Welcome

Welcome to the Taplow website! This is a jumping-off point for all sorts of information about Taplow Village. Come in and look around.

A Walk Around Taplow A virtual-reality tour of Taplow, with clickable maps and hundreds of photographs. NEW: updated maps, and Marsh Lane is now fully covered.

Taplow Artists Network This is a showcase for artists who live or work in the Taplow area. A wide range of work is on show, from watercolours to sculpture and from acrylics to digital photographs.

Hitcham and Taplow Society The Society now has a website with news, information, and a forum for people to "have their say" about the local area.

Current local issues

Skindles and the Paper Mill

The St Regis company, which owned Skindles and the Mill, has sold the entire site to a property company. The mill closed in late 2006, and some parts have now been demolished.

The site covers approximately 48 acres and comprises the Mill, the former Skindles Hotel, Windrush Garage (on a lease) and the Severnside Recycling Depot, as well as large areas of open space.

More information can be found on the Hitcham and Taplow Society website, though so far nobody seems to know what the new owners plan to do.

Pictorial websites

• Buckinghamshire Photographs collected by the County Council
• There are a few Taplow pictures in Buckinghamshire Town and Village Photographs
• The English Heritage Viewfinder site has many pictures of the Taplow area (mostly from the Henry W Taunt Collection, which includes a lot of images of Cliveden)

Landmarks

• Taplow Court, once the home of Lord and Lady Desborough, has been beautifully restored and is now the Headquarters of SGI UK - a lay Buddhist organisation.
• Current Archaeology has an article on the Saxon burial and iron age hillfort at Taplow Court. A number of the artefacts found when the burial mound was excavated are now in the British Museum: search for Taplow in the Compass database
• Cliveden - home of Nancy, Lady Astor, is the largest National Trust property in the Taplow area. Most of the house itself is now used as a hotel
• The Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital Shrine - a most unusual website dedicated to the remnants of the old hospital that was enclosed in the grounds of Cliveden. There is also some information on Dropmore and Taplow Lodge. The hospital site is now being developed with 135 luxury houses for the over-55s.
• Nashdom House was designed by Edwin Lutyens for Princess Dolgorouki, and was later used as an abbey. After standing empty for several years it was refurbished and converted into apartments.
• Wickenden house and vineyard were re-built in the style of Lutyens in the 1990s.
• The River Thames is an important part of the landscape around Taplow. The Environment Agency's Visit Thames website has a lot of information to help you make the most of the river and its surroundings.
• The Environment Agency has a website describing the Jubilee River - originally known as the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme (MWEFAS). Unfortunately they keep moving the pages around so you will have to start at their home page and search for it.

Local Government

• Taplow Parish Council can be contacted by e-mail: taplow.pc@googlemail.com
• A list of current planning applications in the area can be found on the South Bucks Planning page along with much useful advice on building, extending, and modifying houses. Another good source of advice on building issues is the Secured By Design site.
• The membership of Taplow Parish Council (and other nearby councils) is listed on the South Bucks District Council website.
• Taplow boasts several Conservation Areas, including The Taplow Riverside Conservation Area and the Taplow Village Conservation Area.
• The Environment Agency has maps showing all sorts of interesting information. For example, a map showing which parts of Taplow are at risk of flooding

Nearby towns and villages

• Walking about in downtown Maidenhead - a photographic tour of Maidenhead, which is just across the river from Taplow. maidenhead.net also includes a photographic tour of Maidenhead.
• Burnham is the next settlement to the East of Taplow. It still has a busy High Street, whereas Taplow's High Street has not had any shops for many years. Burnham Parish Council have a comprehensive website, and Burnham also has its own community website maintained by the Burnham Health Promotion Trust, with lots of information and links.
• Bray is the next village south of Taplow.
• Slough is the nearest large town to the east of Taplow.

Recreation

• Local artist Annick McKenzie has established a website to show her very colourful work.
• A list of books relating to Buckinghamshire including several covering Taplow.
• Taplow Lake Sailing Club are based just south of the A4 on Amerden Lane.
• Maidenhead Rowing Club moved across the river a few years ago and now have a clubhouse in Taplow Riverside. Their webcam takes regular pictures of the River Thames just downstream from Maidenhead Bridge.
• Maidenhead Operatic Society rehearse every Thursday evening in Taplow Village Hall.
• Maidenhead Camera Club has several Taplow-based members.
• Thames Valley Adventure Playground provides adventurous, therapeutic and educational play activities for both children and adults with all types of disability.
• The South Bucks Bridge Centre is based in a restored barn in Burnham: it runs courses and club nights where you can learn to play Bridge and improve your game.

Schools and charities

• OFSTED school inspection report for St Nicolas School in Taplow.
• More Taplow links from Google and the DMOZ directory

Taplow Business

• Self-catering accommodation is available in Hitchambury Manor.
• SGT are a family-owned motor dealer for sports and specialist cars, trading under the banner "SGT We sell freedom"
• Just Outdoor Toys supply trampolines, climbing frames, paddling pools, go-karts, swings, sandpits etc.
• Skills 1st Ltd is a consultancy specialising in systems and network management and directory services.
• Windrush is the local Volkswagen retailer and luxury car specialist, accepts any make in part-exchange, can arrange finance and offers a full after-sales service.
• Knight Architects design simple, beautiful bridges and buildings.
• Richard Sully is a freelance pianist, available for hire to play for private engagements, weddings and corporate functions.
• Allyn Jane Anthony is a Complementary Therapist practising Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Reiki and more

Other sites

• Villages Online has pointers to hundreds of UK village websites
• UK Photos has pictures from all over the UK
• A list of books on Buckinghamshire
• The Maidenhead Advertiser has a section covering Burnham, Taplow, and Dorney

Andrew Findlay
andrew@findlay.org