Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Note: Illustrations have been moved so as not to fall in the middle of paragraphs (leaving them as close to the original position in the book as possible). A few minor printing errors were corrected.

Volume I is available as Project Gutenberg ebook #57365.

THAMES VALLEY VILLAGES

WORKS BY CHARLES G. HARPER

=The Portsmouth Road=, and its Tributaries: To-day and in Days
of Old.

=The Dover Road=: Annals of an Ancient Turnpike.

=The Bath Road=: History, Fashion, and Frivolity on an Old
Highway.

=The Exeter Road=: The Story of the West of England Highway.

=The Great North Road=: The Old Mail Road to Scotland. Two Vols.

=The Norwich Road=: An East Anglian Highway.

=The Holyhead Road=: The Mail-Coach Road to Dublin. Two Vols.

=The Cambridge, Ely, and King’s Lynn Road=: The Great Fenland
Highway.

=The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford, and Cromer Road=: Sport and
History on an East Anglian Turnpike.

=The Oxford, Gloucester, and Milford Haven Road=: The Ready Way
to South Wales. Two Vols.

=The Brighton Road=: Speed, Sport, and History on the Classic
Highway.

=The Hastings Road= and the “Happy Springs of Tunbridge.”

=Cycle Rides Round London.=

=A Practical Handbook of Drawing for Modern Methods of
Reproduction.=

=Stage Coach and Mail in Days of Yore.= Two Vols.

=The Ingoldsby Country=: Literary Landmarks of “The Ingoldsby
Legends.”

=The Hardy Country=: Literary Landmarks of the Wessex Novels.

=The Dorset Coast.=

=The South Devon Coast.=

=The Old Inns of Old England.= Two Vols.

=Love in the Harbour=: a Longshore Comedy.

=Rural Nooks Round London= (Middlesex and Surrey).

=Haunted Houses=: Tales of the Supernatural.

=The Manchester and Glasgow Road.= This way to Gretna Green.
Two Vols.

=The North Devon Coast.=

=Half Hours with the Highwaymen.= Two Vols.

=The Autocar Road Book.= Four Vols.

=The Tower Of London=: Fortress, Palace, and Prison.

=The Somerset Coast.=

=The Smugglers=: Picturesque Chapters in the Story of an
Ancient Craft.

=The Cornish Coast.= North.

=The Cornish Coast.= South.

=The Kentish Coast.= [_In the Press._

=The Sussex Coast.= [_In the Press._

THAMES VALLEY
VILLAGES

BY
CHARLES G. HARPER

VOL. II

_ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS BY W. S. CAMPBELL
AND FROM DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR_

LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LTD.
1910

PRINTED AND BOUND BY
HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I

SONNING—HURST, “IN THE COUNTY OF WILTS”—SHOTTESBROOKE—WARGRAVE 1

CHAPTER II

HENLEY—THE BRIDGE AND ITS KEYSTONE-MASKS—REMENHAM—
HAMBLEDEN—MEDMENHAM ABBEY AND THE “HELL FIRE
CLUB”—HURLEY—BISHAM 25

CHAPTER III

GREAT MARLOW—COOKHAM—CLIVEDEN AND ITS OWNERS—MAIDENHEAD 51

CHAPTER IV

BRAY AND ITS FAMOUS VICAR—JESUS HOSPITAL 69

CHAPTER V

OCKWELLS MANOR-HOUSE—DORNEY COURT—BOVENEY—BURNHAM ABBEY 82

CHAPTER VI

CLEWER—WINDSOR—ETON AND ITS COLLEGIANS—DATCHET—LANGLEY
AND THE KEDERMINSTERS 109

CHAPTER VII

DATCHET—RUNNYMEDE—WRAYSBURY—HORTON AND ITS MILTON
ASSOCIATIONS—STAINES MOOR—STANWELL—LALEHAM AND MATTHEW
ARNOLD—LITTLETON—CHERTSEY—WEYBRIDGE—SHEPPERTON 131

CHAPTER VIII

COWAY STAKES—WALTON-ON-THAMES—THE RIVER AND THE WATER
COMPANIES—SUNBURY—TEDDINGTON—TWICKENHAM 157

CHAPTER IX

PETERSHAM 185

CHAPTER X

ISLEWORTH—BRENTFORD AND CÆSAR’S CROSSING OF THE THAMES 211

CHAPTER XI

STRAND-ON-THE-GREEN—KEW—CHISWICK—MORTLAKE—BARNES 236