DATCHET'S CONSERVATION AREA & LISTED BUILDINGS
Please scroll to the bottom of the page for details of Datchet's Listed Buildings
Illustrated Extracts from Datchet's Conservation Area Statement
Compiled by Janet Kennish, June 2016
A large part of the centre of Datchet was designated as a Conservation Area by the Royal Borough's Planning Department in 1995. This means it is worthy of preservation or enhancement because of its special architectural or historic interest. The quality and special interest of the area as a whole is intended, rather than just that of specific buildings, although some of these may also be protected by Listed Building status.
All the comments on these pages are quotations from the 1995 Conservation Statement for Datchet. Numbered points refer to sections of the complete document. The photos illustrate as many of its points as possible.
Photographs: Rob Gordon, Adrian Giddins, Fiona Cryle, Janet Kennish
Datchet House Long Wall, London Road;
‘walls and boundary
hedges are an important
street feature’. (8.1)
3.1 Chief Architectural Features: Datchet’s Conservation Area contains a mix of styles and ages of buildings ranging from 15th century timber-framed buildings, 18th century redbrick buildings, and 19th century decorated brick buildings, to 20th century in-fill. The diversity is increased by the range of sizes from small terraced Victorian dwellings to much larger detached and wide-fronted plots.
5.1 The Green: Datchet’s focus is its Green, an important and very busy open space. The activeness of the space creates a sense of being the village centre, and the main commercial uses front on to it. Although surrounded by roads, signage and street furniture, the Green retains a rural feel with its granite edging plus post and chain fencing. Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Oak is a visual centre and gives height to the space. Memorials provide points of interest in the spacious grassed area.
5.1 The Green: Datchet’s focus is its Green, an important and very busy open space. The activeness of the space creates a sense of being the village centre, and the main commercial uses front on to it. Although surrounded by roads, signage and street furniture, the Green retains a rural feel with its granite edging plus post and chain fencing. Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Oak is a visual centre and gives height to the space. Memorials provide points of interest in the spacious grassed area.
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4.5; 4.6 Interesting groupings of buildings, especially around the Green, give Datchet a unique character: along South Green (scroll down further for archive photo from Church steeple) and at the corner of London and Horton Roads.
Buildings at the corner of London and Horton Roads
3.2; 3.4 Striking architectural features around the Green:
Archive photo taken from church steeple
Roof shapes vary from simple gables to more elaborate roofs with projecting attic gables. Mostly steeply-pitched red tile roofs, with 1870s tile patterning at Manor Houses.
Use of decorative timber facing, particularly on gables, including the Pharmacy, Old Council Offices (decorative timber added to both in the 20th century) and the modern corner block at top of High Street.
3.6 Features of the High Street: Majority of buildings are two-storey in red brick with clay tiled roofs. Numbers 6 & 8 have a mansard roof with distinctive central chimney.
3.8 The Avenue, Montagu Road, Buccleuch Road: Residential roads with a good variety of two and three-storey Victorian brick houses. Often a mix of red and yellow brick to create patterning, or with decorative timber in gables.
3.10 Shopfronts of merit: (information and dates in italics have been added by Janet Kennish)
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Above: The Pharmacy on the Green is a fine example of a mock Tudor or Jacobean timbered shopfront which was added to an older house about 1905.
Below: The Bridge Café’s shop windows, with slim wooden glazing bars; before 1890 but may be much earlier. Photo 1891 flood.
Below: The Bridge Café’s shop windows, with slim wooden glazing bars; before 1890 but may be much earlier. Photo 1891 flood.
Below: Numbers 6 & 8 High Street have decorative wooden shopfronts, added to number 8 (old
Butcher’s) before 1896 and to number 6 a little later, as Kinross’s Riding Court Farm Dairy.
Butcher’s) before 1896 and to number 6 a little later, as Kinross’s Riding Court Farm Dairy.
5.2; 5.3 Other Open Spaces and Trees: Visually important tree-groupings act as a backdrop to the village centre and the
Conservation Area. The tree-planted space along Horton Road makes a pleasant entry to the village and provides a backdrop to views along the Green. Access to river frontage in Datchet is predominantly private, making the small
stretch of public space next to the boatyard an important one, with trees forming a background to the view.
Conservation Area. The tree-planted space along Horton Road makes a pleasant entry to the village and provides a backdrop to views along the Green. Access to river frontage in Datchet is predominantly private, making the small
stretch of public space next to the boatyard an important one, with trees forming a background to the view.
7.1 Views into and across the Conservation Area: From the main roads entering the centre of Datchet there is an element of surprise, as they provide glimpses of the space ahead but the size of the space is not realised until the Green
is actually reached. Views across the Green are also important. The view from west to east along the Green is
well preserved, with a backdrop of trees at the entrance to Horton Road. From east to west, the view includes the 1930s
Art Deco garage, just beyond the boundary of the Conservation Area.
is actually reached. Views across the Green are also important. The view from west to east along the Green is
well preserved, with a backdrop of trees at the entrance to Horton Road. From east to west, the view includes the 1930s
Art Deco garage, just beyond the boundary of the Conservation Area.
7.2 Views from the Conservation Area: The views out of the Conservation Area, across to the Home Park and along the Thames, have important historic and aesthetic merits. This view is little altered from the 17th century when it was a public route from Datchet to Windsor and to the Castle; part of the tree-lined route can still be seen. Ferry print 1686
6.2 The River Thames still supports some activity, although mainly for pleasure, and has a small boatyard on Windsor Road, next to the public space.
Datchet's Listed Buildings
A document showing pictures of Datchet's Listed Buildings is available here.
Conservation Area Statement
The full statement is available here.
You can find general information about Conservation Areas, and what it means to live in one, on the Historic England website.