cruiser, later building a second cruiser, and then adding to the fleet. By 1983 they had 19 boats and ran 3 boats for Consort Cruisers. The fleet grew and bigger boats were added. The business continues to expand with new generations of Clark’s becoming involved..
Fenn’s Lawn. From 1900 until the 1940s this was Fenn & Burfoot Boat Hire. After the Second World War it was used by Percy Dann and in the 1960s, John Hicks bought the site. This is now Kris Cruisers
Boat building yard. this was later incorporated into the public area


Southlea Road
Datchet Raw Water intake. This sends water to the Queen Mother and Wraysbury reservoirs.
Woolacombe. The property which is thought to have been built in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s was originally a private society club, later converted into a private home. There was previously a house here called Roseneau. When it became vacant the Crown Estate purchased it to ensure protection of the riverfront.
Poulson’s Club. This was a night club or entertainment venue with big variety stars and singers, banqueting etc.

Sources
Datchet History. Web site
Datchet Village Society. Web site
Kris Cruisers. Web site
Wikipedia. Datchet Station. Web site
Windsor and Maidenhead Council. Web site

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