Baldwin's Bridge aka Barnes Pool Bridge

Baldwin’s Bridge, aka Barnes Pool Bridge: The first mention of Baldwin Bridge occurs in a document called the Hundred Rolls, effectively a tax document, dated 1274, 167 years before the college was founded. It identifies Eton as “the whole township of Eton from Baldwin Bridge to Windsor Bridge.”

Baldwin Bridge was again mentioned in the founder's plans for the college. In Queen Elizabeth's reign, steps were taken to secure the maintenance of the bridge, as it was on the main route from Windsor to London. The title to certain property, consisting of a house adjoining the bridge and other land. This, in 1592, was conveyed to 13 trustees, being inhabitants of Eton, “for erecting or repairing and from time to time amending and maintaining forever the said bridge.”

In the latter part of the 16th century, the bridge became known as Barns Pool Bridge. Barn's Pool may have been a landing wharf. It has been suggested that it was so named from the barns in which goods were stored. In 1658, “the bridge called Barn spool Bridge, alias Baldwin Bridge, was plucked up and rebuilt.”

In 1676-9, the house adjoining the bridge is described as the Town House, and the land all around, Town land. In 1687, the last-mentioned bridge, which was made of wood, was replaced by one of brick, the foundations of which can still be seen today below the water under the current bridge.

In 1867, Henry Emlyn was employed by the Baldwin’s Bridge Trust to put footpaths on the sides of the 1687 brick bridge. The current bridge, Grade II listed, dates from 1883 and was designed by A.M. Fowler, engineer. The flat carriageway is supported on transverse fish belly iron girders separated by diagonal braces; iron lattice girder parapets and granite terminal piers with ornate cast-iron lamp standards; the abutments are of brick with granite quoins.