Streets of Windsor and Eton

Announcing the Second Edition

Published in Windlesora 07 (1988)

© WLHG

In exploring the origins of the roads of New Windsor, Old Windsor, Eton and the surrounding villages, the Windsor Local History Publications Group produced what amounted to a potted history of these famous towns, so often overshadowed by the Castle and College.

It is eight years since the first edition of The Streets of Windsor and Eton was published. With the third reprint almost out of stock it was decided that a new revised edition was called for. Much of the text has been rewritten and the second edition includes new roads and the results of recent research.

There were however some street names for which we could find no explanation or only a very tenuous one. The Revd. Denis Shaw, Rector of Clewer, has kindly suggested the following:

ADDINGTON CLOSE: Mr Addington was a physician to George III and he gave evidence to the House of Lords about ‘the King’s malady’ in such a way as to please the Royal Family, contributing thereby to the advancement of his family. His son became Earl of Sidmouth.

BALLARD GREEN: Charles Ballard established Ballard’s Charity in 1803. This charity paid for gifts of bread or cash to be given to the poor by the Vicar of Windsor.

BRUCE WALK: General Bruce was tutor to the Prince of Wales who became Edward VII. Bruce was also the family name of Lord Elgin, whose sister, Lady Augusta was a lady-in-waiting. Another
family which bore the name Bruce was that of the Earls of Ailesbury, who had connections with Windsor in the eighteenth century. (Web editor note June 2023: Thomas Bruce 2nd Earl, died 1741)

BRUDENELL: This was the family name of the Earls of Cardigan. The fourth Earl, George Brudenell, was Constable of Windsor Castle from 1751/2 until his death in 1790.

BRYER PLACE: Thomas Bryer was mayor of Windsor in 1693-94.

DAWSON CLOSE: A Dr. Dawson was a long serving vicar of Windsor in the eighteenth century and he published Memoirs of St George and the Order of the Garter. [Dawson Close always reminds me of the Revd. E. Dawson-Walker, Rector of Holy Trinty, Windsor.)

DORSET ROAD: An Earl of Dorset was Constable of the Castle.

DOWER PARK: — probably refers to the Dower House of St. Leonard’s (St. Leonard’s Dale was the Dower House; St Leonard’s is now the Safari Park).

FRANKLYN AVENUE: Henry Franklyn established a charity in the sixteenth century to help the poor of Windsor, Old Windsor and Clewer. Part of the income was from land in Clewer and part from a
house in Park Street. In 1720 an almshouse was built on the Park Street site.

WILTON CRESCENT: Lord Wilton was a nineteenth century Master of the Turf and therefore almost certainly had Windsor connections.

Father Shaw also points out that Oak Lane (page 21) was so named because there was a public house on the corner called Herne’s Oak, but referred to colloquially as ‘The Oak’. When the public house closed the premises became ‘Herne’s Oak Store’. During 1988 the building has been completely refurbished.

The Streets of Windsor and Eton can be obtained from Windsor bookshops, officers of the Group or the Editor: Mrs. Pamela Marson, 256 Dedworth Road, Windsor SL4 4JR