Touchen End
Encyclopedia
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
and lies on the border of Bray and Waltham parishes.
, an area of Windsor Forest owned by the Manor of Feens and Woolley. An ancient road from Touchen End to the Manor at Maidenhead Thicket can be identified running through Paley Street, Heywoods Manor and Breadcroft Lane.
at the fork of a road, twicen(e) being Old English for fork of a road.
In the years since 1274 the village has been recorded on map
s and referred to in document
s which show the evolution of the name:
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
. The stained glass windows "of a simple Grisaille
pattern" and fittings were designed by William White
.
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. 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
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.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bray
Bray, Berkshire
Bray, sometimes known as Bray on Thames, is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It stands on the banks of the River Thames, just south-east of Maidenhead. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of 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...
. It is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
and 5 miles (8 km) west 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 lies on the border of Bray and Waltham parishes.
History
The earliest record of a settlement is from 1274 when it was called Twychene however by 1360 it was registered as a tithing called Iwhurst. A man called John de Iwhurst first moved to the area in 1293 and his family remained until at least 1540.. By 1607 Twychene was part of Fines BailiwickBailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
, an area of Windsor Forest owned by the Manor of Feens and Woolley. An ancient road from Touchen End to the Manor at Maidenhead Thicket can be identified running through Paley Street, Heywoods Manor and Breadcroft Lane.
Toponomy
The settlement's earliest name, Twychene, is possibly a corruption of 'two chain' where chains were stretched across road junctions to enable a toll to be levied. As the village lies on the junction of the A330 and the B3024 this is a plausible explanation. Another theory is that the Touchen End has evolved from a shortening of Tutchin Lane End meaning a hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
at the fork of a road, twicen(e) being Old English for fork of a road.
In the years since 1274 the village has been recorded on map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s and referred to in document
Document
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
s which show the evolution of the name:
| Name | Date | Source |
| Twychene | 1274 - 1353 | Rentals and Surveys |
| Twichene | 1314 - 1316 | Ministers Accounts |
| La Twichen | 1316 | Calendar of Fine Rolls Fine rolls The fine rolls record offers of money to the Kings of England for concessions and favours from the 12th to the 17th centuries.In general, a fine is an agreement made with the king, or one of his chief ministers, to pay a certain sum of money for a specified benefit. In some cases the sum of money... |
| La Twychene | 1338/9 | Calendar of Fine Rolls & Introduction to the Survey of English Place Names 1924 |
| Twechene | 1401/2 | Feudal Aids Feudal aid Feudal aid, or just plain aid is the legal term for one of the financial duties required of a tenant or vassal to his lord. Variations on the feudal aid were collected in England, France, Germany and Italy during the Middle Ages, although the exact circumstances varied.-Origin:The term originated... |
| Twechen | 1426/7 | Court Rolls (Bray) |
| Towchinge | 1586 | Rentals and Surveys |
| Tutcham Lane | 1641 | State Papers Domestic |
| Tutchin Lane End | 1711 | A Letter containing an account of some antiquities between Windsor and Oxford, T. Hearne |
| Tutchin Lane | 1761 | A Topographical Survey of the County of Berkshire, J. Rocque, 1761 |
| Tutchin Lane | 1790 | A topographical Map of the Town of Reading and the Country adjacent to an Extent of Ten Miles, Thomas Pride, 1790 |
| Tatchen Lane | 1800 | Map of Windsor Park and part of the Forest, Wm. Eden, 1800 |
Holy Trinity Church
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
, and an adjoining National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
.
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
John Turner (architect)
John Turner was an English architect, noted for his ecclesiastical buildings.-Life:John Turner was born in Holborn, London in 1806 and married Fanny Louise Carter in 1839. He had two children, John Goldicutt and Joseph Edward both of whom died without issue...
. The stained glass windows "of a simple Grisaille
Grisaille
Grisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco...
pattern" and fittings were designed by William White
William White (architect)
William White, F.S.A. was an English architect, famous for his part in 19th century Gothic Revival architecture and church restorations...
.
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. 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
Long Crendon
Long Crendon is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, about west of Haddenham and north-west of Thame in neighbouring Oxfordshire.The village has been called Long Crendon only since the English Civil War...
, 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....
The graveyard attached to Holy Trinity remains in use under the parish of Bray and is notable for the grave of William Thomas Forshaw
William Thomas Forshaw
Major William Thomas Forshaw VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In civilian life Forshaw was a teacher at The Manchester Grammar School.Forshaw was...
VC.