Touchen End
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Touchen End | |
  Touchen End shown within Berkshire |
|
| Population | <100 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Bray |
| Unitary authority | Windsor and Maidenhead |
| Ceremonial county | Berkshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MAIDENHEAD |
| Postcode district | SL6 |
| Dialling code | 01628 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Windsor |
| List of places: UK • England • Berkshire | |
Touchen End, or Touchen-end, is a hamlet in the civil parish of Bray in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Maidenhead and 5 miles (8 km) west of Windsor.
Contents |
[edit] Toponomy
The earliest record of a settlement is from 1274 when it was called Twychene which is possibly a corruption of 'two chain' where chains were stretched across road junctions to enable a toll to be levied. The village lies on the junction of the A330 and the B3024 so this is a plausible explanation. Another theory is that the Touchen End has evolved from a shortening of Tutchin Lane End meaning a hamlet at the fork of a road.
In the years since 1274 the village has been recorded on maps and referred to in documents which show the evolution of the name:[1]
| Name | Date of map/document |
| Twychene | 1274 - 1353 |
| Twichene | 1314 - 1316 |
| La Twichen | 1316 |
| La Twychene | 1338/9 |
| Twechene | 1401/2 |
| Twechen | 1426/7 |
| Towchinge | 1586 |
| Tutcham Lane | 1641 |
| Tutchin Lane End | 1711 |
| Tutchin Lane | 1761-1790 |
| Tatchen Lane | 1800 |
[edit] Holy Trinity Church
The village expanded in the mid-19th century with the building of an Anglican church - Holy Trinity - which is mentioned in Pevsner, and an adjoining National School.
The church was built in 1862 in the 14th century style and is constructed of red brick with stone dressings and a tiled roof, the architect was John Turner.[2] Within five years the church was so overcrowded that a south aisle was built, paid for by public subscription including a donation from Queen Victoria.[3] In later years, it served as a chapel of ease to St Michael's, Bray until it was deconsecrated in the early 1970s.
It is now, along with the school buildings, a private residence. The south aisle was demolished at the time of conversion and the east window, given by David Blackmore, is now in a prison chapel at Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire[4]
The graveyard attached to Holy Trinity remains in use under the parish of Bray and is notable for the grave of William Thomas Forshaw VC.
[edit] References
- ^ Place Names of Berkshire, Margaret Gelling (ed) ISBN 978-0904889451
- ^ The Buildings of England, Berkshire. Nikolaus Pevsner. 1966 ISBN 0140710302
- ^ Notebook of Revd. J.E. Austin Leigh. Berkshire records Office document number DP/23
- ^ History of Touchen End. R.Fontaine
[edit] External links
- Touchen End's entry on David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History
- William Thomas Forshaw VC
- Holy Trinity on Church Plans Online
| Settlements in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead |
|---|
| Towns: Ascot | Maidenhead | Windsor |
| Civil parishes: Bisham | Bray | Cookham | Cox Green | Datchet | Eton | Horton | Hurley | Old Windsor | Shottesbrooke | Sunningdale | Sunninghill and Ascot | Waltham St Lawrence | White Waltham | Wraysbury |
| Other villages and suburbs: Bray Wick | Burchetts Green | Cheapside | Clewer | Cockpole Green | Cookham Dean | Dedworth | Eton Wick | Holyport | Knowl Hill | Littlewick Green | Paley Street | Pinkneys Green | Sunninghill | Touchen End |
