A Short History of Crowthorne
A short history of Crowthorne In the 1850's, Crowthorne was a hamlet with a dozen dwellings. A map of the area early in the 19th century shows a triangle of three villages – Oakingham, Bracknel and Blackwater, but within this – no sign of Crowthorne. Then a couple of unrelated events happened that changed things dramatically. In 1859, Wellington College opened its doors for the first time: in 1863 the Broadmoor Asylum closed its doors on its first inmates. These two institutions were to alter Crowthorne beyond recognition over the next twenty years. Queen Victoria laid the foundation of Wellington College, as a school and home for orphaned sons of British Officers, in memory of the Duke of Wellington. Starting modestly, with 59 boys, by the end of the century it boasted: "Grounds of 430 acres, 20 acres turfed as playing fields. Four artificial lakes for bathing and skating. The attached Cadet Corps of the 1st Volunteer battalion. The nearby Wellington Hotel, erected principally for the use of friends of youths at the college." A hundred years later, girls were belatedly allowed to join (in the sixth form). Originally known as Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, the hospital's site was chosen (rather ironically) for its remoteness and sparse population. The estate included 14 acres for men, 3.5 for women and 170 acres of farmland. In the first 7 years there were 15 escapes, so in 1879 the walls were raised to 16 feet. In 1877 there were 481 inmates – reasons including: 338 for murder 34 for arson 21 for larceny 19 for burglary 19 for insubordination (all soldiers) The Mental Health Act which came into operation in 1960 changed the name to Broadmoor Hospital, making it into a special hospital for psychiatric patients "of dangerous, violent or criminal propensities", its role being to treat these patients, not just confine them.
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