Datchet Bridge, also known as The Divided Bridge, was a road bridge which crossed the River Thames at Datchet from 1706 until it was demolished in 1848. It was situated on the reach between Old Windsor Lock and Romney Lock and linked Windsor on the Berkshire bank to Datchet on the Buckinghamshire side. The bridge replaced a ferry service which had operated at the site since at least the middle of the 13th century.
Engraving of 1750 showing the first Datchet Bridge from the Buckinghamshire bank
Datchet Mead and Datchet Ferry in 1686 with Windsor Castle in the background
Datchet Ferry in 1811 showing the abandoned 1770 bridge just prior to its rebuilding in 1812
The Divided Bridge in 1847 from the Berkshire bank
Datchet is a village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England, located on the north bank of the River Thames. Historically part of Buckinghamshire, and the Stoke Hundred, the village was eventually transferred to Berkshire, under the Local Government Act of 1972. The village developed because of its close proximity to Windsor and the ferry service which connected it to the main London Road across the River Thames. The ferry was later replaced by a road bridge at the foot of the High Street, which was rebuilt three times. There is also a rail bridge approaching Windsor across the river, and two road bridges above and below the village.
Datchet village centre
St Mary's Church with its octagonal tower
Datchet Mead and Datchet Ferry in 1686 with Windsor Castle in the background