Colnbrook
Encyclopedia
Colnbrook is a large village
in the unitary authority
of Slough
, in Berkshire
, England. It is situated 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of central Slough, 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Windsor
and 19 miles (30.6 km) west of central London
.
Colnbrook is in the Windsor
constituency and its Member of Parliament
is Adam Afriyie
(Conservative
). The town's mayor is Warren Johnson.
Domesday Book
, Colnbrook is on the Colne Brook
, a tributary to the River Colne
, hence Colnbrook. Coaching inn
s were the village's main industry. In 1106 the first one was founded by Milo Crispin, named the Hospice (now the Ostrich Inn). By 1577 Colnbrook had no fewer than ten coaching inn
s. Colnbrook's High Street was on the main London
to Bath road and turn off point for Windsor and was used as a resting point for travellers.
One 17th century landlord, Jarman of the Ostrich Inn, installed a large trap door under the bed in the best bedroom located immediately above the inn's kitchen. The bed was fixed to the trap door and the mattress securely attached to the bedstead, so that when two retaining iron pins were removed from below in the small hours of the morning, the sleeping guest was neatly decanted into a boiling cauldron. In this way more than 60 of his richer guests were murdered silently and with no bloodshed. Their bodies were then disposed of in the River Colne. The murder of a wealthy clothier, Olde Cole or Thomas of Reading, proved to be Jarman's undoing in that they failed to get rid of Cole's horse, leading to their confessing. Jarman and his wife were hanged for robbery and murder. The inn is reportedly haunted and has been subject to investigations by the Sussex Paranormal Research Group and Most Haunted
. On an episode of "Ghosthunters International" that aired on July 21, 2010, it is mentioned that the Jarman murders at the Ostrich Inn were the inspiration for the story of "Sweeney Todd".
Colnbrook is also the place where Cox (a retired brewer) first grafted the Cox's Orange Pippin
at his orchard named the Lawns.
Colnbrook was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire
on 1 April 1995.
by way of Slough
, and had been a convenient halting-place for travellers before the introduction of railways.
Colnbrook has a railway line running into West Drayton
, formerly carrying passenger traffic, today only carrying goods desired for the Heathrow Airport extension (Terminal 5). This railway line formerly continued to Staines
and there are plans to re-use the southern part of it for the Heathrow Airtrack
rail link from Staines to Heathrow Airport.
See Colnbrook railway station
for the former rail connection that closed in 1965.
Local bus services are operated by London United
and First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
.
[
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England. It is situated 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southeast of central Slough, 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
and 19 miles (30.6 km) west of central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Colnbrook is in the Windsor
Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)
Windsor is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In its modern form, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
constituency and its Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Adam Afriyie
Adam Afriyie
Adam Afriyie is a British Conservative Party politician, and the Member of Parliament for Windsor. He was first elected at the 2005 general election and re-elected at the 2010 election.-Early life:...
(Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
). The town's mayor is Warren Johnson.
History
Mentioned in William the Conqueror'sWilliam I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, Colnbrook is on the Colne Brook
Colne Brook
The Colne Brook is a river in England that branches off the River Colne at Uxbridge Moor and flows into the River Thames at Hythe End, just below Bell Weir Lock....
, a tributary to the River Colne
River Colne, Hertfordshire
The Colne is a river in England which is a tributary of the River Thames. It flows mainly through Hertfordshire and forms the boundary between the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
, hence Colnbrook. Coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s were the village's main industry. In 1106 the first one was founded by Milo Crispin, named the Hospice (now the Ostrich Inn). By 1577 Colnbrook had no fewer than ten coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s. Colnbrook's High Street was on the main London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Bath road and turn off point for Windsor and was used as a resting point for travellers.
One 17th century landlord, Jarman of the Ostrich Inn, installed a large trap door under the bed in the best bedroom located immediately above the inn's kitchen. The bed was fixed to the trap door and the mattress securely attached to the bedstead, so that when two retaining iron pins were removed from below in the small hours of the morning, the sleeping guest was neatly decanted into a boiling cauldron. In this way more than 60 of his richer guests were murdered silently and with no bloodshed. Their bodies were then disposed of in the River Colne. The murder of a wealthy clothier, Olde Cole or Thomas of Reading, proved to be Jarman's undoing in that they failed to get rid of Cole's horse, leading to their confessing. Jarman and his wife were hanged for robbery and murder. The inn is reportedly haunted and has been subject to investigations by the Sussex Paranormal Research Group and Most Haunted
Most Haunted
Most Haunted is a British paranormal documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May 2002 and ended on 21 July 2010. It was broadcast on Living and presented by Yvette Fielding. The programme was based on investigating purported paranormal activity...
. On an episode of "Ghosthunters International" that aired on July 21, 2010, it is mentioned that the Jarman murders at the Ostrich Inn were the inspiration for the story of "Sweeney Todd".
Colnbrook is also the place where Cox (a retired brewer) first grafted the Cox's Orange Pippin
Cox's Orange Pippin
Cox's Orange Pippin is an apple cultivar first grown in 1825, at Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire, England, by the retired brewer and horticulturist Richard Cox. Though the origin of the cultivar is unknown, the Ribston Pippin seems a likely candidate. The variety was introduced for sale by the 1850s...
at his orchard named the Lawns.
Colnbrook was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
on 1 April 1995.
Transport
Colnbrook was in earlier times on the main road to WindsorWindsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
by way of Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, and had been a convenient halting-place for travellers before the introduction of railways.
Colnbrook has a railway line running into West Drayton
West Drayton
West Drayton is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in the far west of London, England. Formerly part of the Yiewsley and West Drayton Urban District of Middlesex, the district became part of Greater London in 1965....
, formerly carrying passenger traffic, today only carrying goods desired for the Heathrow Airport extension (Terminal 5). This railway line formerly continued to Staines
Staines
Staines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
and there are plans to re-use the southern part of it for the Heathrow Airtrack
Heathrow Airtrack
Heathrow Airtrack is a proposed railway link in west London, England, UK. The line as proposed by BAA, would have run from into central London and across the suburbs of south-west London. BAA announced that it was abandoning the project in April 2011...
rail link from Staines to Heathrow Airport.
See Colnbrook railway station
Colnbrook railway station
Colnbrook railway station was a station on the now closed railway line between West Drayton and Staines West, on the western edge of London, England. It opened in 1884 to serve the village of Colnbrook, perhaps anticipating that one day it would grow into a larger settlement...
for the former rail connection that closed in 1965.
Local bus services are operated by London United
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
and First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley is a bus operator serving Bracknell, Slough and Wokingham, in England. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator with a turnover of nearly £2.5 billion a year and 62,000 employees across the UK and North America...
.
External links
- Colnbrook with Poyle Parish Council
- Colnbrook Village Website
- The horrible history of the Ostrich Inn
[