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Field Map by H. Walker 1839 |
Walk No. 1
Passing through Weston's Yard and the Playing Fields, once called King's
-Ward or the King's Worth, we cross Sheep's Bridge, and, looking to the river
bank on the right, we are reminded that, from 1557 until the year 1840, a
timber and coal wharf occupied this bank, known as Leadbeater's Wharf. This was
also used as a bathing place but was finally condemned as dangerous. Taking the
path to the left, we pass on the right the Shooting Fields, now known as Upper
Club. Crossing Slough road from the Lodge we find ourselves in Stone Bridge
Mead. Formerly this was divided into three holdings. The land along Chalvey
Brook belonged to the Parsonage of Eton.; It still is free of tithe and bears
the name of Parson's Bush. Next came a narrow strip of arable land, one furlong
in length and eleven yards wide at each end--in all, half an acre, known as
Mid-furlong, which was the property of the Bridge Trust; nearer Colenorton
Brook is Pocock's Field, once the holding of Henry Jordley. Crossing the footbridge
to the left we pass through Timberhaws (the Timbralls), better known in these
days as Sixpenny or the Field.
Coming out into Common Lane by the Fives Courts, we pass Colenorton
Close on the right and find ourselves at the entrance of Long Common. Taking
the path over Colenorton Brook by the side of the pumping station, we pass
under the railway viaduct and are in Rossey's Piece. The long field north of
Colenorton on our left is Inner Mead; on the other side towards Chalvey lie the
Broad-masses or Broadmarshes or Broadmoors, famous for cowslips. Further on,
on the same side, is North Field with three little strips in the corner,
Little Bush Close, Bushy Close, and Long Close.
The path continues straight, until it is crossed by the road leading to
Little Common. The farm on the left is Manor Farm; the farm to the right is
known as Saddock's Farm, which is the property of the Crown. Behind the
cottages on Little Common is what is called Great Park Close, now part of the
Eton Sewage Farm, and nearer Bell Farm (occupied by the Manager) is the Hyde or
Great Hide. At Bell Farm we reach the western boundary of the parish. Although
Long Common is the pleasanter way, we will for the sake of the topography
return by the Eton Wick road. Opposite the front of the village is Upper Tilston
Shot, It is here a futile attempt was made in 1846 by T. Hughes to defy Lammas rights. Here in the present century E. L. Vaughan has succeeded in planting an
Institute for Eton Wick and New Boveney.
Eton Wick Church and Schools stand on Sheepcote or Great Sheep Croft or
Sheep-gate, the land on the other side being Crab Tree Close. A little further
on we reach on the left Gudgeon's Pool, the land opposite being called Sandles
or Sandalls. On the Eton side of the Sanatorium, to the left as we face the town,
is Broken Furlong, and on the right crossed by a path, Path Sandles. Then we
reach the Slads or the Water Slades, i.e. the channel by which the floods slide
away,' and we come to the College Recreation Ground properly called Great Town
Piece,' and Evans' Field, ' Little Town Piece,' where once there stood a
pest-house for cases of plague.
Walk No. 2.
We may leave the College by Keate's Lane passing the houses built on
Cock Close on the right and Christopher Close on the left, and we come to South
Meadow. The narrow field behind the Bellevue Cottages is marked in the maps as
the Butts, 'and a small plot of ground opposite on the left in South Meadow is
known as the Hayward's Butts,' The Hayward, who has charge of the cattle on the
Lammas and Common, still has certain privileges on this strip of ground.
Instead of following the lane, we will take the path to the right
through the town Recreation Ground, which occupies part of Ten Acres,' The path
leads through 'Rush-pits' to Grass and Corn Gabbetts, and so to the bridge on
the towing path over Boveney ditch. We have again reached the boundary, and
turn back to Athens, which stands in Warwick Eyot with Warwick Close and plots
called Bird and Buckshot Close and Burden Bushes behind it.
If we crossed Long Bray Bridge at Upper Hope we should pass from the
Lower Ward Meadow into Great and Little Inner Ward, but we will skirt the Outer
Ward and Cuckoo Weir, called in some maps Cuckoo Pum or Cuckoo Penn Ware. We
pass on the left 'Mill Piece' and 'Mill Furlong,' reminding us of the mill which
stood in Cuckoo Weir at the time of the Norman Conquest. On the right is a
broken piece of ground called Gravel Close, which still shows signs of old
gravel pits, and we can return either by the side of South Meadow, by the side
of which flows a water culvert, or cross the Brocas field and re-enter the town
by Hog Close and Brocas Lane. We shall then in two walks have touched on nearly
all the places which are mentioned in the maps or other records of old Eton.
This is an extract from Old Days of Eton Parish by The Rev. John Shephard originally published by Spottiswoode and Co., Ltd. in 1908.