Baldwin’s Bridge is maintained by The Baldwin's Bridge Trust. They hold a patent for the bridge which 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 Elizabethan times, 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 and so wished to make sure the bridge remained open.
Looking out from the Bridge, there is a flood marker for the Great Flood of November 1894. In 1947 there was a similar level of flooding and in more recent times, you will see there have also been very high levels of flooding.
Just below the roadsign, on the building on the north side of the bridge at the start of Slough Road, there is an original marker from the first-ever modern marathon.
The route, of about 25 miles, from Windsor to London, was agreed in 1907 by the British Olympic Association.
It was an event in the 1908 London Olympics which finished at the White City Stadium in Shepherd’s Bush.
The Windsor to London distance, has been adopted as the Olympic standard ever since.
Walk another 140m to find the Eton College marker by the statue of William Waynflete, on the wall of College Chapel.
