Baldwin’s Bridge is maintained by The Baldwin Bridge Trust whose patent was warranted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. It is one of the oldest charities in England. The bridge’s upkeep is financed by the rents of neighbouring buildings owned by the Trust, given to them specifically for maintenance and repairs. In those days Eton was the direct route from London to Windsor and the bridge was an important crossing of a tributary of the Thames. It is thought that the Queen was worried about London being seized in a Catholic revolt, while she was cut off in Windsor. Looking out from the Bridge to the West, there is a flood marker for the Great Flood of November 1894. In 1947 there was a similar level of flooding. Halfway up the wall of old Rowlands at the start of Slough Road, there is an original marker from the first ever modern marathon. The ‘about 25 miles’ route, from Windsor to London, was agreed in 1907 by the British Olympic Association and was an event in the 1908 London Olympics finishing at the White City Stadium in Shepherd’s Bush. The Windsor to London distance has been adopted as the Olympic standard ever since.
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A medal was purchased for this point by: Eton Community Association
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