Britwell
| Britwell | |
| Buckinghamshire | |
|---|---|
 Wentworth Avenue, Britwell | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU955825 |
| Location: | 51°32’1"N, 0°37’26"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 5,989 (2001) |
| Post town: | Slough |
| Postcode: | SL2 |
| Dialling code: | 01753 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Slough |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Slough |
Britwell is a residential housing estate and civil parish in the northwest of Slough in Buckinghamshire.
The name Britwell derives from the old English beorhtan wiellan meaning 'the bright / clear well'.
Development
The place now known as the Britwell Estate was originally farm land. Modern-day Britwell, which has the well-defined geographic boundaries of Farnham Lane (in the north), Lower Britwell Road and Haymill Road (to the west), Whittaker Road and Northborough Road (south) and Long Readings Lane (east), was created as a large overspill housing estate for bombed-out Londoners at the end of the Second World War. Britwell was one of a number of London County Council estates built at the time, with other estates in places including Langley and Swindon.
The first of 11,000 tenants arrived in August 1956 and were delighted with the "roomy and modern" houses, complete with large swivel windows – "a boon to housewives". There was a dearth of amenities at first, but after the founding of the community association in 1959, the estate finally got a bus service into Slough, and a community centre in 1966.
When the Britwell Estate was created, its postal address was 'Farnham Royal', a village north of near Slough. It was swallowed by Slough soon enough. The estate is now owned by Slough's borough council.
Social mirror
Britwell used to be renowned throughout the local area for its high rate of petty crime.[1] In 2002 bus drivers refused to drive through there at night because of repeated incidents of three pre-teenage boys throwing stones at buses. The Parish Council have provided premises for use as a Neighbourhood Police Office within their parish ground; this is well used by the local beat team, PCSOs and community wardens. The actual police office can be seen at www.slough.info/britwell/b08/b08.html
On film and television
Britwell's row of shops featured as a backdrop in the dystopia themed movie V for Vendetta. Britwell has also featured in the ITV drama Torn. The shops also represented 1970s Belfast in the film Titanic Town starring Julie Walters.
Outside links
References
- ↑ BBC News Online, Crime crackdown on estate begins, 3 August 2004.
