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General
The name of Taplow derives from an Old English personal name and the word hlaw. This means ‘Taeppa's or Teppa's mound’. The reference is to the burial mound in the grounds of Taplow Court. An excavation, which took place in 1883, unearthed seventh century Saxon jewels, clothing and pottery. These treasures are said to be second only in importance to the finds at Sutton Hoo.
Taplow lies on the banks of the Thames and is connected to Maidenhead by a bridge which was built in 1772. To the south can be seen another bridge spanning the Thames, this time a brick-built railway viaduct designed by Brunel and built in 1838.
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Cliveden
In what was the Canadian War Memorial Hospital there were several ghosts. These included a one legged soldier who roamed around the north end of the main corridor. He would sometimes appear in the maternity ward which would make all the babies cry. Another ghost was nicknamed ‘The Flincher’ and was seen in the southern part of the hospital. He was even known to chase people out of the building with a crash and the sound of a loud shriek.
The site the hospital occupied was donated by Lord Aston to the Canadian Red Cross at the outbreak of the First World War and included the polo field, tennis court and Taplow Lodge. After the war the buildings were used by the City of Birmingham as a tuberculosis hospital. At the outbreak of the Second World War Lord Aston again leased the building to the Canadian Red Cross for one shilling a year (5p) with the stipulation that the site be returned to its natural state when the war was over. Before the war was over Lord Aston gave the estate to the National Trust and waived the requirement to demolish the hospital. In return the Canadian Red Cross donated the building and equipment to the British people.
In 1984 it was decided to close the hospital and by 1986 it was empty. Since then Taplow Lodge has been sold and developed into sixteen houses and renamed Orkney Court.
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