Book Review by EW Smith
© WLHG
A comprehensive book of the pubs in Windsor has just been published by Amberly Publishing, co-written by Carol Dixon-Smith and Dr Brigitte Mitchell, price £14.99. It is well researched and beautifully illustrated, with photographs by Carol Dixon-Smith.
It is not meant to be an in-depth history of past pubs in Windsor, Old Windsor, and Eton, but rather an overview of pubs that still exist, with an introduction to the history of public houses and brewing in Windsor. Each pub has been well researched, and some wonderful stories have emerged. Did you know that pubs in the past were used to quarter soldiers, or that coroner’s inquests were held in public houses, with many a landlord having to give house-room to an often increasingly offensive corpse?
The authors have divided the pubs into areas around the town, with each section clearly defined, and a map with a key to guide you. This is where lost pubs and breweries get a mention, but the new Windsor and Eton Brewery also gets good coverage.
There is something to tempt everyone; details of the age of the pubs, listed building status, who the landlords or owners were, wand hat the pub is like today. It is a book not only for locals, but for the many visitors to the town.
Windsor Local History Group 