Local history

Maidenhead 100AD to Present Day

Here are some key dates in the history of Maidenhead.

If you are interested in reading more about Maidenhead's history, many books are available to buy at the Heritage Centre shop or to consult in our reference library. By the way, local history goes back to the stone age: the oldest objects in our collection are about 4000 years old!

100   Roman Villa in Cox Green.
/400   Our collection includes finds from the villa.
620   Saxon Warrier king Taeppa buried in Taplow.
997   Witan (Saxon parliament) meets in Cookham.
1086   Domesday Book - entries for Bray, Cookham, Elentone (modern North Town) ... but Maidenhead does not yet exist.
1250   First wooden bridge is built and the town begins to grow.
1451   Guild of St Andrew & St Mary is founded - start of civic life. [read more]
1582   Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I. [read more]
1612   The Godayn Seal in use as the town seal. [read more]
1647   King Charles I's last meeting with his children, at an inn in Maidenhead High Street. [read more]
1740   First Performance of Rule Britannia, at Cliveden. [read more]
1772   Boulters Lock built, the first ‘pound lock’ on the middle Thames.
1777   The present stone Maidenhead Bridge is built. Maidenhead’s prosperity is based on the coaching trade.
1839   Brunel’s "Sounding Arch” railway bridge is built and the Coaching era comes to an end.
1891   Artist Sir Stanley Spencer RA born in Cookham. [read more]
1894   Greatest Flood on Record.
1897   Diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.
1903   Lifting of toll of Maidenhead bridge, after 750 years. [read more]
1914    
  /18 		   In the first world war, Maidenhead suffers 900 casualties from a population of c. 13,000. Four Victoria Crosses are awarded to local people.
1927   Ivor Novello buys Redroofs at Littlewick Green as his country house. [read more]
1935   Opening of White Waltham aerodrome.
1940   Wartime HQ of Air Transport Auxiliary established at White Waltham.  [read more]
1947   Most severe flood of 20th century.
1948   Maidonian rower Bert Bushnell wins a Gold Medal in the London Olympic Games for his victory in Mens Double Sculls [read more]
1950     
/66 		   Hammer, the 'House of Horror', make over 80 films in Bray. [read more]
1957   A Vanwall racing car, driven by Stirling Moss, becomes the first British car to win the British Grand Prix since 1934.
1957   First flight of the Fairey Rotodyne, the world's first vertical take-off airliner, promising fast city-centre to city-centre travel. [read more]
1961   The Profumo Affair (at Cliveden). [read more]
1961   Completion of Maidenhead bypass - after 38 years!
1972   Buildling of relief roads, named after our twin towns in Germany, France and Italy.
1974   Local government reorganization replaces the Borough of Maidenhead with the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.
1997   New parliament constituency of Maidenhead is formed.
2002   The Maidenhead Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme (known as the Jubilee River) is opened, providing protection against floods of 1947 proportions. [read more]
2003    Worst floods since 1947. Maidenhead is saved by the Jubilee River, but there is severe flooding from Cookham to Hurley.
2003   Maidenhead Library, designed by Ahrends Burton & Koralek and completed in 1972, becomes the town's first post-war listed building.
2004   Maidonian rowers Cath Bishop and Katharine Grainger wins Silver medals at the Athens Olympic Games.
2005   ‘The Fat Duck’ at Bray voted the best restaurant in the world.
2006   Sounding Arch railway bridge used for commemorative stamp celebrating Brunel's bicentenary.
 
WHAT'S ON

We currently have no details about future events.
 
 
NEWS

A special 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner was held at Hall Place, Burchetts Green on Friday May 10th. It is not only 20 years since the Heritage Centre first opened. It is also 5 years since the galleries at our permanent home in Park Street opened to the public.
Read more