| Date | 15 June 2012 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0035 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
Follow the history trail
Email Elias with feedback and your memories on observernews@berksmedia.co.uk
ONE of the delights of Slough today has to be Herschel Park, the town’s oldest, which has recently undergone £2.3 million pound transformation.
This was achieved with grants from the Heritage Lottery and Slough Borough Council. As part of this restoration, a number of new trails through the park and around the surrounding neighbourhood have been produced. The latest of these trails puts the park in context with the surrounding landscape over the past 1000 years.
The trail starts at Upton Court, which was the manor house of the Parish of Upton since at least the Anglo-Saxon period. Adjacent to Upton Court is the Parish Church of St Laurence, which dates back to 1156 and is the final resting place of Sir William Herschel, astronomer to King George III. There are also some interesting gravestones in the churchyard which are worth looking at.
The next stop on the trail is Upton Hospital, which was originally the Eton Union Workhouse and was built in 1836. It became Upton Hospital in 1948.
Just up the road from the Hospital is St Mary’s Church, built in 1837 as a replacement for the then-derelict St Laurence’s Church, which was originally going to be demolished. Both churches remain to this day.
Entering the Upton Park Estate, we come to Diana Lodge (which later became a library and billiards room for people who lived on the estate). A frieze which adorns the gable of the lodge building depicts Diana, goddess of hunting. This was originally one of three lodges which gave access to Upton Park.
In 1842 land for the Upton Park Estate was purchased by James Thomas Bedborough, a local builder and politician.
The Upton Park Estate and its gardens were built and designed by Benjamin Baud, an architect who had worked at Windsor Castle under Jeffry Wyattville.
They consisted of Victoria Terrace and West and East Villas, and were positioned around what was originally a private garden. The garden was later purchased by Slough Corporation in 1949 and became known as Herschel Park.
Please see the trail to read more about Upton Park’s interesting history. There is also a tree trail available which locates important trees within Herschel Park. These free leaflets are available from the kiosk at the entrance to Herschel Park or by contacting Slough Borough Council on 01753 475111.
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